The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-10
TIE NAPOLEON OF SCIENCE.
EARLY DiYs or TIE MARvELLOUs
MAN ar MEMO PARK.
Called - Innate and Driven ont OF Memphis
Showed Under In Canada - Arrival In
Bo.ton-His Fir-. Nights Work The He
gInninr of - Very " onderful Career.

Bo.ton-His first Nights Work The He
ginning Of "a Very Wonderful Career.
The marvellous discoveries Of Prof Thorn
Ma l. Edison OF Mcnlo Park. y. J.. have excited
universal interest His stock indicator auto
matte and duplex instruments. telephone.
electro photograph. airogrnph. electric Uen. and.
above ALL his speaking machine. mark him ~
the Napoleon ~ inventors Indeed. at the Pro-
fcssors age Bonnrurtc had barely ronchcd the
rank " First Consul. As any particulars con
corning the history Of this extraordinary Young
inventor must provo Of moro than usual in-
tercst. the writer details convcrsntiOn with
Mr. George x Stewart. hottcr known us Faitie
stewart an old telegraph operator. now cm-
ploycd in the onirc " the Associated Prcss.
&" | nrst know Tom Edison said MIR Stewart
In 1866 At that time was an operator IN
Tcnncssee. Tom was employed by Col. Cole
man the Superintendent Of the Western Union
Office in Memphis. lie was "a gawky boy. about
eighteen or nineteen and was reading every
thing about electricity that he could pick NJ.
lie had a lean and hungry look and ALWAYS
seemed 60 bo under the influence 81 some secret
excitomcnt He had got into his head the idea
Of sonding duplex DISPATCHES. and all his spare
time WIS devoted 20 experiments in The office.
Coleman stood II for some time but ut last be-
gan TO growl. lie allowed that Tom was crazy.
and said that any damned fool ought TO know
that n wire cant be worked both ways Mt the
same time He declared that he wouldn't have
Tom puttcrng around the office with such s'i-
mess. and finally discharged him IN disgust.
Tho boy wont back home 10 some town IN
MICHIGAN, and los, tragk ?f him;,,,
tn" Boston on C. Al Mat time wire NJ. NJ II
was then called. WAS considered the crack wire
of the country. Tho fnstes, mon were working
IT, For some cause the operator IN Boston re-
signed. 1t wac difficult 10 find MAJ, to take
his place. A half dozen fellows tried it. but
found n too mich Tor them. one uftnr nnpllttf
they dropped It like hot potato. nnd snprd
ESer 'hap when hey r9mGl Tnsrr T1 bonn 1a
the world OF Tom Edison. and recommended
him Tor the pll"e v9pcniinE Tor nm IA nrsi-
telcgraphed to tlro little town in NJ Michigan ask
ing Tom Il no would come on and accent the
thor words started for Boston. via the Michigan
Central and Grand Trunk RnlrOnds. In run,
ming through Canada he got showed under ana
was kept on the track IN Quo spot Tor twenty
four hours. cold and hungry without "A bed
that was On his back. Unfortunately. 1t was =
summer suit. II might have frozen IA death
had ne not bought an old rough roundaoout
H. finally goi through all right.
Il Was in the y 4ston ofilc, when he arrived.
and must siv" continued Mr. stewart. bring
ing h.s list down upon the table he WAS the
wlrs,-l0n~ing specimen of humanity ever
saw Tn" modern telegraph tramp isn't n
marker. lie wore IA pair OF Jean brooches six
si,o- u,. emu X i,rkri. and n broad -hrinlnrd
hutteruut hut. "A rrlieo his life in Memphis
The wide rim was bally torn. aud hung down
80 that Nou could So" his "nr through tue upeu-
ING. There wa the sllgiit. l,t truce of dirt IN
his upprt lp that he called "a moustn'he. llis
hNr hadn't lrrn cumh"d i'r week. ana hr
W. M. na"s nf " inn',n Nm Nrryo,,4ly
pinching hs upper lip--n habit that he had.he
inquired lor tllr manager and was sent to Nil
Ara you ho bose Z? Tom asked Mulikon
smiled aIi raid h1 WIS manager. Tom th"n
wnri, Z him t. 80 t. work Mllik N stared II
him rs though he rouidu believe his ours. and
in The nitosnoon. Tom began o. ook around
thu office for "a clock. ana Mlhkrn said
Young man. yon have tp work q ureuy heavy
wire Tom gave what hr called his nous
iarr gNifF wsl ant , wiz a., II ' M IsSur"1 III
b. her at unll unet five lie -lopsi 80 quick
thHf II made MIhkcn'S mead ~ m.
