USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 2 > Part 8
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The phonograph, which is one of the crowning wonders of the life of the great electrician, was invented by him in 1877. Mr. Edison was the very first to apply the induction coil to the transmission of speech. The motograph receiver, generally known as the "loud-speaking telephone," is an in- vention by which the voice from a tele- phone can be received with such power as to be readily heard by a large audience. The telephonograph is, as the name implies,
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an arrangement by which a telephonic com- munication from a distance can be recorded on the phonograph and reproduced at will. By the megaphone, which was invented by Mr. Edison during his acoustic researches, it is claimed that under favorable condi- tions, conversation, in an ordinary tone of voice, has been carried on over a distance of two miles, without the aid of connecting wires or any other medium than the air.
In the tasimeter Mr. Edison has made an exceedingly sensitive machine for meas- uring slight degrees of heat. This is done by the employment of the principle of the varying electrical resistance of carbon in connection with the expansion of hard rub- ber under the influence of heat. It is so arranged that the expansion of a strip of hard rubber increases the pressure on a carbon button, and this increase of pres- sure is at once registered by a galvanome- ter. It is so sensitive to heat that the heat of a person's hand sensibly affects the in- strument at the distance of thirty feet, and by means of this instrument the heat given off by some of the planets and fixed stars has been successfully measured. In this same line is the odoroscope, which is con- structed on the same principle, but has for its object the measurement of the amount of moisture in the air.
The electro dynamo was, to a certain ex- tent, a completed invention when Mr. Edi- son took up his work, and its general prin- ciples and details of construction were well understood by experts; but Mr. Edison at once began to make experiments, that have well nigh revolutionized the manner of building dynamos. He was the first one to design large steam dynamos, and in 1881 he built a dynamo that weighed twenty- seven tons, and of which the armature was
built of massive bars of copper instead of wires. This dynamo has been exhibited at all the great exhibitions since that time, and is acknowledged to be one of the greatest feats of modern science.
Among Mr. Edison's inventions is the kinetoscope, designed to exhibit pictures of various objects in motion, the idea being to show all the movements of the object without any perceptible break in the pic- ture. Attempts have been made by others to accomplish this, but Mr. Edison was the first to give to the public a perfect machine. To accomplish this it is necessary to make from twelve hundred to three thousand im- pressions or pictures per minute, according to the character of the subject, to properly exhibit the movements or changes of the object. The negatives for these pictures are taken by an apparatus which Mr. Edi- son calls the kinetograph, in which a trans- parent sensitized film, in the form of a long, narrow tape, is moved at a very high rate of speed, behind a camera lens and an in- tervening rapidly moving shutter. The mechanism which moves the tape is pro- vided with a stop mechanism for positively arresting the forward movement when the tape is exposed by the shutter, and for giv- ing the proper periods of exposure in inex- posure. The negatives are reproduced upon long transparent tapes for use in ex- hibiting machines. A very large number of the machines are in public use, and for some time past have been combined with the phonograph. These machines are man- ufactured at Mr. Edison's works at Orange, New Jersey.
The fluoroscope and fluorescent lamp are the result of Mr. Edison's investigation of the X-rays. By the use of this device the objects which had previously to be photo-
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graphed can now be seen directly. This device is a flaring box, having a pasteboard bottom, over the inside of which is a layer of tungstate of calcium, which becomes fluorescent under the influence of the X- rays. The top of the box is provided with a curved sight, opening like a stereoscope, and the edges are padded so as to fit closely and exclude all light. The fluorescent electric lamp is a vacuum tube, covered with a layer of tungstate of calcium, which becomes highly fluorescent and gives off a pure white light when the vacuum tube is excited by oscillating waves of electricity.
Most of Mr. Edison's inventions are patented in the United States and foreign countries, although he has given to the public a large number of inventions and discoveries which were never patented. In the United States he has filed nearly one thousand applications for letters-patent, and up to date seven hundred and thirty- two patents have been issued for his inven- tions. In foreign countries, including the principal European countries, Canada, In- dia, Australian colonies, New Zealand, Tas- mania, Natal, Ceylon and Cape of Good Hope, over seven hundred and fifty patents have been issued for his inventions.
