Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-04-20

: From the N. Y. Sun.
II first knew Tom Edison" said Mr.
Stewart, sin 1866. At that time / wa
an operator in Tennessee. Tom was EN-
plOyed by Col. Coleman, the superin
tenGent of the Western Union office il
Memphis. He was gawky boy. about
Is or IS, and was reading everything
about electricity that he could pick up
He had lean and hungry look, and al
ways seemed to be under the influence o.
some secret excitement. He had got into
his head the idea of sending duplex dis
patches, and all his spare time was de-
voted to experiments in the office. Cole
man stood it for some time, but at last
began to grOwl. He allowed that Tom
was crazy and said that 'any damned
tool. ought to know that a wire can't be
worked both ways at the same time lie
declared that he wouldn't have Tom put
tering around the office with such sill
ness, and finally discharged him in dis
gust. The boy went back home TO some
town in Michigan, and l lost track vi
him.
Some time afterward was transferred
No. l, as il was then called, was consider
/ GU ItiC Cldth WIG vi tnc GUILTY. uc
fastest men were working it. For some
cause the operator in Boston resigned. 1t
was difficult TO find man to take his
place. A half dozen fellows tried it, but
found it too much for them. One after
another they dropped it like hot pota-
to, and slOped. wiser than when they
came. There was man in the office
named NJ. +. Adams. He thought the
world of Tom Edison, and recommended
him to the place, vouching Tor him as II
first-class operator. q. f. Milliken, the
manager, telegraphed to the little town
in Michigan, asking Tom if he would
come OH and accept the position. Tom
answered yes, and without further
words started for Boston. ola the Michi.
gan Central and Grand Trunk railroads.
In running through Canada he got
showed under, and was kept on the track
in one spot twenty-four hours, cold and
hungry, without bed. AS usual, he
owned but one suit of clothes, and that
Was on his back. Unfortunately, it was
a summer suit. He might have frozen
to death had he not bought an old rough
Overcoat from a Canuck railroad labOrer.
But he finally got through all right.
I was in the Boston offic, when he ar
rived, anu l must s:y' continu Mr..
Stewart, bringing lbs fist down upon
the table, she was the worst looking
specimen of humanity | ever saw. The
modern telegraph tramp isn't Il marker.
He wore Il pair of jeans brteches six
inches too short for him, pair of very
low shoes. the Canuck jacket, and a
broad brlmmei butt rnut hat, a relic of
his life i'm Memphis. The vide rim was
badly torn, and hung down SO that you
could see his ear through the opening.
There was the slightest trace of dirt on
his upper lip, that he called moustache.
His hair hadn't been coihbed for a week,
and he wore the blacklist white shirt
that was ever seen on the back of hui
man being. NervOusly pinching his up
per lip-a habit that he had-he inquired
tor the manager, and was sent to Mill
Ken.
Are you the boss p Tom asked. Milf
ken smiled anu said he was manager
Tom then introduced himself, and asked
when they wanted him to go to work.
Milliken stared at him as though he
couldn't believe his ears, and said. AT
half-p.st 81 1t was then we'll along in
the afternoon. Tom began to look
around the office for clock, and Mill
ken 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. III be
here at half-past 5. He slOped so quick
that it male MillikenS head swim.
The operators burst into a peal of
laughter. They had seen and heard
everything, and their remarks were any
thing but complimentary to Tom. oh,
said one of them, me won't last as long
as that Jerseyman that tackled the wire
the other day. why. that fellow can't
read by paper, let alone by sound
shouted another. A third declared that
Tom was the worst he ever saw and
when fourth wondered whether the
walking between Michigan and Boston
was very good there was general roar.
WeH," continued Stewart, $3.50 came,
and so did Tom. Everybody was on the
qui vive. Milliken was just taking from
the vault the supply OF blanks for the
night operators. As Tom came up, he
pointed to pile OF them, saying, Take
what blanks you want aud I'll show you
your table Tom innocently picked up
the whole bundle ami followed Milliken
to his table. Phe operators began to
grin and smoker. They all thought that
he would get bounced after trying to
catch one message. 1t was the No.
wire to New York. Jerry Borst, then
considered one of the fastest senders in
the country, worked the New York end.
As Tom seated himself he heard the call
3D. and, turning to Milliken, asked if
that was the call for Boston. Yes re-
piled the manager, watching Toms
movements with intense curiosity.
Thereupon Tom opened his key and
licked the answer Il, p Jerry began to
'wbOOp 'em up in his best style, and
every eye was turned on Tom. He dis
played 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 at hundred pounds
to the square inch, and for tour mortal
hours did Tom take it down in hand
writing as neat and plain as reprint. For
the first time in his life Jerry had rushed
it until he was tired without break
from the receiver. He was astOunded.
When he had finished, the following
passages passed between them:
FROM JERRY.
Who the devil are you, anyhow?
FROM TOM.
I'm the new man. My name is Tom
Edison.
FROM JERRY.
Well, you're the man I've been looking
for for the last ten years, and you're the
only man l ever found who could take
me without break. Shake.
And they shook. The establishment of
the boys in the office was unbOulIded.
There was no more CHEERING nor snicker-
ing. Everybody was Toms friend at
once. The next day Milliken picked up
lively stroked his long beard. Il never
saw such pretty copy he said. He's as
good an operator as eyer met