The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-11-14
SKETCH OF THOMAS ALVA EDISON,
BY G. N. SHAW.

This remarkable inventor, Of whom the
public has recently heard so much, is still
young man, having been born In 1S47
at Milan, Erie County, Ohio. His mother
was Of Scotch parcntagc. but born in
Massachusetts,; she was finely educated,
literary and ambitious, and had been a
teacher in Canada. Young Edison's only
schooling came from his mother, who
taught him spelling, reading, writing and
arithmetic. He lost his mother in 1862,
but his father, a man Of vigorous consti-
tuition, Is still living, aged seventy-four.
When he was seven years old, his parents
removed to Port Huron, Michigan. The
boy dishked mathematics, but was fond
Of reading, and, before he was twelve
years old, had read the Penny Cyclope-
dla,n Hume's "EDgland," and Gibbons
"R0me" He early took to the railroad,
and became Il newsboy on the Grand
Trunk line, running into Detroit Here
he had access TO 4 library, which he un-
dcrtook TO read through; but, after skim
ming over many hundred miscellaneous
books. he adopted the plan OF select read
ing on subjects of interest to him. Be-
ee-->:---- ;.a.ara-tal l.. .-I.-.:~A, - l11'.7its
some chemicals, and fixed upa laboratory
IN one of the cars. An unfortunate COM
bustion Of phosphorus one day came near
setting fire to the train, and the conse-
auenGe was that the conductor kicked the
whole thing out. He had obtained the
exclusive right 10 sell papers on the road,
and employed four assistants. bnt, not
satisfied with this, he bought lot OF sec
ond-hand type, and printed on the Gags
/ little paper Of his own, called. the Grand
| Trunk Herald. Getting acquainted with
! the telegraph operators along the road, he
| took notiGn TO become an operator hIr1-
| self. In his lack of means and oppoTtu-
mites. he resorted to the eEpcdlent OF
making his own apparatus at home. a
! niece of stovc-Wirc, insulated by bottles,
| was made to DO service as the llne-wlre
/ Tbav wire for his electromagnetic he wound
| with rags, and in similar way persevercd
| until he had the crude elements OF teie
| graph; but the electricity being wanting,
/ and rs he could not buy a battery, he
/ tried rubbing the fur of cats backs, but
saws that electricity from this source was
/ failure for telegraphic purposes.
About two months atterward, as a train
was switching on to a side track at Mount
/ Clemens Station. the station-agents little
bow. two years old, crept in to the track
/ ahead of the cars. Edison saw the dan
/ ger, sprang to the ground, and barely
succeeded in saving the youngster. Its
| father. the station-master, being poor
man. could not show his gratitude by a
/ money reward. but offered TO teach young
Edison telegraph operating. He gladly
seized the chance, and for five months we
see him going back to 8iount Clemens, al
the close of his days work, to labor nights
in learning to be an operator. AT the END
of this time he WAS able to 60 into the
telegraph office at Port Huron. Here he
worked for six months. and then went to
Stratlord. Canada, as night-operator. lie
soon after went to Adrian, Michigan
where. in addition TO his telegraph office,
be had 9 small shop and tools, TO which
he turned his hand at odd moments foI
the purpose of repairing instruments,
| This situation he lost by violating some
rule while absorbed IN his workshop, but
in two months after appeared IN Indian
apoliS, where he came out with his first
! invention, an automatic repeater-an ar
ranuement for transferring a message from
one wire to another without the aid of an
operator. From this place he went in turn
to Cincinnati. Memphis, Louisville, New
| Orleans. and back again TO Cincinnati,
! where we find him in 1867, at the age OF
twenty, absorbed in projects OF invention
His utter negligence OF dress and appear
/ ance, his Unsuitable thirs for reading, and
| his enthusiastic attempts 10 solve what
| appeared 10 others impossible, together
With his willir gness TO work at all hours
Of the dav or night, earned him the name
of Ioonev," by which he was best known
for many wears Reaching his office herr
one night and finding it ION strike ht
took in the situation, and went to work
keeping ii up all night, working to hi:
utmost, receiving the press dispatches
For this act he was raised from salary
Of 265 to SlO5 per month, and given tht
best line in the office. While here h
conceived the idea, aftorward perfected Il
Boston. of sending two messages at tn
same time over the same wire. Hi
everlasting experiments were lookel
upon with distayOr by the management
and the imagined neglect OF his wori
caused so much dissatisfaction that h
qut the Office and returned home to Por
Huron.
Here he soon received 2 call from III
manager of the Boston office to be tn
Boston operator on the crack" New Yorl
wire The manager knew him, but tn
appearance there OF the very similitude O
creen country gawky raised shout Q
laughter at his expense, which almost un
{ nervcd him, AMI, to make the matte
worse, before lac had time to compos
himself, he was shown to his place I