the engine was slipping and squealing. Bergmann
maintained that he must be mistaken. The landlord kept going among his
tenants and finally discovered the dynamo. 'Oh! Mr. Bergmann, now I know
where my power goes to,' pointing to the dynamo. Bergmann gave him a
withering look of scorn, and said, 'Come here and I will show you.'
Throwing off the belt and disconnecting the wires, he spun the armature
around by hand. 'There,' said Bergmann, 'you see it's not here that you
must look for your loss.' This satisfied the landlord, and he started
off to his other tenants. He did not know that that machine, when the
wires were connected, could stop his engine.

"Soon after, the business had grown so large that E. H. Johnson and I
went in as partners, and Bergmann rented an immense factory building
at the corner of Avenue B and East Seventeenth Street, New York, six
stories high and covering a quarter of a block. Here were made all the
small things used on the electric-lighting system, such as sockets,
chandeliers, switches, meters, etc. In addition, stock tickers,
telephones, telephone switchboards, and typewriters were made the
Hammond typewriters were perfected and made there. Over 1500 men were
finally employed. This shop was very successful both scientifically and
financially. Bergmann was a man of great executive ability and carried
economy of manufacture to the limit. Among all the men I have had
associated with me, he had the commercial instinct most highly
developed."

One need not wonder at Edison's reminiscent remark that, "In any trade
any of my 'boys' made with Bergmann he always got the best of them,
no matter what it was. One time there was to be a convention of the
managers of Edison illuminating companies at Chicago. There were a lot
of representatives from the East, and a private car was hired. At Jersey
City a poker game was started by one of the delegates. Bergmann was
induced to enter the game. This was played right through to Chicago
without any sleep, but the boys didn't mind that. I had gotten them
immune to it. Bergmann had won all the money, and when the porter came
in and said 'Chicago,' Bergmann jumped up and said: 'What! Chicago! I
thought it was only Philadelphia!'"

But perhaps this further story is a better indication of developed humor
and shrewdness: "A man by the name of Epstein had been in the habit
of buying brass chips and trimmings from the lathes, and in some way
Bergmann found out that he