While noting the successful experiments of Mr. Edison, the press frequently referred to him as "The Wizard of Menlo Park." He achieved some of his greatest successes in his laboratory at that place. He continued there for some years, when he removed to New York city. Soon after purchasing his beautiful home in Llewellyn Park, Mr. Edison concluded that it would be more convenient to have his laboratory and workshop near his home, and in 1887 he purchased the property on the corner of Valley road and Lakeside avenue, on which
he erected substantial brick buildings, con- veniently arranged for his work. The main building, three stories high, contains on the first floor a magnificent library, elegantly furnished in hard wood. It is provided with galleries and alcoves, by which the upper tiers of book-shelves are reached, these shelves running from the floor to the ceiling, being filled with valuable works on electricity and kindred subjects. Near the center of the library is Mr. Edison's private desk, which is connected by electric bells and speaking tubes with every part of the several buildings. In the rear of the library, on the first floor, is the storeroom. This is a veritable museum, or, rather, it is a com- bination of museum, ironmonger's shop, drug house and tinware establishment. It would be difficult to enumerate the various articles in this room. There are skins, hair, horns, hoofs, teeth of almost every known domestic and wild animal, including tusks of elephants, hide of rhinoceros and hippo- potamus, horn of antelope, antler of deer, shark's teeth, llama's wool, and specimens of other beasts. There is also almost every known variety of grain and cereals, fishes from all quarters of the globe, the rarest and most costly of drugs and chemicals, ore of gold, silver, copper, tin, etc., flour, sugar and other commodities, as well as iron and tinware, are found in the collec- tion. All these are made use of by Mr. Edison in his various experiments. On the second story of this building are a num- ber of small rooms, used by Mr. Edison's assistants in making experiments, conduct- ing researches, etc., under his direction. There is a well equipped photograph gal- lery, and a room devoted to the display of Mr. Edison's inventions in the telegraph and telephone. To the north of the main
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building is a long, low, one-story brick structure, known as the galvanometer building. It is filled with the most deli- cately adjusted instruments for measuring electric currents; and one peculiarity of the structure is that there is not a particle of iron or steel in its construction, all the nails, nuts and screws being of copper. North of this building are the chemical rooms, where experiments are made. A short distance east of the laboratory is an- other cluster of brick and frame buildings, which form the Edison phonograph works.
Mr. Edison, while living in Orange, is not of it. He is too much absorbed in his inventions to give society or other affairs much attention. He is well represented, however, by Mrs. Edison, who mingles freely in society and is active in benevolent and other works. She is popular with all classes.
WILBER W. DE CAMP,
a veteran of the civil war and a prominent citizen of Roseland, was born in his home city on the Ist of December, 1840, a son of Aaron De Camp, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mr. De Camp was reared to farm life until at- taining the age of fourteen years, when he served an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade with his father, and he continued to follow that line of industry until the war of the Rebellion caused him to offer his services in defense of the Union. On Sep- tember 1, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-sixth New Jersey Volunteer In- fantry, as a private, participating in the battle of Fredericksburg, besides many other engagements and skirmishes, and for brave and efficient work he was promoted
to the rank of first sergeant. He was hon- orably discharged on the 19th of June, 1863, and at the conclusion of the war he worked at his trade until 1874, when he engaged in the manufacture of shoes, making a strict- ly hand-made article for the New York and Hudson valley market, and giving employ- ment to between thirty-five and forty hands. In 1889 he established a general mercantile store at Roseland, where, by in- dustry, thrift and honest business methods, he has succeeded in building up a large and constantly increasing trade.
In his political views Mr. De Camp is in- dependent. He was appointed postmaster of Roseland under President Cleveland's first administration, and he has served as commissioner of deeds, was town commis- sioner for two terms, a member of the school board for eight years, was master of the Grange for two years and is at present a notary public.
The marriage of Mr. De Camp was con- summated on the 25th of February, 1868, when he was united to Miss Justinah De Camp, a daughter of Harrison De Camp, of Roseland, Essex county, and a granddaughter of Benjamin De Camp. They have one child, Marcus W., of Rose- land, who married Elizabeth B. Moger; they have four children,-Witsel R., Blanch M., Aline and Harold L.