- III" operators burst INTO peal OF iaughtrr.
r'iaiuk~ w"tr anything but complimentary 90
Tom. On, SAID on" ul them he won't last
T. H. ,' nh rs " wv HAT ' o gS can Tr
hs plurr. vt uluur hv sound shouted another
evcr saw ana when a fourth wondered
whetl r the walking between Michigan an J
Boston was very good there was general
well" continued stewart. hall past nyo
came, and - lii Tom. E'rrShod, was on th'
QV' r.re Miliken was lusi taxing rom the
vault tie uppy of blanks Tor The night opera,
lprs. ~ Tom came ~ ne pointed To- u pile OF
lh,m. saving Talk whit hlanks YOU want and
IT. show Won Vour table. Tom innpcentN
pick an the whole buudlr. and followed Mill
Ken 10 Nj, table,. Til" operators hegan to grin
and snick,r They AN Thought that he would
Ct Logn1el .iier trying to rs!eh G9r mc~I1age
Borst then considered one OF the fastest
tenlers IN the COUNTRY. worked the New
YORK. end A., Tom srpt'd himsrli h.
asked 10 tnii was III" ,d Tor Boston. -
replied tho miniG-er, wui 'h'rg Toms mn I'VE
nlrutS with ~ t'usr curio ~ity. Iher'ur"h Inr
opened his .'y uud tichpd the answer. | I o
jerry l"-Ru io wh0pp 'rm up ~ his beet III
plhy"i NJ anxiety. hut krW fgl along ~ hi'
work ~ though he lni been taking Jerry al
his life. FIR tour mortal hours iid Jerry kr'r
itupa hundred pounds +" III" square inch an
four mprm hours did Tom tahr II down ~
narlHri'.nE a5 n'nl ~ rlnin ~ ,rebr.nt ~
until he WIS tired without a bronx from the re
rrhcr. H. VIA. a-iounlrl Whom Ia hnd fin
ishcd. ne following messages ins-cd be1wc"i
them;
wnoA, .e'Aar 'pu.su,no~'
Pam Torr
tn p. %. man M name i.Tcm Edison
Frf4Jery
INV ur~. N'r ,our the ran J ~ .
"ai ,. .ia Ga, eoull IT,, az, p,t,o,n a r al
; ,tc
And th.ve .pot, Tn. oni-hment ~ ih
loy- N ~" nj, 'r WAS unbranded. There WI
T. mor"j' 'ig nor sni'knrng ENrrylmdy va
Tomr lr,end at once lhe nest day Mhli kcl
biTNd NJ nsn''t Of Tome mnnns rpi, and r.
sn'h pretty r"iv.' b." sand. He's ~ good al
AZ IKE u, '.n oi i6o Hrs, night, work. Tom
friend Adams took him homc WITH him. TIA
INT question H-N' WI; what kind OF maj
uorimcrf In ne IA w Nll pa I'm NOT On ,uiN
Adairs replied tlNl Miu!krn himself We some
what al an inventor and nr Thought that b.
would not only IDi Tom cNp'rln, M a0 mu' b a
he ulou--d. iui that hr would also tnk "a yer
toua interest IA hl- experiments Im'v"r
Tom tho reputation Of q lunHtic in Alwuphi'
and caused hun to i,s' MS situation MiIilAri