w lamp factory started recently at Menlo Park, and there
found Edison, Johnson, Batchelor, and Upton in conference, and "Edison
informed me that Mr. Batchelor, who was in charge of the construction,
development, and operation of the lamp factory, was soon to sail
for Europe to prepare for the exhibit to be made at the Electrical
Exposition to be held in Paris during the coming summer." These
preparations overlap the reinforcement of the staff with some notable
additions, chief among them being Mr. Samuel Insull, whose interesting
narrative of events fits admirably into the story at this stage, and
gives a vivid idea of the intense activity and excitement with which the
whole atmosphere around Edison was then surcharged: "I first met Edison
on March 1, 1881. I arrived in New York on the City of Chester about
five or six in the evening, and went direct to 65 Fifth Avenue. I had
come over to act as Edison's private secretary, the position having been
obtained for me through the good offices of Mr. E. H. Johnson, whom I
had known in London, and who wrote to Mr. U. H. Painter, of Washington,
about me in the fall of 1880. Mr. Painter sent the letter on to Mr.
Batchelor, who turned it over to Edison. Johnson returned to America
late in the fall of 1880, and in January, 1881, cabled to me to come
to this country. At the time he cabled for me Edison was still at Menlo
Park, but when I arrived in New York the famous offices of the Edison
Electric Light Company had been opened at '65' Fifth Avenue, and Edison
had moved into New York with the idea of assisting in the exploitation
of the Light Company's business.

"I was taken by Johnson direct from the Inman Steamship pier to 65 Fifth
Avenue, and met Edison for the first time. There were three rooms on
the ground floor at that time. The front one was used as a kind of
reception-room; the room immediately behind it was used as the office of
the president of the Edison Electric Light Company, Major S. B. Eaton.
The rear room, which was directly back of the front entrance hall, was
Edison's office, and there I first saw him. There was very little in
the room except a couple of walnut roller-top desks--which were very
generally used in American offices at that time. Edison received me with
great cordiality. I think he was possibly disappointed at my being so
young a man; I had only just turned twenty-one, and had a very boyish
appearance. The picture of Edison is as vivid to me now as i