Harrison De Camp followed the vocation of shoe-making during his life and resided at Roseland. He married Miss Electa Bond, a native of Caldwell and a daugh- ter of Alva Bond, and they became the par- ents of four children, Justinah; Annie C., the wife of George L. Smith; Sarah Eliza- beth, who married Jeptha Williams; and Jane Maria, who died young. Mr. and Mrs. De Camp were members of the Roseland
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church, in the faith of which Mr. De Camp departed this life on the 2d of April, 1897.
HENRY BERG,
who is prominently and widely known in business and social circles, has a large circle of friends, whose confidence and esteem he enjoys by reason of his sterling worth, fidel- ity to duty and strict adherence to the ethics of commercial life. He is a son of Frederick and Anna Berg and a member of the well known firm of F. Berg & Com- pany, hat-manufacturers of Orange. He was born in Orange on the 3d of February, 1865, and was educated in the public schools and in the New Jersey Business College, in which he pursued a commercial course that well fitted him for the practical duties which he assumed on entering mer- cantile life.
He learned the hat-maker's trade in his father's establishment, where he continued as an employee until 1888, when he was ad- mitted to a partnership in the business. This enterprise is conducted after the most ap- proved modern methods, the partners working in harmony and their progressive- ness bringing continual advancement in the manner of carrying on the trade. The house has an enviable reputation for relia- bility, good workmanship, promptness in filling orders and for fair dealing, and the liberal patronage which they receive is justly merited.
Mr. Berg, of this sketch, was married in Orange, on the 24th of October, 1887, when Miss Anna E. Leimer became his wife. Her parents, Benno and Elizabeth (Schuldyce) Leimer, were natives of Ba- varia, and the father now resides in Orange, but the mother departed this life in 1896. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Berg num-
bered three children, but one died in in- fancy. The others are William H., who was born January 1, 1894, and Henry, born January 9, 1896.
Mr. Berg takes quite an active interest in civic societies and is a valued member of various organizations. He belongs to Union Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and has at- tained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite. He is a member of Eiche Lodge of Heptasophs, of Newark, and the Waterwitch Club, of Neversink Heights. He is a trustee and treasurer of the Ger- man School Association, attends the Ger- man Presbyterian church, of Orange, and in his political views he is a stalwart Re- publican.
HOWARD J. VAN DOREN,
whose industrial interests add to the busi- ness life of Bloomfield and who is ranked among the progressive and valued citizens of the town, is a native of this state, coming of a family numbered among the most an- cient of those who aided in the colonization of the new world. He descends from a family prominent in Revolutionary days. The original American ancestor came from Holland in 1640 and from an early date the name has been linked with the history of New Jersey. The last slaves owned in this state were held by this family. At an early day, as well as at the present time, the fam- ily have been connected with many of the leading officials of New Jersey and with many prominent lawyers. Mr. Van Dor- en is a relative of Vice-President Hobart.
The subject of this sketch acquired his elementary education in Brooklyn. New York, and afterward continued his studies at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
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Thus, by excellent educational privileges, he was fitted for the practical and respon- sible duties of life. On the completion of his collegiate course he began his business career, entering the house of Samuel Wilde's Sons, in New York city, wholesale dealers in coffee and tea, and continued his connection therewith until 1895, when he purchased the ice plant in Bloomfield; and since then he has been extensively and suc- cessfully engaged in the manufacture of ice.
The works of which he is now at the head were established in 1890, and were first owned and operated by the Bloomfield & Montclair Crystal Ice Company, which continued in charge until 1895, when Mr. Van Doren purchased the plant and ma- chinery. He has since put in improved ma- chinery and equipments and the latest fa- cilities for manufacturing a superior qual- ity of ice, and has one of the best plants in this section of the country. The ice is manufactured from pure artesian-well water, entirely free from animal or vege- table matter, and the capacity of the plant is from twenty-five to thirty tons in twenty- four hours. The product of the factory finds a ready sale in the market: the busi- ness is exclusively wholesale, the ice being purchased by the jobbers, and has steadily grown in volume. The increased sales have brought a corresponding increase in profits, so that he is now doing a good business and reaping a just reward for his labors. Besides the ice business Mr. Van Doren is also engaged in other industries, in New York city.
In his political principles he is a Repub- lican, taking an active part in the advance- ment of the measures of his party. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum, the Loyal Additional and several other orders.
In 1891 was celebrated the marriage which united the destinies of Mr. Van Dor- en and Miss Leonie Hauxhurst, of West- chester county, New York. They have many friends in Bloomfield and are warmly received in the best homes in the city, their culture and sterling worth insuring them a welcome everywhere.
