Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-01
! Edison as an Editor.


Milan, in Erie co., Ohio, Feb. II, 1917, Nh
obscure canal village Of the smallest
size, it. was not the place where the
advent ofa genius would be looked tor,
If this elusive spark had the habit OF
appearing anywhere, according to pre-
scril,ed formulas. Tho village Of Port
Huron, Michigan, to which his family
removed soon after, and where the
greater part Of his youth was passed,
would not have afforded II better pros
pcct. His family was III average one OF
the humhlcr sort. There were no ''nn-
sual talents In any Of it's members upon
which u clain, to hereditary ability could
Dc based. or u number Of brothers AMI
sisters, none have shown M inclination
toward pursuits like the inventors own.
lie may have taken from his father
who WINS in turn tailor n,,rscryman,
dealer in grain in lumber, and in farm
lnuds--some Of the rcstlrssncss which
has impcllcd him to activity IN 80 many
different directions. llc took, also, n
good constitution. This parcnt, OF
Dutch descent, u hale old gentleman,
stili living ut thu age Of scycnty-fonr--
Ind two immediate ancestors who sur
vivcd, one to the agc Of one hundred
md two, the other to one hundred aud
three. 1t is Il point not altogether nm
important to note in passing, since it
holds ont the prospect, in the ordinary
course of time, for the maturcd couple
ton Of the wonderful programme the
inventor has laid ont for himself already
ut the comparatively youthful age OF
thirty-two. His mother, Of Scotch pa
mntugc, although born IN MasSnchn-
setts, was of good education, and had
formerly been u school teacher IN Cam
uda. She impaired to him about. all
the instruction from outside sources he
ever received. OF regular schooling he
had no more than two months in his
life. His schOOlmntcs Of this bricf period
do not remember him rs brilliant, nor
arc there preserved any family records
Of plcnominal intantilc doings. But he
was child who amused himself much
alone, and doubtless il his quiet plays
had been noted, there would have been
detected indications Of the faculty III
which his extraordinary future career
was involved. He was in particular IN
o,nnivorous reader. He had the intense
curiosity about tho world we nhablt
and its great names and great deeds
which will be found an early trait IN
common in almost all the lives that
have histories Of their own to leave be
hind tlcn. At ten, hc was reading
Hu,nc's England" Gibbons "Romc,
the Penny Enclycopac,lia," and even
some books of chemistry, which came
In his way with the rest, and gave, MS !,
seems, the direction to his future action
One can imagine these works. 1t wa'
not time nor u place for fastidiousll
elegant bindings. They were serious ii
aspect; perhaps an occasional half-covel
gone; the leaves wcll-ycllowcd nnt
stained with brownish spots. But to
boy of ten with the omnivorons taste, ;
book ia u book all the same. He extract
u ho,licd sweetness, as he bends over it
which has nothing to do with accident
Of appearance.
At twelve, he began the worltl--a
train-boy on the Grand Trunk Railroad
Of Canada and Central Michigan. i
ono who has noted the precious sell
possession, the tlippant conversations
powers and the sharp financial dealing
Of the young persons who for the mos
part abound in it, does not seem u pre-
fcssiom for the cultivation of n spirit q
Quict research, or the most tlOrOng
acQuircn,cnt of the sciences and arts
But it is fair to presume that Mastc
Edison Mt this time had no very CON
prcllcnsivc scheme of development pre-
pared. It offered the most ayailabl
means of n livelihood. He went into
with such u will that in course of tim
he became an employer of labor, havin
four assistants under him for the diSpt
sal Of his wares. He is not avrrsc I
rccur to the humors of this part of hi
life.
"Wrrc YOU one of the kind of train
bows" he has been asked, "who sell tig
in boxes with bottoms halt-an-inc
thick"
"If l rccollcct right" he replied, WIT
merry twinkle, "the bottoms OF IN
boxes were Il good inch"
His pccnliarity consisted in Mavin
established in turn, in the diSused Smob
ing section Of u sprinylcss old baggage