Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-06-08
eplsoN's FIRST BANK CHECK.
He Was veyy Much Afraid Of Being Held
In aud Robbed In Wall street.

Up and Robbed In Wall Street.
The other day a smooth faced man,
wearing handsome clothes and dis
playing a soiled collar aud a necktie
all awry, and shoes hat expe-
rienced the skillful manipulations of a
bootblack, and finger nails that never
experienced a manicure, leaned his
elbow on a Washington counter and
talked in the iolliest way TO a circle of
newspaper friends. He looked like a
tramp. but he really isone of the most
famous men in the world, and his
name is known in every part of the
globe. OF course he is an Ohio a
His name is Thomas Alya Edison, and
he was once a peanut boy and news
butcher on a jerkwater railroad in
the Buckeye state. During a little
luncheon Edison. between hearty
drinks of beer. his favorite beverage,
told in his quaint way the story Of his
first acquaintance with any large sum
OF money. IL was in the days when
lie was struggling along with his early
inventions. aud didn't have big capi-
balists 10 back him. In fact. he didn't
have any bank account himself, and
hardly knew what one was. Bank
checks were things he never had &C.
casion 10 use, and had about as much
idea of their value as the man in the
moon
Edison had finally sold his patent
on the gold and stock indicator TO the
Western Union Telegraph company
for $40. O0O, and was coming over TO
New York TO get his money.
de had heard of Wall street and its
bus and bears, and had been told
that II was full of sharks" who
would fleece a nan very quick. So
he made up his mind that Wall
street was a very dangerous place,
and hat if ever he had occasion 70
so there he would be luckily if he got
away T.ihout losing his overcoat and
umbrella.
AL that time Gen. Lefferts was
president of the Western Union. One
morning Edison came into the com.
pany's general offices TO close up the
sale Of his patent. After a few pre-
lininaries he was given u check for
$40, 900.
He looked at il curiously for a mo
ment or two, and appeared TO be puz-
zled what 10 do with il. He knew he
had sold a patent TO the Western Un-
ion company for $40. 200, but he did
not see any money. Observing his
perplexity, Gen. Lefferts told him
that If he would go the Bank of
America, IN Wall street, he would
get the check cashed. so | started"
said Edison, after carefully folding
up the check, and went toward Wall
street SO uncertain vas | in regard
" that way Of doing business that l
thought while on the way that il any
MA should come up TO me and otter
me W crisp thousand dollar bills for
that piece Of paper, should give him
up the cheek very quick.
On arriving ut the Bank Of Amer
lea he hesltated about entering, fear
ing still that something mi.ht be
wrong. At last, however, he mustered
up courage and determined TO try it.
he knew that Gen. Lelierts had told
him lie would get bis money here, 80
braced ahead and half tremblingly
showed his check out 10 the cashier.
The latter scrutinized IL closely,
gave Edison a piercing glance, and
said something which Edison could
not understand, as he was hard Of
hearing.
That wase enough. He was now more
than ever convinced that his check
wasn't worth sac, 200, and again
thought as he rushed out Of the bank
with IT that any man who would give
him 5000 could walk away with the
check.
he hurried back 20 the Western I'm
ion and said he couldn't get any mon
ey. Gen. Deiferts then sent a man
with him TO identify him. He said:
This man is MIR. Thomas A. Edison,
TO whose order the check is drawn"
why, certainly, Mr.. Edison" said
the cashier, very obs~equiously; chow
would you like your $40, OOO-in what
shapei"
'Oh, any way TO suit the bank. il
doesn't make any difference TO me SO
long as ] get my money"
Edison was given $40, 600 in large
bills. After dividing the roll into two
wads Of $50, 900 each, he stuffed one
into each trousers pocket, buttoned up
his coat as tightly as possible, and
made a break TO get out Of Wall street
as quick as he could. The next day
Edison began work on bis first labora,
tory in New York;. ID. Mussey In