Omaha daily bee., 1889-11-03
WHEN EDISON WAS UNKNOWN
How the Great Inventor Surprised
the Boston Telegraphers.
HE euLLpozeo THE COUNT.
An Exploit OF Well Known Charac-
ter of the Days OF Henry Clay
Greedy Got the word-Cur-
rent Anecdotes.
Who L. Tom Edison I?

Who Is Tom Edison7
Thomas Edison had been In several
western telegraph offices, where he was
looked upon rs an expert, and was ut
length ordered to Boston to fill n
vacancy, says the Youths Companion.
The weather was warm and he donned
linen clothes and broad-brimmed hat.
Before he reached Boston the weather
turned cold and stormy, but just as he
was, linen duster and all, he reported
at the telegraph office.
He Walked into the superintendents
room and said, "Here 1 am"
The superintendent looked the young
fellow over with critical eye and
asked, "Who are you2"
"Iom Edison" was the reply.
who's Tom EdisonP"
The young operator explained that he
had been ordered to report for duty,
and the superintendent told him to sit
down in the operating room. His ad-
vent there created considerable amuse-
| ment, and the operators guyed him not
| u little. Edison sat quietly, making no
outward sign OF disturbance. An hour
| sender, noted for his swiftness, signal
led the Office. There was no one to re-
ceive his message, the operators all
| being otherwise engaged.
Let the new fellow take him." said
| the superintendent
Young Edison sat down at the instru
| ment. and for four hours and half
| wrote out messages in a clear, round
| hand. stuck date and number on them,
and threw them on the floor for the
office boy to pick up. The time he took
| in numbering aud dating were the only
moments he was not writing out trans
| mitted words.
| Faster and faster ticlied the instru-
| ment, and faster and faster moved Edi-
sons fingers, till the rapidity with
| which the messages came tumbling out
| attracted the attention of other opera
| tors, who, when their work was done,
| gathered around to witness the specta-
Gle. At the close of four hours and
half, and of the New York business,
there flashed from New York the salu-
| tation:
'sHello!"
''Hello yourself" ticked back Edi-
"Who are you?r sounden the instru
! ment.
tom Edison was licked back.
TON Edison, Pm glad to know you,"
came over the wires. "You are the
only man that could ever take me at my
fastest, and the first man that ever sat
at the other end Of my wire for over
two hours and half. l congratulate
the Office in getting you there"
The young man in the limp duster
and slouch hat had won his first laurels
in the Boston Office. He was never
| guyed after that first day.
Count de Arnaud, the wellknown
Russian, writes the Washington cor
respondent of The BEE. recently re-
lated to your correspondent an expert
perience he had with the historically
notorious Bob Hickman, which is typic-
ally characteristic of that great wag. e,
when l first came to Washington,
in 1851" said Count de Armand, 81 put
up at the old National hotel, and i'm
mediately sought the acquaintance of
Henry Clay, to whom l had letter of
introduction from one OF the highest
government officials at ST. Petersburg.
found Mr. Clay in his private room at
the hotel, and after a long talk with
him we stro!led into the lobby of the
hostelry. l could speak very little
English, and having very foreign
atmosphere Immediately attracted the
attention of Bo Hickman, who was one
of the crowd of hangers-on around the
place. He approached me in great dig
nifty, and said with the courtesy OF a
Frenchman:
"You are a stranger here? | believe
you have just arrived from Russia?"
"Yes, sir,' replied, Il have just ar
rived from the capital of Russia"
"Well, SIR" continued Hickman, sit
is customary for strangers arriving to
give me money"
1.-The air of the man and the extreme
earnestness with which he spoke i'm
pressed me that he was head-taX col
lector or a passport censor, like we
have in Russia, and | presumed that the
immediate payment OF any demand he
might make was necessary. / noticed
Mr.. Clay, who stood only short dis
tance from me, smile blandly as he
watched the interview which Bo Hick-
man was holding with me. Finally
said: How much must give youT"
''It is customary" said Hickman, "to
give me from one to five dollars"
II thought [ would show myself
princely and immediately placed a live
dollar coin in the mans hand and
turned to Mr.. Clay, who expressed as
constituent that should have suffered
myself to be bied as I had. Greatly to
my surprise Bo Hickman approached
Mr.. Clay, and making a profound
saalam, inquired after his health.
thought would cap the climax by ask
ing Bo Hickman to take something at
the bar. He declined with great grace,
saying that he did not drink, but said
he would go into the counter and pro-
pose toast. He did so, and this is what
he gave us:
"Here's to the American eagle and to tho
| Russian bear;
Ones got the feathers and the others got
the hair;
Put them together and they Will make -
OF pair"
"Pat" Sheedy, the Adonis OF the
sporting fraternity, was standing on the
steps OF the Gilsey house last night.
The last time / saw the promoter of
| nupilistic enternriSea vas Mt 1'oIedo q