III-ll
on information gathering and his concern with covering
experimental costs. Edison knew what
was going the laboratory. knew would try myself. The experimenters agreed that their boss could always
think many different ways doing things, and one of
. Although
he was easily distracted and often spent too much time some
projects, Edison's informal approach was generally effective;
it kept him close touch with his workers and their projects,
and produced large number experiments. When
things were not going right, and the results were not
forthcoming, Edison often chose completely different
approach.
When Marshall once asked him what try next, Edison replied:
"Don't ask me."^ Yet a
researcher was genuinely stymied problem, Edison could be
relied upon suggest experiment new approach.
Edison would regularly tour the lab, stopping each
room check his experimenter's progress. used this
technique Menlo Park: each afternoon would tour the
laboratory going each man the workbench, questioning him
Q
about what had done and deciding what next.
Edison gave his muckers great deal freedom action
in pursuing their experimental projects; many cases he
guided their research rather than told them exactly what do. extremely observant man with
an excellent memory, never lost track experimental
project and could counted remember previous
experiments that might provide useful information
