Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-06
EDIsoN's coURpsHIP.
Eoto tie Great Jncesto,. Made Lore oud
Na9g.icI.

Eotc tie Great JnUeittot Made Lore 0uG
Ea59.icI.
Washington Post.
The story Of Edisons courtshlp, while il
lacks the roseate tinge Of romance, illustrates
the mans faculty for going to the heart of
things with the smallest possible amount of
decentralization. When he was experiment.
ing, some years ago, with the Little automa-
tic telegraph system, he perfected con
triyance for producing perforations in paper
by means of keyboard. A,Gong the young
women whom he employed to manipulate
these machines. with view to testing their
capacity for speed, was rather demure
young person who attended to her work and
never raised her eyes to the incipient genius.
One day Edison stood observing her as she
drove down one key after another with her
plump fingers, until, growing nervous under
his prolonged stare, she dropped her hands
idly in her lap, and looked up belplessly into
his face. genial smile, such as irreverent
paragraphists have referred to as sthe
Edison grim overspread Edison's face, and
he presently inquired rather abruptly:
"What do you think of me, little girl? Do
you like me?'
"Why, Mr.. Edison, you frightened me.
that is-I-'
''Don't be in any hurry about telling me-
1t doesn't matter much, unless you would
like TO marry me-
The young woman was disposed to laugh,
but Edison went on:
"Oh, mean it. Don't be in q rush
though. Think it over; talk to your mother
about it, and let me know soon as convenient
Tuesday, say. How will Tuesday suit you,
next week Tuesday, mean?''
Edison's shop was at Newark in those days.
and one night friend of his, employed in
the main office of the Western Union tele-
graph company, in New York, returning
home by the last train, saw a light IN
Edison's private laboratory and climbed the
dingy stairs TO find his friend in one of his
characteristic stupors, half awake and half
doing over some intricate point in electrical
science which was battling him.
'Hello, Tom cried the visitor cheerily
"what are you doing here this late? Aren't
you going homer
''What time is it," inquired Edison,
sleepily rubbing his eyes and stretc ing like
lion suddenly aroused.
Midnight, easy enough. Come along
as that sop returned Edison in dreamy
sort of way. "By George, must 90 home.
| then. I was n1a4rfed to-day
Marriage was an old story with him
!
years. But, in spite of his seeming indif-
ference on ''the most eyentful day. in his
life. he makes q good husband, and the de
mure little woman Of the perforating
machine smilingiy rules at Menlo
Park, and proudly looks across the fields
where chimneys rise and her husband still
works on the problems that made him a
fruant on his wedding day. A swarm of
children pluck her gown to share their
mothers smile, and lay in wait to climb into
their fathers lap and muss his hair with as
great a relish as if he were not the greatest
genius of his time.
Since the burning of the Fox River house
at Waukesha. large numbers of people visit
the ruins daily. The cause OF the fire is
still unknown. It is not known as vet
whether the hotel will be rebuilt or not. II
is rumored, however, that tue insurance
companies have declared the intention of re-
placing it,