CHARLES BORCHERLING,
in whom are combined the elements that go to make up the skilled and successful lawyer, was born in Berlin, Prussia, on the IIth of January, 1827. His father was Charles F. Borcherling, a highly respected citizen of Newark, who came with his fam- ily to the United States during the child- hood of our subject. The latter afterward returned to Germany, where he received a practical education and on again crossing the Atlantic he continued his literary studies. It was his original intention to follow a commercial life, but his fondness for study and desire to comply with the . wishes of his father led him to prepare for the bar. To this end he became a student in the law office of Cortlandt Parker, of Newark, under whose direction he contin- ued his reading until June, 1860, when he was admitted to the bar and immediately afterward entered upon the active practice of his profession.' He soon rose to promi- nence and has long been regarded as one of the strongest members of the legal fra- ternity of Essex county.
Mr. Borcherling is a close student, careful in the preparation of his cases, and when he enters the court-room he has that calmness which arises from a mastery of the interests entrusted to him. He loses sight of no assailable point in an opponent's argument
Yours truly Subedr .Pr ato - jrav ....
Charles Borcherling
ـاف ــ
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and in his defense brings to bear each point of his case with telling force. He is logi- cal, clear in his reason, convincing in ora- tory and persuasive, strong and accurate.
In 1869 Mr. Borcherling was united in marriage to Miss Eliza S. Quinby, a daugh- ter of James M. Quinby, deceased, who was one of the most esteemed and prominent citizens of Newark for many years. Mrs. Borcherling died in 1875, leaving one son, Frederick Adolph Borcherling, now a prac- ticing attorney in Newark. In 1885 Mr. Borcherling was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Ruxton Nor- ris, widow of Thomas P. Norris, deceased, of Newark.
Although Mr. Borcherling has always taken a deep interest in matters relating to the public welfare, he has never sought prominence in the political arena : his pref- erence has been to give his full time and attention to the law, where he has achieved renown and gained a distinctive clientele.
THE LINDSLEY FAMILY.
This name is variously spelled Linle, Linley, Linsley and Lindsley. The name was originally Linesley, and there is a town of that name in county Lancaster, England, where this family had their seat. They bore: Arms-Sable, a lion rampant be- tween eight crosses pattée fitchée argent. Crest-An arm in armor, embowed, hold- ing in the glove a sabre, all ppr.
John and Francis Linley emigrated from a place not far to the southwest of London and settled in the New Haven colony about 1640. John Linley took the oath of fidelity to the New Haven colony, July 1, 1644. The names of John and Francis Linley appear on the New Haven records the fol-
lowing year in a suit for "damadges" as follows: "Stephen Medcalfe complayned that he was going into the house of John Linley, Francis Linley, his brother, being in the house, told him he would sell him a gunne, that said Stephen asked him if it were a good one, he answered yea, as any was in the towne." The "gunne" proved defective as was shown by the result and the finding of the court. "The court con- sidering the premises, the great damadge Stephen Medcalfe had susteyned in the losse of his eye, wth the losse of his time and the great chardge of the cure, Mr. Pell affirming it was worth Iol, ordered Francis Linley to pay to Stephen Medcalfe 201 damadges."
Branford, formerly Totoket, was estab- lished as a plantation in 1644 and the names of John and Francis Linley appear on the records in 1646. They were probably among the first planters. John remained at Branford, where he died, his children having settled. "ancient Woodbury."
Francis Linley came with the first settlers to Newark, and his name appears among the forty additional settlers who signed the "Fundamental Agreement." June 24, 1667. In the first division of "home lots," he drew No. 44. He also had his division of meadow land and a "lot in the Great Neck." He obtained patents for several tracts of land, part of which was in the right of Ebenezer Canfield. Among the records of the New Jersey Historical Society are copies of several deeds of Fran- cis and Ebenezer, his son. He was a large landholder, but does not appear to have taken a prominent part in the town affairs. His "home lott" was on the corner of the present Market and High streets. His children born in Branford were: Deborah.
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born 1656; Ruth, born 1658; Ebenezer, born 1665; John, born in Newark, 1667; also Benjamin, Joseph and Jonathan.
