Nikola Tesla, His Work and Unfulfilled Promises Page 1

That commendation on the part of the public which we call fame is a prize struggled for throughout the world. It is as distinctly valuable as a mine, a 20-story building or any other property, and, in the estimation of many, great fame is of more value to its possessor than would be any section of mines or 20-story buildings. It is wise, then, on the part of society to see that this valuable thing, fame, is distributed justly.

Ten years ago, if public opinion in this country had been required to name the electrician of greatest promise, the answer without doubt would have been " Nikola Tesla." To-day his name provokes at best a regret that so great a promise should have been unfulfilled. In ten years the attitude of the scientific press has passed from admiring expectancy to good natured banter and at last to charitable silence. In 1892 a leading electrical periodical of this country contained the following ("Electrical World," Vol. 19, p. 20):

"During the past six months Mr. Nikola Tesla has been steadily at work developing the beautiful principles that he enunciated in his striking lecture before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. In his skillful hands the experiments have extended far beyond their merely theoretical importance in the direction of important practical applications. The revolutionary character of his methods will make any extensive application of them of unique interest." In 1898, the same journal, speaking of Tesla's latest patented scheme, says ("Electrical World," Vol. 32, p 466) "Mr. Tesla, if correctly re-