The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-03-22
TOM. EDISON.
The Napoleon of TeIegraphic
Science.

Park, N. j., have excited universal
interest. His stock indicator, auto
matte and duplex instruments, Ieie-
phone, electro III Monograph, afro
graph, electric pen and, above all,
bis speaking machine, mark blm as
the Napoleon of inventors. Indeed,
1t the Professors age, Bon4parte
had barely reached the rank OF First
Consul. AS the particulars con-
C rning the history of this extraor-
binary young inveutor must prove
OF more than usual interest. the
writer details a conversation with
Mr.. &c Irge S. Ste wart, better
egraph operate, now emplo, ed in
re Office of the Associated Press :
Il firsi knew Tom e iison," said
Mr.. Stewart, Gin 1866. At that
iIme wac All operator Ia Tennessee.
Tom was employed by Col. Cole
In4n, the superin eBdeut of the
Western Union Office in Memphis.
He was a gawky boy, about eight
sen or nineteen, and was reading
everything about electricity that be
could pick up. He had a lean and
hungry look, and always seemed 10
De under the influence of some Sc
cret excitement. He had got into
his head the idea of sending du-
pick dispatches, and all his spare
time was devoted to experiments in
the office Coleman stood it for
some time, but at last he began to
growl. He allowed that Tom was
crazy, and said that amy damned
fool ought to know that q wire can't
De 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 then lost track
of him.
Some time afterward l was trans
ferred to the Boston office. At that
| time wire No. l, as it was then CALL
ed, was considered the crack wire
of the country. The fastest men
were working it. For some cause
the operator in Boston resigned. Il
was difficult to find man to take
his place. A half dozen fellows
iried ii, but found it too much for
them. One after another they
dropped it like hot pota o, and
sloped wiser than when they came.
| There was man in the Office nam
ed M. f. Adams. He thought the
world of Tom Edison. and recon-
mended him for the place, youching
TOR him as first-elass operator. @.
F. Milliken, the manager, telegraph
ed to the little town in Michigan,
asking Tom if he wonid come and
accept the position. Tom answered
yes, and without furthur words
started for Boston, via the Michi-
gan Central and Grand Trunk rail
roads. In running through Cana
da he got showed under, and was
| kept on the track in one spot for
twenty-four hours, cold and hungry.
! without a bed. As usual, he owned
but one suit OF clothes, and that was
on his back. Unfortunately, it was
= summer suit. He might have fro
zen to death had he not bought an
old rough roundabout overcoat
from Canuck railroad laborer. But
he nnaily got through all right.
81 was in the Boston Office when
he arrived, and l mast say, n was
he worst looking specimen of hu-
manity l ever saw. The modern
telegraph tramp isn't a marker. He
wore pair of jeans breaches six
inches too short for him, a very
low pair of shoes, the CInuck jack
eft, and broad-brimmed butternut
hat, relic of his lite in Memphis. The
wide rim was badly torn, and hung
down so that you could see his ear
through the opening. There was
the slightest trace of dirt gu his up
per lip, that he called moustache.
His hair hadn't been coined for a
week, and he wore the blackest
white shirt that was ever seen on
IA the back of a human beng
Nervously pinching his upper lip
habit that he had-he inquired for
he manager, and was sent to Mill
ken.
"Are you the boss % Tom asked.
| Miltiken smiled and said he was
manager. Tom then introduced
himself aud asked when they want
ed him to go to work. Milliken
stared at him as though he couldn't
believe bis ears, and said, at halt
past five-' 1t was then well along
in the afternoon. Tom began to
look around the Office for q clock,
and Miliiken said: Young man,
YOU have to work a pretty heavy
wire. Tom gave what he called
his moustache an extra twist. and
with all the assurance in the world
blurted out, 'all right, boss. I'll be
here at half past five.' He sloped SO
quick that it made Miliiken's head
swim.
THE operators burst into g peal of
laughter. They had seen and heard
every thing, and their remarks were
anything but complimentary to
Tom. Oh said. one of them, she
won't last as long as that jersey man
that tackled the wire the other day ,
Why, that fellow can't read by pa
per, let alone by sound shouted an
other. A third declared sthat Tom
was the worst he ever saw and
when the fourth wondered 'wheth-
er the walking between Michigan
and Boston was very good there
was q general roar.
sWeIl,' continued Stewart, fhalf past
five came, and so did Tom. Every
body was on the squi vive.' Milliken
was just taking from the vault the sup
ply of blanks Tor the night operators.
EAo 40dA C6AA4D PrAaNCA W. a RAAS
of them, saying, Take what blanks
you want and Eli show you your ta-
bls.' Tom innocentiy picked up the
whole bundle, and followed Milliken
10 his table. The operators began TO
grin and smoker. They all thought
that he would get bounced after trying
20 catch one message. Ir was the No.
l wire TO New York, Jerry Borst, then
considered one of the fastest senders
in the county, worked the New York
end. As Ton, seated himself he heard
the call b, and turning TO Miliiken
asked if that was the cali for Boston.
sYes,' replied the manager, watch
/ ing Toms movements with intense
curiosity ThereupOn Tom opened his
/ key aud licked the answer, Il, Ip Jer-
~ began TO swhoop ,em up in his best
style, and every eye was turned on
Tom. he displayed no anxiety, but
kept right along at bis work, as though
be had been taking Jerry all his lite.
For -FOUR mortal hours did Jerry keep
It up 3 hundred pounds to the square
ZACH, and tour mortal hours did Tom
take it down In q hand writing as neal
and plain IS reprint For tie frs
time in MS life Jerry had rushed it IN
til he was tired without q break from
/ the receiver. He was astonished
When he hAd finished, the following