The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-21
THE NAPOLEON OF SCIENCE.

Early Days The Marvellous Man Mt nreniG
Park-Cnllrd Lmnniic-Arrivni In Hos
ton-tlia First Nights Work-The Begin
ming Of Very Wonderful Career.
The marvellous discoveries of Prof.
Thomas A. Edison of Menlo Park, N. j.,
have excited universal interest His
stock indicator, automatic and duplex
instruments, telephone, electro-moto-
graph, airograph, electric pen, and,
above all, his speaking machine, mark
him as the Napoleon OF inventors. In.
deed, at the professors age, Bonaparte
had barely reached the rank of First
Consul. AS any particulars of this ex-
traordinary young inventor must prove
OF more than usual interest, the writer
details conversation with Mr.. George
5. Stewart, better known as "Fattie -
Stewart, an old telegraph operator, now
employed i'll the Office of the Associated
Press
1" I first knew Tom Edison" said Mr..
Stewart, Sin 1866. At that time was an
operator in Tennessee. Tom was employ
ed by Col. Coleman, the superintendent
of the Western Union Office in Memphis.
He was gawky boy, about eighteen or
nineteen, and was reading everything
about electricity lie could pick up. He
had lean and hungry look, and always
seemed to be under the influence of some
secret excitement. He had got into his
head the idea of sending duplex des-
patches, and all his spare time was de-
voted to experiments in the office. Cole
man stood it for some time, but at last
began to growl. He allowed that Tom
was crazy, and said that 'any blamed
fool ought to know that wire can't be
worked both ways at the same time He
declared that he wouldn't have Tom
puttering around the office with such
Stiffness, and finally discharged him in
disgust. The boy went back home to
some town in Michigan, and lost track
of him.
Some time afterward / was trans
ferred to the Boston office. At that time
wire No. l, as it was then called, was
considered the crack wire of the coun-
try. The fastest men were working it,
For some cause the operator in Boston
resigned. 1t was difficult to find man
to take his place. A half dozen fellows
tried it, but found it too much for them.
One after another they dropped it like
not potato, and sloped wiser than when
they came. There was man in the
office named NJ. F. Adams. He thought
the world of Tom Edison, and recon-
mended him for the place, vouching for
him as first-class operator. G. F. Mil
nken, the manager, telegraphed to the
little town in Michigan, asking Tom if
ne would come on and accept the posi-
ton. Tom answered yes, and without
further words started for Boston, via the
Michigan Central and Grand Trunk
Railroads. In running through Canada
he got showed under, and was kept on
the track in one spot for twenty-four
hours, cold and hungry, without q bed.
AS usual, he owned but one suit of
clothes, and that was on his back. Un-
fortunately, it was summer suit. He
might have frozen to death had he not
bought an old rough roundabout over
coat from Canuck railroad laborer.
But he finally got through all right.
90 was in the Boston office when he
arrived, and 1 must say" continued Mr..
Stewart, bringing his fist down upon
the table, she was the worst-looking
specimen of humanity 1 ever saw. The
modern telegraph tramp isn't a marker.
He wore pair of jean breeches six
inches too short for him, a pair of very
low shoes, the Canuck jacket, and a
broad -brimmed butternut hat, relic of
his life in Memphis. The wide rim was
badly torn, and hung down so you could
see his ear through the opening. There
was the slightest trace of dirt on his
upper lip, that he called a mustache.
His hair hadn't been combed for week,
and he wore the blacklist white shirt
that was ever seen on the back of a
human being. Nervously pinching his
upper ip-a habit that he had-he
inquired for the manager, and was sent
to Milliken.
"Are you the boss ?" Tom asked.
Milliken smiled, and said he was man.
ager. Tom then introduced himself,
and asked when they wanted him to 60
to work. Milliken stared at him as
though he couldn't believe his ears, and
said At half past five.' 1t was then
well along in the afternoon. Tom be.
gan to look around the office for a clock,
and Milliken said: Young man, yc u
have to work pretty heavy wire Tom
gave what he called his mustache an
extra twist, and with all the assurance
IN the world biurted out sAll right,
boss. Ill be here at half past five.
He sloped so quick that it made Mill
ken's head swim.
The operators burst into peal of
laughter. They had seen and heard
everything, and their remarks were any
thing but complimentary to Tom. Oh
said one of them, he won't last as long
as that Jerseyman that tackled the wire
the other day Why, that fellow can't
read by paper. let alone by sound
shouted another. A third declared that
Tom was the worst be ever raw, and
when fourth wondered whether the
walking between Michigan and Boston
was very good there was general roar.
"Well," continued Stewart, "half-
past five came, and SO did Tom. Every
body was on the qui Vire. Milliken
was just taking from the vault the sup
ply OF blanks for the night operators.
AS Tom came up lie pointed to pile of
them, saying, Take what blanks you
want and I'll show you your table Tom
innocently picked up the whole bundle
and followed Milliken to his table. The
operators began to grin and snicker.
They all thought that he would get
bounced after trying to catch one mes
sage. 1t was the No. l wire to New
York. Jerry Borst, then considered
one of the fastest senders in the coun-
try, worked the New York end. As
Tom seated himself he heard the call
b. and turning to Milliken asked if
that was the call for Boston. yes, re-
piled the manager, watching Toms
movements with intense curiosity.
Thereupon Tom opened his key and