Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-03-30

was the call for Boston. Yes replied
the manager, watching Toms move
ments with intense curiosity. Thereupen
Tom opened his key and ticked the an
swer, Il, l = Jerry began to 'whoop 'em
up in his best style, and every eye was
turned on Tom. He displayed no anxiety
but kept right along at his work as though
he had been taking jerry all his life. For
four mortal hours did Tom take it down
in handwriting as neat and plain US ro-
print. For the first time in his life Jerry
had rushed it until he was tired without
break from the receiver. He was as
founded. When he had finished. the
following message passed between them
N'om Jerry.
Who the devil are you, anyhow
Hrom Tom.
I'm the new man. My namo is Tom
Edison.
From Jerry.
Well, by Ia ripper-REP.l, you're the
man I've been looking for for the last ten
years, and you're the only man l ever
found that could take me withouta break.
Shake.
"And they shook. The astonishment
of the boys in the office was unbounded.
There was no more jibing nor snickering.
Everybody was Toms friend at once
The next day Milliken picked up sheet
of Toms manuscript, and rehectively
stroked his long beard. Il never saw
such pretty copy he said. Hes as good
an operator as ever met
AT the close of the first nights work
Toms friend Adams took him home with
him. The first question asked WAS /:
What kind Of man is this Milliken
Do you think he'll lot mo experiment in
the Office when I'm not on duty Ad-
Ems replied that Milliken himself was
somewhat of an inventor, and he thought
that he would not only lot Tom expert
ment as much as he pleased, but that he
would also take personal interest in his
experiments. The very first trial was tho
duplex ispatches that gave Tom the
reputation OF lunstic in Memphis, and
caused him to lose his situation. Mill
ken, unlike Coleman, entered into the
spiri. OF tho thing, and in q short time
Tom had so far perfected it that he work
ed it quite successfully between New
York and Boston. But to accomplish
this he spent every dollar he earned tor
material for his experiments, and when
the grand secret was discovered hadn't
money enough to pay for filing caveat
for patent"
Stewart says that many persons witness
sed Toms experiments. Among others
he mentions James e. Stearns, then
President Of the Franklin Telegraph
Company. He appears to have dropped
upon Toms secret, and he had money
enough to carry out Toms ideas. AT all
events, he got n patent ahead OF Tom, and
reaped large proportion Of tho benefits.
To-day his instrument is used extensive
ly in this country and in Europe, and he
10 worth hundreds of Thousands OF dollars.
Tom, however, got full credit for the in
teryenton Of the duplex system through
the news and editorial columns of tho
Iete0raphsr, a newspaper devoted to
electric science, edited by j. M. Ashley,
now Of the Journal Of the Tetegraph.-
1t was Toms first newspaper notoriety,
and he was greatly elated. He nourished
u dozen copies of the paper over his head,
and announced his intention OF mailing
damned fool had actually succeeded in
sending messages both ways ut the same
time on the same wire."
But Tom jumped from one invention 10
another, apparently utterly regardless Of
their pecunisry value. II WAS while he
was in the Boston office that he invented
the gold and stock telegraph indicator
now in general use. In this case he pur-
sued his experiment privately, and had
money enough to get the invention pat
ented. To-day 1t returns him handsome
royalty.
Fattie Stewart tells many amusing
stories of Toms career in the Boston Of
fee. His strange ideas and odd express
sions gave the boys an inexhaustible fund
OF merriment. Pat Burns, now dead,
was working nights in the Boston office.
and attending Harvard law school in the
day time, Burns was a magnificent oper-
ator, and was awarded Prof Morse's gold
key in the telegraphic contest years ago.
lie was a brilliant conversationslist, and
passionately fond of argument. For the
sake OF it he was eteYally getting up
disputes with the boys in the office. Ed
ison admired Burns's gift Of CAB, and
when Burns was in the heat OF an argu
ment was wild TO hear him talk. As Tom
was quito deaf he couldn't catch the con-
versation at a distance. At such times
he would disable his wire. His iavorite
method was to "ground" it under his
table. While the chief operator was
cursing and swearing and testing for the
aground, ;" Tom would be offpulling at his
upper lip and listening to Burns. The
argument concluded, he would return
to his table, take of the ground" that
the chief operator had failed TO fad, and
innocently announce that the wire had
como 40. X"
The Boston Office was overrun with
cockroaches, and Tom WAS much annoy
ed by them. With ready ingenuity he
conceived and carried out plan for their
determination. lie tackled several zinc
strips to the wall, at intervals Of an inch.
He then applied the positive and negative
poles OF battery alternately to the strips
He next smeared the wall above tho strips