, 1879-02-27
EDISON AS A NE1YSBOY.

INV Ne started pnFTrs nnt why II Mis-
Vnndrl-lIis 1'rnt'Is:nl Cus.omcrs-A Novel
Way 10 D,spoae or Old Stock h, Trnslr.
TIE following characteristic sketches OF tho
cnry days of Edisnu arc from ti,c advance sheets
u: Ills biography. now being written by Coun-
helor Edwin ~. Fox. Of New York CITY, who
for several ycass past has bren nn Intimate
friend of tltc great Inventor:
.Abont this lime young Edison conceived the
ltsen of flnrtfn. new spapcr for circulation
unos tile tratn-1latuls md pnssrngers Eenerally.
spicy ae'eet, telling of the daily llfo "f t!ie
tascat news from The scene uf War, as Clipped
fr0nb the Detroit paorrt, n,l serving up tho
General gossip VI thr slntious slong the rond,
was l!s cancsptinn Of what the l'aper ought to
n. newsbuv vas his experience. and duzcn
mounds Of old typu his capital stuck. soon
nc t,Gw Eapct tnalc Its appearance. II bore the
diGilte1 title, in lnrcs block letters. the Hrand
acssti"Es IN politics and Its fairness III every
thing. The edItor wclcnn1rd MI contributions,
literary or otherwise. particularly otherwise.
According 10 The hopes held out the ifctfglini,
wns IT, lie the l11sg.fclt want III tho world OF
journalism. II wuB 10 SO overflow With i,npor-
tant news tHt even the least ctr!Drs Of passcn.
Gcrs would fcci compelled 10 d!sEurt.c the penny
nccessary for It's nnrc!sasc. III time its c!rc,a-
Stale nf Michigan, md thousands OF ea1er c!ti-
zens would daily nwnit Its appearance With
leyerlRll impotence. Fur tile iirst few weeks
the ioundllnE fell rattlcr tame on the unupu1u-
ctative community. The larges: of type seemed
I'D tndliceHunt 10 ,'urchngc. People iUuked DIS
,'ainfnliy at ihe atMiurltsc sheet. In vain the
editor and sole pruprietor yelled its mrrlts
through the ears. The passengcrs we're not to
be caI1lcl ar deceived.
After n few weeks. however, there came q
change. Elisun hit upon some railroad topic OF
general interest, nt1tl the demand for the new
paper beEan 10 turrease. Peorlc talked about
u ttxf<. +
The unnlltious Young journalist. Some ex-
cited war HUNS also 1T tie satnc tttng transpLreA,
nlMl the Grand Trunk Herald came In 1or its
Share OF ,l.e enhanced circulation Of papers
generally. But, a1aa. there came day when
,ie paper was forced tu suspend. 1t was not
hecaueu oi inan:ial troubtus+ fur tic expense
attending It's publication was unly nominal, 4.
young Edison wrote everything n'Hl tet ~, all
which ha s,,ntced from Ills regular duty ns
tra!n-bhy. The dtsaster was rather s.giosDus In
II, character.
: 1t ra1,,e nhont through a l,,al NAMED 1sockus.
Mr.. Bockus kent storctn Port liuruu, md was
pretty wen kllown IT, ths plare. IN all unguaru-
I'd moment yuaug Ellison one day wruts st't,lc-
thing III lis paPgr that tn1enrd HIS dignity Of
.,ts. Bockli., ami Mr.. Eoclus yoTed vengeance
nEAlnat the offender.
Edison lItllc suspected the impending langer.
'flc Ire OF the ungry air. u. WAS unknown to
him. ltc pursued the even course OF Its ~ny t.l
nDnarcnt EuittY, ch'IclsliIy Mt thc lit liz hai
s ,sn e a1 4, a u.s. ,;,t ~ e1 ea'. ~
i. io',, " ,,,,ir. n st,.a,, IN, II. iii, mnt r.,
s,a,t a'"i wrattuI !uoi!in.; man stcaitn,ly walk
!nS un behind hin. llelid not Iht,w at iitst whose
DIR nn,l wi,usn In, roise nf 1i,1ntfsr t},at shu,,
cd n ''H Ill .nr I'ye rot y now. you yn,1nr
sasca. i liz lrai no ti,na to apoIorize sid us!;
questions. rllG rtFer flowed t'car the spot, nlll
tritItrned ctlitor, 4 shout, 4 slort. ehorp
str,r,l" n snjash n thr s,l,tor MD t,,,e ,,rt.
nrlc,or Of tic Grasd Trnni. Itrad was louu,icr-
M ~ I, v M1aus a os v syner Sp se'vle @ e ,n
i" WIS ,.nn,sn.rr. III, tlu ntrr. a wttter hit n
wIs,.r hnv. lin Gto,I IruuE Wtru never
"uaj,t ,n,;rsrrd. E,run ,1ut ttnr ftrward Eli.
son turtt,c.l his luck Oh Journalism, Ii,e duties
~ -" N. n,,i,rin1 "nir w.1o nr Tim liz eored t
~ a ,1'' o"' ''0' s'''''' 49, ~
'e ut long after The tnglorlous downfall, OF t,n
short ivnI N ,.r ,hrrn ,,.r,trrri m inittrnt Il,
H." tr,tm 1T" nT voti,,tr EtIsnn ibn, rren to,,nv
/. rrr,iri Viii SMILES hy thn t,lI trut, h,,t,y.
M WA. " ua ,' s,,,,,nrr ,
~ ,. .'tu frn,,, iort Iinro,, IT, llrtrstt. WIZ.
fr v;,,,,,r ,.,r annarcntly lii. sons t,i wnal,hr
,yss "u, ys" ,r,r"ii,ut fr rnsurs 'rhrw ,a,~hcH
i ,,5 st-;Is1, ,, "nfavs, ,i,"re,i..r. os
n .ts to's. o',lI ii,ntI III; ;t,,v ,aI ,snI ~
s,s fnr ~, ~" or t,yo r,;.ns"ns II, tnrr
% i'3ia1tv s thsv ~ ryih:r lsr"c rolis az hiir. Dur
,,uta ,,s ~, W. "zr h,fat"s,,,, unrnrxam. vn,,n
3sn' ~. I',n,,od -, 1n nopsi,u- thrnn thc
.a;., NTH !. Hs,.rt If nran~rs om ia orn
.s'n y .n,. VIII III, y snMts, onc nf ihc ynur nc,
.w,,at uru yoa sclln: tl,tse oranges fori;i
,,o, i"''' es''' "''ess' 's""''' ''o
w ,,,s sco u.bo. ,cv orc ,,oo1 for ,tontIrpc,l
~, seu ~ a, ,G' ~ ~, h,oIs, +, IL ie,,
,M, p Sn liz nr;,nres az t,,,t,h a,,t 70
r1sk 2Nl oe' a" ,s, ~ ~ 9Gu H. oeEm ean1a 10
u.af MI str o Ienarkabls M Cleanliness. Tic bostcr
,, ,,nr+ ,,,"n nnwc,or r,,s hfm, s,,ort hv sny
s SoaWN man. 5 "ey' sn eut o o nr snpl. the U ha
st;, III; ,tI., ,n;,,V,S,. go ",,nnnsna NJ rS,,re" lie
but4 ,uhFFo7N'f ~ N.'|