Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-24
How Edison First Coined Money.

A, ~" "oIlSl IcuOWucO. anu re-
celvlng thousands and tens Of thousands
from his inventions, was once newsboy
on the Grand Trunk railway After a
week OF unusually hard luck, he found
on one of the trains party of four young
men, apparently the sons Of wealthy
fathers, travelling for pleasure. They
laughed and told stories and enjoyed
themselves as best they could. Evident
~ they had plenty of loose cash, for on
one or two occasions in their hilarity
they exhibited large rolls of bills. During
one of these boisterous paroxysms young
Edison happened to be passing through
the train with a basket Of oranges on his
arm.
"Here, bub," shouted one of the young
men, "what are you selling those oranges
for?'
"Three cents apiece, readily responded
the boy.
"Let's see what they are good for,:'
continued the first speaker, taking the
basket in his lap and scrutinizing the
oranges as though about to pick out one.
Young Edison at once began to expatiate
on the lusciousness of the oranges and
their remarkable cheapness.
The boisterous young man, however,
cut him short by s. ying, 'sWhat will YOU
take for the whole lot?''
The train boy supposed Of course his
customer was testing, but answered, de-
ferentially, Swell, I've got forty-fve. I'll
sell EN- all for ST."
The words were scarcely uttered before
the customer had pitched basket and
oranges out of the open window. Young
Edison stared at him in establishment,
then his ind gnation began to boil as he
contemplated his loss, but before he could
speak his eccentric customer had slipped
bill into his hands with the words,
"There's So for you-$1 for the oranges
and 81 for the basket
Then looking at the still astonished
train boy, he said, "Arcn't you satisfied"
Satisfied! Lord. yes," said the boy,
his eyes glistening as he again looked al
the bill and saw to certainty that the
bill was genuine. The incident over, the
young men resumed their hilarity and
the train boy wendell his way back to
the baggage car, evidently in deep
thought.
A few minutes later young Edison was
again in the car that contained the eccen-
trlc customer. This time he had on his
arm basket of apples. They were not
the largest apples in the market, neither
were they altogether free from defects.
"What are your apples worth, young
fellah?' shouted the old customer.
"Seven cents aniece.' replied Edison,
proceeding to dilate upon the superiority
OF those particular apples above all others
In he market.
Chow many have you?" continued the
customer taking the basket in his hand
and balancing it.
"Sixty two" said Edison, Just as the
BASKET and apples sped throug oh the win
dow into an open field.
Here's your money" said the prodigal,
handing the train boy S. note.
Edison again returned to the baggage
Car, and once more the hilarious quartet
resumed their chatting.
Five minutes later the train bow again
This time his stock consisted
OF newspapers. Both arms were filled.
10 appearances they were papers of the
day, but the young news agent knew that
seven-eighths of them were old, discarded
papers, which had been lying in his box
for months.
"How much for your papers, bub?"
shouted the young man.
"Six dollars for the lott 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 were wrought up to
a high pitch of interest at the unusual de-
parture in political economy which they
had witnessed. The lavish young men
laughed aloud at their course, and one of
them was heard to say, "Wcll, guess
we've bought him out at last"
The prediction seemed to be 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 dowr the aisle OF the
car Edsion and another boy, bearing be-
tween them a large box, at which they
tugged and painted in their efforts to get
it to the seats of the young man.
"Well! what in thunder have you got
here" said they rising to look at the Gu
riosity Young Edison wiped the per-
spiration from his brow as he said,
''well you've bought out all my stock,
and now I've brought my store and fix
lures along. Give me $40 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 further invest
ment.
Vacation.
There are people who do not take va
cation they conscientiously cannot; there
IL 4