The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-04

above all, hin speaking mhchlncf mari
T him AS the Napoleon of inventors In
deed, at the professors age, BonApart,
had barely reached the rank Of Firs
Consul. As any particulars of this eH
traordinary young inventor must prove
of more than usual interest. the wrltel
details "a conversation with Mr.. George
5. Stewart, better known as "Fattie
Stewart, an old telegraph operator, nov
employed in the Office of the Associates
Press
- first knew Tom Edison, said Mr.
Stewart, 'in 1866. At that time / was al
operator in Tennessee. Tom was employ.
ea by Col. Coleman, the superintendent
of the Western Union Office in Memphis
He was "a gawky boy, about eighteen oi
nineteen, and was reading everything
about electricity he could pick up. He
had lean and hungry look, and always
seemed 30 bee under the influence of some
secret excitement. He had got into his
head the idea of sending duplex des-
patches, and all his spare time Was de.
voted tO experiments in the office. Cole
man stood il for some time, but OF last
began To growl. He allowed that Tom
was crazy, and said that ANY blamed
fool ought b. know that wire can't be
worked both WAYS az the same time. He
declared that he wouldn't have Tom
puttering around the Office with such
Stiffness, and finally discharged him in
disgust. The boy went back home IL
some town IN Michigan, and lost track
Of him.
"Some time afterward / was trans
ferred 30 the Boston Office. At that time
wire No. /, AS IL was then called, was
considered the crack wire OF the coun-
try. The fastest men were working IL.
For some cause the operator IN Boston
resigned. II was difficult 10 find O man
20 take his place. A half dozen fellows
tried il. but found IL too much for them.
One after another they dropped il like a
hot potato, and sloped wiser than when
they came. There was a man in the
Office named NJ. +. Adams He thought
the world OF Tom Edison, aud recon
mendcd him for the place, youching for
him as first-class operator. q. Il. Mil
hken, the manager. telegrAphed TO the
little town in Michigan, asking Tom il
he would come on and accept the posi-
ton. Tom answered yes, and without
further words started for Boston, via the
Michigan Central and Grand Trunk
Railroads. In running through Canada
he got showed under, and was kept on
the track in one spot for tweniy-four
hours, cold and hungry. without bed.
As usual, he owned but one suit of
clothes. and that was on his back. Un-
fortunately, IL was a summer suit. He
might have frozen 10 death had he not
bought an old rough roundabout over
coat from CAnuck railroad lAborer.
liut he finally got through all right.
" / was in the Boston Office when he
arrived, and must say, continued Mr..
Stewart, bringing his fist down upon
the table, "he was the worst-looking
specimen Of humanity | ever saw. The
modern telegraph tramp isn't marker.
lie wore a pair Of jean breeches SIX
inches too short for him, a pair Of very
low shoes, the Canuck jacket. and a
broad brimmed butternut hat, relic oi
his life in Memphis. The wide rim was
badly torn, and hung down 80 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 week,
aud he wore the blackest white shirt
that was ever seen on the back Of =
human being. Nervously pinching his
upper hp-a habit that he hRd-he
inquired for the manager, aud was sent
20 Milhken.
Are Won the boss ?" Tom asked.
Milliken smiled, and said he was man
agcr. Tom then introduced himself,
and asked when they wanted him 10 &c
to work. Milliken stared at him az
though he couldn't believe his eara hand
said Al half past Eve II was then
we'll along in the afternoon. Tom be-
gan 10 look around the Office for CLOCK,
and Milliken said Young man, YOU
have to work q pretty heavy wire Tom
gave what he called his mustache ar
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 80 quick that il made Mill
ken's head swim.
"The operators burst into n peal oi
laughter. They hal seen and heard
everything, and their remarks were any
thing but complimentary to Tom. Oh,
said one of them, he won't last as long
as that Jerseyman that tackled the wire
the other day. Why, that fellow cans
read by paper. let alone by sound,
shouted another. A third declared thai
Tom was the worst he ever saw, and
when a fourth wondered whether the
walking between Michigan and Boston
was very good there was a general roar
"Well," continued Stewart, half
past Ave came, and 40 did Tom. Every
body was on the gIi Vipe. Milliker
was just taking from the vault the sup,
ply OF blanks for the night operators,
As Tom came up he pointed to pile ot
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
operators began TO grin and snicker.
They all thought that he would get
bounced after trying to catch one mes
sage. 1t was the No. wire 10 New
York. Jerry Borst, then considered
one OF the fastest senders in the conn.
try, worked the New York end. As
Tom seated himself he heard the cal
'B. and turning to Milliken asked il
that was the call for Boston. Yes, re-
piled the manager, watching Toms
movements with intense curiosity.
Thereupon Tom opened his key and
ticked the answer, Il, II Jerry began
TO 'whoop EN- up in his best style,
and every eye was turned on Tom. He
displayed no anxiety, but kept right
along at his work az though he had
been taking Jerry all his life. For -four
mortal hours did Jerry keep il up q
hundred pounds TO the square inch, and
four mortal hours did Tom take il down
in handwriting as neat and plain as re-
print. For the first time in his life Jer.
nv had rushed ii until he was tired with
out break from the receiver. He war
astounded. When he had finished
the following messages passed between
them
From Jerry.
Who the deuce are you. anyhow?
From Tom.
I'm the new man. My name ia Tom Edison
From Jerry.
Well, You're the man I've been looking fol
for the last ten years, and you're the only mar
ever found that could take me without .
break. shake.
And they shook. The astonishment
of the boys in the Office was unbounded.
There was no more jibing nor snicker-
ing. Everybody was Tom friend at
once. The next day Milliken picked up
sheet of Toms manuscript, and re.
flectively stroked his long beard.
never saw such pretty copy, he said.
He's as good an operator as l ever
met.