Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1879-04-12
EDISON AS A NEwsBoY.


past has been an intimate friend of the
great inventor:
About this time young Edison con.
ceiyed the idea Of starting newspaper
for circulation among the train hand.
AMI passengers generally. A spicy sheet
telling of the daily life of conductors
brakeman and employees, giving Tho
latest news from the Detroit papers, and
serving up the general gossip Of the
stations al.ng the road, was his con.
ceptIon OF what ihe paper ought TO be
His service of ten months on the trair
as a newsboy was his experience, and {
dozen pounds of old type his capita
stock. Soon the new paper made it:
appearance. IL bore the distinguished
title in large black letter, Tile GranO
Trunk Herald. Its salutatory told Of
its fearlessness in politics and its fair
ness in everything. The editor well
coined all contributions, literary OF
otherwise, particularly otherwise. Ac-
ling was to be the long felt want in the
the world of journalism. 1t was to SC
overflow with important news that even
the least curious OF passengers would
feel compelled to disgorge the penny
nece ssary for its purchase. In time it,
circulation was TO extend far beyond the
the limits Of the Slate of Michigan, and
thousands of eager citizens would daily
await its appearance with feverish i'm
patience. For the first few weeks the
founding fell rather tame on the I'M
appreciative community. The largest OF
type seemed no inducement to purchase.
People looked disdainfully at the d.
minutive sheet. In vain the editor and
sole proprietor yelled its merits through
the cars. The passengers were not to be
cajo!ed or deceived.
After few weeks, however, there
came a change. Edison hit upon some
railroad topic Of general interest, and
the demand for the new paper began TO
increase. People talked about it and
the coppers flowed fast into the hands
Of the ambitious young journalist. Some
exciting war news also at the same time
transpired, and the Grand Trunk Her
oid came in for its share of the enhanc-
| ed circulation of papers generally. But,
alas there came u day when the paper
was forced to suspend. 1t was not be-
cause of financial troubles, for the ex
pense attending its publication was only
nominal, as young Edison wrote every
thing and set up all the type himself,
doing the work at odd hours which he
snatched from his regular duty AS ira in
boy. The disaster was rather inglorious
in its character.
1t came abou. a man named Bockus &.
Mr.. Bockus kept store in Port Huron,
and was pretty well known in that place.
In an unguarded moment young Edison
wrote something in his paper which touch L.
ed the dignity ofMr. Bocaus and Mr.
Bockus vowed vengeance against tho of.
fender.
Edison little suspected the impending
darger. The ire Of the angry Mr.. Bockus
was unkr own 20 him. He pursu ed the
even course of his way in apparent safety,
chuckling at the hit he had made. The
day of disaster came at last. Edison was
standing near the depot waiting for the
locomotive to steam up. He did not see
stout and wrathful- looking man stea Ith-
lily walking up behind him. He did not
know at first whose was the heavy hand
that alighted on his shoulder, and whose
the voice of thunder that shouted in his
ear, I've got you now you young rascal =
He had no time TO apologize and ask
questions. The river flowed near the spot
and toward it Mr.. Bockus ruthlessly drug
Red the frightened editor. A shout. a
short, sharp struggle, a splash, and the
editor andsole proprietor OF the Grand
Trunk Herald was laundering in the wa-
ter. Fortunately for science the news lad
was good swimmer, and soon he was
clambering up the pier wetter but a wiser
boy. The Grand Trunk Herald never
again appeared. From that day forward
Edison TUNED his back upon journalism.
The duties ofthe editorial chair were more
than he cared to bear.
Not long after the inglorious downfall of
the short-lived paper there occurred an
accident in the train life of young Edison
that even to-day is recalled with smiles by
the old train hands. Among the passeng gers
one summer afternoon, on the train from
Fort Huron to Detroit, were four young
men, apparently the sons of wealthy faith
ers, travelling tor pleasure. They laughed
and told stories and enjoyed themselves AS
best they could. Evidently they had pen>
ty OF loose cash, for on one or two occasions
In their hiarity they exhibited large rolls
Of bills. During one Of their boistcrous
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 sell.
ing those oranges for?'
Three cents apiece" readily respond
ed the boy.
Let's see what they are good for
continued the first speaker, taking tn,
basket in his zap and scrutinizing the
oranges as though about to pick out one
Young Edison a once began to expatiat,
on the lusciousness OF the oranges ant
their remarkable cheapness. The bois
ferrous young man, however, cut hin
short by saying q, What will you TAX,
for the whole lot ?" The train boy sup
posed OF course, his customer was testing
but answered deferentially: Well
I've got forty-fve left. I'll sell 'em al
for one dollar" The words were scareel,
II