River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-28
How Edison First Coined Money.


Edison, now world lcnowned. and re-
ceiving thousands and tens of thousands
from his inventions, was once a newsboy
on the Grand Trunk railway. After a
week of unusually hard lucs, he found
on one Of the trains party of four young
men, apparently the sons of wealthy
fathers, travelling for pleasure. They
laughed and teld stories and enjoyed
themselves as best they could. Evident
ly they had plenty of loose cash, for on
one or two occasions in their hilaritv
they exhibited large rolls of bills During
one of these boisterous paroxysms young
Edison happened to be passing through
the train with basket of oranges on his
arm.
Here, bub, shouted one Of the young
men, "what are you selling those oranges
for2
"Three cents apiece. read responded
the boy.
Lets see what they are good for,
continued tn first speaker, taking the
basket in his lap and scrutinizing the
oranges as though about to pick our one.
Young Edison at once began to expatiate
their remar. able cheapness.
The boisterous young man, no ever,
cut him short by ying, ''What will you
take for the who.e lot2'
The train boy supposed Of course his
customer was testing, but answered, de-
ferentially, "Wrll I've GOT forty-five I'll
sell EN- all for s
The words were scarcely uttered before
the customer tad pitched basket and
oranges Uut Of the op windo,. Young
Edison stared at him in as tonishment,
then his indignation began to boil as he
contemplated his loss, but before he could
speak his eccentric customer bad Slipped
"a bill into his hands witt the words,
There's 81 .or you-$1 for the oranges
and : Tor the basket"
Then looking AT the still astonished
train boy, he said aren't you satisfied!
satisfied Lord yes, said the boy,
his eyes gIstening as he again looked a.
the bill and SaA to a certainty that the
bin was genuine. The incident over, the
young men =, sumed THEN hilarity and
the train boy wended his way back to
tn baggage car evidently in deep
thought
\ few minutes later young Edison was
again in G car that contained the eccen
trc customer. This time he had on his
arm basket of apples. They were NOT
the largest apples III the market, neiihe
were they altogether free from defects
what are your apples worth, young
tellah!'' shouted the old customer
''Seven cents aniece, replied Edison,
proceeding to dilate upon the superiority
Of those particular apples above all Others
in tie market.
How many have youl' continued the
customer taking t basket in his hand
and balancing il.
Sixty two, said Edison, Just rs the
has ct and apples sped through the win
dow into an open field
Heres your money" said the prodigal,
handing the train boy a 50 note.
Eds N again returned TO the baggage
car, and once more the hilarious quartet
resumed their chatting.
Five minutes later the train BOY again
appeared. This time his stock consist d
of newspapers. Both arms We're filled.
To appearances they were papers 81 the
day, but the young news agent knew hat
seven-eighths of them were old, discarded
papers, hich had been lying in his box
tor months.
How much for your papers, bub:"
shouted the young man.
"Six dollars for the lot, said Edison,
somewhat timidly, however, as though
fearful that the bonanza might be drained
"Here they GO shouted the customer,
snatching them from his hands, and
sending them, like their predecessors.
through the open window Here's your
money" and the train boy pocketed SO
additional.
Once more he left the car. BY this
time the passengers "ere wrought up to
a high pItcf Of interest at the unusual de-
parture IN lolitical economy which they
had witnessed. The lavish young men
laughed aloud at their course, and one of
them was heard to say, well, | guess
we've bought him out at last"
The prediction seemed tn he true
/ Fifteen minutes passed away and the
train boy did not make his appearance
But the prodigals did not know the
boy with whom they were dealing. At
the enc OF quarter of an hour they looked
up to see coming down the aisle oil the
car Edison and another boy, bearing be
tween them a large box. at which they
tugged and painted in their efforts te get
1t to the seats Of the young man.
well, what in thunder have you got
here sid they rising to look at the Gu
riosity. Young Edison wiped the per
spiration from his brow as tie said,
well you've bought out all my stock,
and now I've brought my store and fix
lures along. Give me $50 more and you
can chuck them all out OF the window. :"
This was to much for the capitalists
They felt that they had met their match.
They declined to make any furt 4er invest
ment.