The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-19
4 NATURAL GENUS.


who travelled over tie Grand Trunl
Railway between this city and Huron
during the war might have noticed /:
newsboy who tempted their menta
and physical palates with daily news
papers, oranges. books, apples, yellow
covered literature, figs, prize packages
candy, and cigars. He evidently was
uninterested in his work in fact an
observer could have noticed in his face
an expression which plainly said: Il
don't care whether school keeps OF
not The boy was honest but not
active; in fact, he was decidedly list
less, SO far as attending to his busi-
ness was concerned. He had some
energy In other directions, however.
Procuring a few types and portable
press, he managed to set up and print
on the train a daily paper of very
limited dimensions. The staple items
in the little sheet were humorous and
pointed illusions to citizens OF Port
Huron, and the ladies of that thriving
burg took a great deal Of interest in
the paper. But one day there was an
j TEN, more funny than courteous,
about a gentleman named Backius,
and Mr.. Buckius sought the editor
and proprietor TO have the matter cx-
planned. The interview took place on
the ferry dock and was terminated by
the boy being thrown into the river.
This abriI sn lnt Of the liberty of the
press rather dampened his literary
ardor, and he accordingly agreed TO
consider his newspaper suppressed"
At this end Of the line he was in the
habit of spending most Of his time in
Mr. Wagner's telegraph and ticket
office at the Michigan Central station
and was perpetually pract;cing on the
telegraph keys. At Port Huron he
was always in the telegraph Office
there, and, showing a decided bent Of
mind for the business, he was encour-
aged by the operators at the end of
the route Without undergoing any
regular training the boy soon acquired
considerable proficiency a his home
in Port Huron, and left his work as
newsboy, to fill the position Of night
operator at the Stratford office Of the
Grand Trunk Railway. For some
time the bov was conteuted with his
position, but the long, weary yigils
of the night were too mOnOtouous,
and being without any work he found
even the duty OF repoI ting every half
hour to the head office too irksome
OF an inventive turn of mind, his first
effort in connection with his chosen
business was to invent an automaton
attachment t. the Office clock by which
the latter should report every half
hour by telegraph TO Montreal that it
was "all right" As Il matter Of course
his little labor-saving device brought
him TO grief aud he was DISCHARGED
for OBTAINING a train for several hours
at London, one NIGHT Leaving the
Grand Trunk service, he came to the
L United States, and brought Ou5 many
excellent Inventions such - the stock.
money and share Indicator" which is
used by leading Wall street and other
operators throughout The country, and
the automatic-typo telegraph, which
transmits 200 words il a minute.
These and other inventions ard i'm
provcments Of his are in use through
out the Whole continent. Ills improve
ments are almost without numb ber, and
it is said that he has cOntribn more
to the efficiency of the present system
of telegraphy than any man except
Morse. But the latest and crowuino
triumph of his life is the ''quadruplex
.ttachment,' by which, incredible as
~ may seem, four messages may be
sent on single wire ut tie same slime.
The principle is an exceedingly sim
pie one, and can be appreciated at a
glance by any one at all convcrsant
with the work of telcgrapilic instru-
ments. The practical value OF the in
Yention is to quadruple the capacity
of every wire in the country. and the
Western Union Telegraph Company
(who were very indignant with the
Young man because he sided with the
ex-Postmaster General Cresswell in
lis advocacy of the introduction of
the postal telegraph system) has Of
fered the enormous sum of $40. 900
for the patent
The young mans name is Alfred
Edison, and lie is now in his 9th
year He il native Of Port Huron
and has a brother who still resides
there Alfred has lately married a
handsome young wife, and has set
tied down at Newark, y. j., having
accomplished more in his youth than
many inventors of twice his age. lie
was very poor newsboy, an unsuc-
cessful publisher, and au unreliable /.
operator, but as an inventor has been
I, ute a success.