Ebenezer Lindsley, eldest son and third child of Francis Lindsley, was born in Bran- ford, Connecticut, in 1665; was brought with his parents to Newark two years later. His children were: Hannah, born 1693; Ebenezer, born 1696; Josiah, Elihu and Benjamin, born 1715. Benjamin Lindsley, youngest child of Ebenezer Lindsley, was born in Newark, in 1715. That he lived and owned property in what is now Orange is shown by the fact that he was one of the subscribers to the amount of six pounds to the "second meeting-house," in 1753. He married Mary Morris, daughter of John Morris, son of Captain John Morris, and had issue, John, known as "Judge John," born 1752, Sarah, Elizabeth.
John Lindslev, eldest child and only son of Benjamin and Mary (Morris) Linds- ley, was born in that part of Newark now known as South Orange, in 1752. His name appears among the subscribers to the "Parish Sloop," in 1784. John Lindsley and Aaron Munn were appointed a com- mittee to meet the committee of the New- ark church to try and "accomidate the dif- ference existing between Newark church and the church of Orange, respecting the lower parsonage." At the "usual Fourth of July celebration," held in 1814, John Lindsley, Esq., with Major Abraham Winans, were the "bearers of the national standard." This honor was always accord- ed to the leading men in the town. In the early records he is mentioned as "Judge John." He was justice of the peace for a number of years and afterwards associate death. Judge John Lindsley married judge of one of the county courts until his
Phebe Baldwin, daughter of Israel Baldwin, and had issue, Lydia, Sarah, Mary (Squire Stephen D. Day married Sarah, and on her decease, married Mary), Matilda, John Morris, born 1784, Benjamin, Phebe, Eliza.
John Morris Lindsley, son of Judge John and Phebe (Baldwin) Lindsley, was born in Orange, in 1784. He was a leading man in the community and was one of the first to start a country store. He was asso- ciated with his brother-in-law, Stephen D. Day, until 1806, when the firm was dis- solved and the business continued by Mr. Lindsley in the store built for the firm on the easterly corner of Cone street, the site of which is now occupied by the Orange Savings Bank. He continued to do a thriv- ing business for many years and was recog- nized as one of the leading and most en- terprising merchants in Essex county. When his sons Nelson and George arrived at the proper age they were taken into part- nership and the business continued as John M. Lindsley & Sons until his death. In 1850, Nelson and George established the coal business, being the first to introduce its use in Orange. They built up an exten- sive business in this line and gradually re- duced their stock of general merchandise, limiting it to that of coal and hardware.
While taking no prominent part in poli- tics, he encouraged improvements in every direction and had great faith in the ulti- mate development of his native town. He witnessed its growth from a simple farming district to a flourishing township, which gradually developed into a prosperous city. He married Charlotte Taylor, a descendant of Rev. Daniel Taylor, the first pastor of the Mountain Society. His children were : Nelson, born August 23, 1808; Romana A., married Philip Kingsley, the first lawyer
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of Orange, afterwards Locke Catlin; John; Ann E., married Edward Truman Hillyer; James Girard; George.
Nelson Lindsley, eldest child of John Morris and Charlotte (Taylor) Lindsley, was born at the homestead of his father, on the corner of Main and Cone streets, on the site now occupied by his son as a hardware store, August 23, 1808. He attended the public school and the Orange Academy, and entered his father's store as clerk and, together with his brother George, succeed- ed to the business. In 1862 the new brick building was erected on the opposite cor- ner, and for twenty years the firm was the most prosperous of any in the county out- side of Newark. In 1883, owing to increas- ing weakness, Nelson withdrew from the firm, the business being continued by his brother.
Mr. Lindsley had no desire for politics or social life, but was a stanch Republican and always a leader in every movement tending to improve the town or benefit his neigh- bors. He was especially active in the move- ment made in 1857 to secure better facilities on the Morris & Essex Road. He was one of a committee which waited upon the man- agers of the Morris & Essex Railroad to protest, in the name of Orange, against an increase of fares to New York and New- ark, of fifty and twenty-five per cent. He continued to agitate the matter until the object was accomplished. He also assisted in securing the incorporation of Orange as a town. The agitation was begun in 1859, and he called to order the first public meet- ing held to consider that question, in Wil- low Hall, November 17, 1859. He was elected to represent the third ward in the following year, when the first town com- mittee was organized. He served one term
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