The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-04-25
THE GREAT INVENTOR.

THE GREAT INVENTOR.
Ys~ss 1ss Esiss.s First Znsrs.e- in,
| Tie Bsssss GlsSe.
New York SUM
4 first knew Tom Edison said Nj
Stewart, in 1860. At that time was a
OperatOrin Tennessee. Tom WAS employee
by Colonel Coleman, the Superintendent @
the Union Office in Memphis. He was
gaWky boy, about Is or -. and was readin,
everything about electricity that he cOul
pick up. He had q lean and hungry look
and seemed always to be under the iniluenc
Of some excitement. He had got into hi
head the idea Of sending duplex dispatch
| e.. and all his spare time was devoted I.
experiments In the Office. Coleman stOO,
| Il for some time but at lAst began tOgrowl
He allowed that Tom was crazy. and sale
that any damned food ought to know tina
| a wire can't be worked both ways at thu
same time He declared that he wouldnr
have Tom puttering around the Office witt
such stiffness. and finally discharged him
in disgust. The boy went back home tt
some town in Michigan, and lost track Of
him.
Sometime afterward was transferred
to the Boston Office. At that time wire
No. l., as It was then called, Was con-
sidered the crack wire Of the country
The fastest men were working it. FOr
some cause the operator In Boston resign
ed. It was difacult to find . man to take
his place. A half . dozen fellows tried it,
but found il too much for them. One after
another they dropped 1t like hot potato,
and sloped wiser than when they came.
There was man in the Office named n.
7. Adams. He thought the world Of Tom
Edison, and recommended him for the
place, vOuching for him as first-class Op-
orator. G. p. Ailliken. the manager, tele-
graphed to the little town in Michigan ask
ing Tom il he would come on and accept
the position. Tom answered yes, and
without further words started for Boston,
via Michigan Central and Grand Trunk
railroads. In running through Canada
he got showed under, and was kept on the
track in one spot for twenty -four hours,
cold and hungry, without a bed. As usu-
al he owned but one suit Of clothes, and
WAS Q summer suit He might have froze
to death had he not bought an old rough
Overcoat from q Canuck rail-
But finallyhe got through all
right.
Il was in the Boston Office when he ar
rived, and l must say" continued Mr..
bringing his fist down upon the
table, -he was the worst looking speci-
men OF humanity l ever saw The mod
em telegraph tramp isn't marker. He
wore pair Of jean breeehes six inches too
short for him. a pair Of very low shoes,
he Canuck jacket, and broad brimmed
1utternut hat. q relic Of his life in Men,
Dhis. The wide rim was badly torn, and
hung down 50 that you see his ear through
he opening. There was the slight trace
IF dirt on his upper lip, that he called q
noustache. His hair hadn't been combed
or week. and he wore the blackest white
'hirt that was ever seen on the back Of
human being. Nervously pinching his up
Yer lip-a habit that he had-he inquired
or the manager, and was sent to Milliken. |
Are you the bOss?" Tom asked. MILL |
zen smiled and said he was manager.
Tom then introduced himself and asked |
when they wanted him to go to work |
dilliken stared at him as though he couldn't |
'elieve his ears, and said, AT half past 5.
{ was then well along In the afternoon
'Om began to look around the room for
clock, and Mihiken said, Young man,
on have to work . pretty heavy wire"
'Om gave what he called his moustache an
xtra twist, and with all the assurance in
he world blurted out, -All right, boss.
II be here ut half past s." He slOped so
uick that it maze Milliken's head swim.
The operators burst into a peal Of
lughter. They had seen and heard every-
hing, and their remarks were anything
ut complimentary to Tom. Oh said
ne OF them, he won't last as long as that
erseyman-that Jerseyman that tackled
10 wire the other day. why, that fell
w can't read by paper, let alone by
1und, shouted another. third declared
mt Tom was the worst he ever saw; and
hen q fourth wondered whether the
alking between Michigan and Boston
a. very good there was general roar
We'll, continued Stewart, half past
lme and SO did Tom. Everybody was on
10 Qui rire. Milliken was taking from the
ault the supply Of blanks for the night
oerators. As Tom came up no pointed
q pile Of them, saying, Take what
anks you want and l will show you TO
Dur table Tom innocently picked up
'e whole bundle, and followed Milliken to .
70 table. The operators began to grin
I'd smoker. They all thought he would
t bounced after trying to catch one mes
9e. 1t was the No. wire to New
Drk. Jerry BOrst, then considered one
the fastest senders in the country,
Orked at the New York end. Al Tom
ated himself he heard the call b and ,
ming to Aiiken asked II that was the
II for Boston. Yes, replied the mana !;
Y watching Toms movements with In |,
nse curiosity. ThereupOn Tom opened |,
5 key and licked the answer 4, T. Jer- |.
began to whoop EN- up In his best !
3 displayed no anxiety. but kept right ,
king tO Jerry all his life For four NOR :
hours did Jerry keep up 100 pounds To :
Q square inch, and four mortal hours
Tom take it down in Q handwriting Is
at and plain "a reprint. For the first
ne in his life Jerry had rushed it until
was tired. without q break from the
ceiver. He was astonished. When he
d finished, the following message passed I.
tween them:
From Jerry Who the devil are you,
yhowY
From Tom I'm the new man. Nv c
me IL Tom Edison
Prom Jerry--well, by tahpper-Rep.D. .
u're the man I've been looking for for l
3 last ten years. and you are the only z
N ever found that could take me with .
break Shake e
And they shook. The establishment Of Il
} boys In the Office was unbounded. q
ere Was no more jibinG OF snickering. v
erybody was Toms friend at once. The q
It day Ailhken picked up Q sheet Of D
ms manuscript. and rehectively ssroked v
long beard. i never saw such pretty y
~ he sold Hes as good m operator u
/ ever met Il
uissieaarv WoFk n Is1a3nsear. a,
Rev. Charles F. Moss. missionary 1t
Madagascar. writes that the