The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-07-26
The Lightning Tanner.

"That man Edison is curiosity in
the electric world" observed an old tele-
graphic newspaper agent few days ago
as he was engaged in a discussion of
the new telephone described in the
Record. Invention to him is like
music to Blind Tom an inspiration.
There is no new idea that can be given
him but he can suggest an improvement,
which will perfect it. He is the inven-
tor of the celebrated duplex and quad
ruplex system of telegraphy by which
one wire may be made to serve the pur-
pose of two or four wires, the greatest
practical economical project that has
yet been devised. He is an exemplifica-
ton of how mans apparent ill-luck
may turn out to his actual benefit.
81 first met him in New York over ten
years ago, and if I'd had the gumption
to invest five hundred dollars in him I
might have been rich man, a blarsted
bondholder,' rolling in wealth. He was
introduced to me at the National Hotel,
on Cortlandt Street, which the operators
then generally made their headquarters,
as a telegrapher who had Just been dis
charged by the Western Union Telegraph
Company. Imagine tall, lanky, shah
bily-dressed, ight-haired young man,
with broken shoes and dilapidated soft
hat-for all the world specimen of
Horace Greeley in his early days-and
you have pen picture of the man who
was destined to create such a revolution
i'll the scientific world
They turned me out because they
said | was lazy he remarked; they
said l didn't earn my salt at the KEY,
when all the time General Lefferts was
keeping me in the experimental room
getting up inventions and improvements,
which they were appropriating without
credit or reward. [ guess some day
they'll be sorry for it, And then he
sat down and explained to me few
points of his Improvements.
Some observations | dropped about
the telegraph being still in its infancy
led him on gradually to expatiate on its
future developments, which sounded
like the dream of a visionary. To him
there was no boundary to its vastness
At the same time there was such an un-
dercurrent of sound common sense te
everything he said that he impressed me
greatly, and if [ had not had my means
engaged in developing a telegraphie
news agency [ would have been disposed
to go in with him to aid in carrying out
his projects.
"Soon Edison burst out as a star O.
the first magnitude. He invented tht
duplex system about which there is sucl
a deadly contest in the courts now be
, tween the rival telegraph companies l
involved the fate of one of them, and i
gave him an opportunity to give his frs
blow OF revenge at the company who 81
summarily dismissed him. 1t wa
, placed on the Franklin line betwee1
Boston and New York; and when it wa
first announced that messages could b
, sent and received over one wire even tn
, best electricians secuted the idea, but i
l soon became too practical not to be &C
knowledged.
J Then the opposition telegraph com
, pany, being poor, tried to get ahead @
e Edison on share in the benefits the
:. received from it. IF they try that gam
e Tll invent something better thatll bes
4 that coolly remarked Edison; and,
| get beaten on my quadruplex, Pil bes
e them if | have to run a hundred instrl
ments on one wire. And I actually b,
lieve he could, if he was forced to do i
Possibly he has the wherewith alread
:. stored away in some portion of his brail
= where he has inconceivable ideas of il
ventions pigeon-holed.
e The success of his inventions 500
made his name famous all over tt
e world, and he started an experiment;
t. establishment in Newark. Here he col
n ceives and develops ideas. There is I
invention in electricity that he can
improve on and change its crude cond
ton into practical use. The automat
le telegraph system wouldn't work to an
r. satisfaction until Edison put the finis
te ing touch upon it. 1t took the invent'
years to accomplish what he alone cou
make practical in a few weeks. Al
% when this telephone was announced,
knew it would never be complete unt
Edison took hand in it.
,e The public owe the present chea
lie ness of telegraphy all to this young ma
t. and if his life and genius are spare
electricity, guided by his inspirations,
likely to serve many greater uses ye
m Edison is its tanner"