The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-04-04

SKETCH OF THE INVENTOR OF THE
PHoNoGRAPH-H0wA MICHIGAN BOY
ASTONISHED THE BOSTONIANS.

A SKETCH OF THE INVENTOR OF THE
PHoNoGRAPH-How A MICHIGAN BOY
ASTONISHED THE BosTONIANS.
81 first knew Tom Edison" said Mr..
Stewart, Sin 1866. at that time l was an
operator in Tennessee. Tom was employed
by Col. Coleman, the superintendent OF the
Western Union Office in Memphis. He was
gawky boy, about eighteen or nineteen,
and was reading everything about electrici-
ty that he could pick up. He had a lean
hungry look, and always seemed to be I'M
der the influence of some secret excitement.
He had got into his head the idea of sending
duplex dispatches, and all his spare time
was devoted to experiments liz the office.
Coleman stood it for some time, but at last
began to growl. He allowed that Tom was
crazy, and said that amy damned fool ought
to know that wire can't be worked both
ways at the same time.' He declared that he
would MT have Tom puttering around the
office with such stiffness, and finally dis
charged him in disgust. The boy went back
home to some town in Michigan, and I lost
track of him.
s'Some time afterward 1 was transferred
to the Boston office. At that time wire No.
l, as it was then called, was considered the
crack wire of the country. The fastest men
were working it. For some cause the oper
ator 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 g hot potato, and sloped, wiser than
when they came. There wasa man i'll the
Office named NJ. F. Adams. He thought the
world of Tom Edison, and recommended
him to the place, vouching for him as first
class operator. G. F. Milliken, the mana
ger, telegraphed to the little town in Michi-
gan, asking Tom if he would come on and
accept the position. Tom answered yes,
and without further words started for Bos-
ton, via the Michigan Central and Grand
Trunk Railroads. In running through
Canada lie got showed under, and was kept
on the track in one spot for twenty four
hours, cold and hungry, and without a bed.
As usual, be 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
roundboat overcoat from Canuck railroad
laborer. But he finally got through all right.
81 was In the Boston Office when he ar
rived, and 1 must say" continued Mr..
Stewart, bringing his fist down upon the
table, she was the worst looking specimen
of humanity ever saw. The modern tele-
graph tramp isn't marker. He wore a
pair of jeans breeches six inches too short
for him, pair of very low shoes, the Can
uck Jacket, and broad-brimned butternut
relic OF his life 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 on his
! upper lip, that he called a mustache. His
| hair hadn't been combed for a week, and he
| wore the blacklist white shirt that was ever
seen on the back of a human being. Ner-
| vously pinchiIg his upper lip--a habit that
he had-he inquired for the manager, and
was sent to Milltken..
''Are you the boss % Tom ask, Milliken
smiled and said he was manager. Tom then
introduced himself and asked when they
wanted him to go to work. Milllken start
ed at him as though he couldn't believe his
ears, and said at half-past five.' 1t was
then along in the afternoon. Tom began
to look around the Office for Il clock and
Milliken Young man, you have to work
pretty heavy wire.' Tom gave what he
called his mustache 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
Milliken's head swim.
''The operators burst into peal of laugh
ter. They had seen and heard everything,
and their remarks were anything but COM
plinentary to Tom. 90 said one of them,
he 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 walk
ing between Michigan and Boston was very
good, there was general roar.
SWELL" continued Stewart, half-past five
came, and so did Tom. Everybody was on
the qui vice. 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 and I'll show you your table," Tom
innocently picked up the whole bundle, and
followed Milliken to his table. The opera
tors began to grin and smoker. They all
thought that he would get bounced after
trying to catch one message. It was the No
wire to New York. Jerry Borst, then con-
sidered one OF the fastest senders in the
country, worked the New York end. As
Tom seated himself he heard the call B.,
and turning to Milliken, asked if that was
the call for Boston. EYES," replied the man
ager, watching Toms movements with in
tense curiosity. Thereupon Tom opened his
key and licked the answer. Il, l.. Jerry
began to 'whoop 'em up in the 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 mertal hours did Jerry |
keep it up at hundred pounds to the square
inch, and four mortal hours did Tom take it |
down in handwriting as neat as reprint.
For the first time in his life Jerry had rush
ed it until he was tired without break from |
the receiver. He was astounded. When he
had finished, the following messages passed |
between them:
FROM JERRY.
Who the devil are you, anyhow?
FROM TOM.
Pm the new man. My name is Tom Edison
FROM JERRY.
Well, by Ia pper-Rep,l you're the man
Fve been looking for for the past ten years,
and you're the only man ever found that
could take me without break. Shake.
''And they shook. The establishment of
the bows in the office was unbounded. Eve