The Teslian - Vol. I, No. 6 Page 1

A MEETING WITH TESLA

Suppose that today it were possible to call upon Dr. Tesla at his office, just around the corner of Fifth Avenue on W. 40th Street, as we could have done some years ago. Since he prefers seclusion and is not easily approached by those outside a rather small circle of personal friends and business associates, we might anticipate some difficulty in gaining an audience with the noted savant. But, ignoring these popularly ascribed and, perhaps, journalistically exaggerated mannerisms, we find ourselves on the 20th floor of the designated building about to enter the famous scientist's office. Let us recall the visit of Edward S. Schultz (recent member of the Society) with Dr. Tesla, as he relates what may have been our pleasant experience. *

In his early 'teens, Mr. Schultz had developed an inventive talent and demonstrated his ability in original ideas. Early making his way to West Orange, New Jersey, he began working personally with Thomas A. Edison in his private laboratory. The time was during World War I, and Mr. Schultz was soon "under Edison's wing" so-to-speak.

"With the customary impatience of youth," relates Mr. Schultz, "I did not feel that Mr. Edison was paying enough serious or helpful attention to my inventive ideas; although I can now well sympathize with Mr. Edison's position." Edison had his hands full with the promotion of too many ideas of his own without becoming concerned with those of his assistants.

So deciding to try his luck with Tesla, who was in New York City at that time, Mr. Schultz cornered him in his office on a Saturday afternoon without benefit of an appointment. The walls of Mr. Tesla's outer office were hung with huge photographs — some illustrating a few of his more important inventions and others showing the tremendous cascading

* Mr. Schultz has made the suggestion that others come forward with reports of their first meetings or personal experiences with Dr. Tesla, to be subsequently included in "The Teslian." These accounts would be of particular interest to readers of the journal.