Arizona citizen., 1878-05-10
THE CITIZEN.
NAY 10, 1878.
The Inventor of the Telephone.

Thomas Edison, the inventor of the Thelephone, has, by his inventive gen. jus, come prominently before the world at one bound, so to speak. We give the following little incident in his career. when he was telegraph tramp, or his first nights work in a Boston office:
 II was in the Boston office when he arrived, and l must say" continued Mr Stewart, bringing his fist upon the table. "he was the worst looking specimen of humanity ever saw. The modern telegraph tramp isn't mark Ter. He wore a pair of jean brooches six inches to short for him, a pair of very low shoes, the Kanuck jacket, and broad -brimmed butternut hat, a relic of his life in Memphis. The wide rim was badly torn, and hung down so that you could sec his ear through the opening There was the slightest trace of dirt on his upper lip that he called a mOustache His hair hadn't been combed for a week, and he wore the blackest white shirt that was ever seen on the back of human being. Nerv- ously pinchIng his upper lip-a habit that he had-he inquired for the man. ager, and was sent to MIlliken.
 "' Are you the boss ?" Tom asked. Milliken smiled, and said he was the manager. Tom then introduced him. self and asked when they wanted him to go 10 work. Milliken stared at him as though he couldn't believe his ears, and sad, At half past five IL was then well along in the afternoon. Tom began to look around the office for a clock, and Milliken said, Young man, you have to work pretty heavy wire. Tom gave what be termed his nous tache an extra twist, and with all the assurance in the world blurted out, l' All right. boss. I'll be here at half past five He sloped so quick that it made Milliken'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 fel- low can't read by paper. let alone by sound shouted another. X third de clared that Tom was the worst he ever saw and when a fourth, wonder ing whether the walking between Mi chigan and Boston was very good, there was general roar.
 We'll" continued Stewart, half past five came, and so did Tom. Every. body was on the quit vive, Milliken was just taking from the vault the sup ply of blanks for the night operators. As Tom came up he pointed 10 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 Milleken to the table The operators begin to grin and snicker. They all thought that he would get bounced after trying to catch one message. IL was the No. l wire to New York. Jerry Borst, then lconsidered one of the fastest senders in the country, worked the New York end As Tom seated himself he heard the call B and turning 10 Milliken, asked if that was the call for Boston.
 Yes, replied the manager, watching Toms movement with intense curiOsi- ". Thereupon Tom opened his key and ticked the answer, I, IT Jerry began 10 '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 Jerry keep it up hundred pound to the square inch, and four mortal hours dld Tom take it down Tn a handwriting as neat and plain as reprint. For the first time in his life, Jerry had rushed it till he was tired, without break from the receiv- CT. He was astonished. When he had finished, the following message passed between them:
 FROM JERRY" Who are you, any howg'
 FROM TOM-" I'm the new man. My name is Tom Edison"
 FROM JERRY" Well, you are 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 without break Shake
 And they shook. The astonishment of the boys in the office was unbound ed. There was no more jibing nor snickering. Everybody was Toms friend at once. The next day Milliken picked up a copy of Toms manuscript and refiectively stroked his long beard "I never saw such pretty copy" he said. He's as good an operator as ever met"