The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-02-02
EDISON'S EARLY DAYS.

rear room of of the most comfortable hos
telres of Orange, chat you have ever heard the
story of how the Wizard first came east. He was
only a young man, careless, generous, jovial, and
totally ignorant OF the value of a dollar. He had
been knocking around in western towns in various
small telegraph offices until the reputation of his
wonderful swittness as an operator got him into
the central office of a western city From there he
was ordered to report TO Boston to fill a vacancy
1t was warm weather for the when he
started east, and he doomed linen trousers and a
duster By the time he reached Boston the weather
had got cold, and stormy. He didn't care
and reported Just he was. Linen trousers and
duster topped by slouchy, broad brimmed hat
weren't the fashion in Boston in the best of
weather, and a raw day man with limp, wet
buster on and wet linen trousers sticking to his
legs was something to provoke a smile lie walk
ed into the superintendent room and said:
Here am.
"The superintendent eyed him from head to foot
and said:
"'Who are your
"sTom Edison"
"'Who the DEVILS Tom Edison?
"sThe young operator explained that he had
been ordered to report for duty, and the superin-
tendent told him to sit down in the operating
room. His advent here created much merriment,
and the operators guyed him loud enough for him
to hear them. lie didn't care, though Several
hours later a New York sender noted for his swift
ness, called the office, and there was no one to take
him.
"'Well let that new fellow try him, anyway
said the superintendent.
".Young Edison sat down and for tour hours
and half wrote out messages in clear round
hand stuck date and number on them, and threw
them on the floor for he Off &c boy to pick up The
time ne took in numbering and dating were the
only moments he not writing out transmitted
words. Faster and faster licked the instrument,
and faster and faster Eiison's fingers, till the
rapidity with which the messages came tumbling
out and on the floor attracted the attention of
other operators, who, when their work done,
gathered around 10 witness the spectacle. At the
close of four hours and half, and the New York
business, there flashed from New York the saluta-
ton
"Hellop
"'Hello YOURSELF licked back Edison.
"Who the hell are your ratified into the Office
with a big H.
"'Tom Edison was licked back.
"'Shake, Tom Edison came over the wires
"'With all my heart was the reply.
"'You the first man in the country said the
instrument that could take me at my fastest,
and the only one who could ever sit at the other
end of my wire for more than two hours and q
half Pm proud to know you
"Mr Edison had been experimenting and study
ing and improving telegraphy ever since he was
nineteen years old. He patented some of his
inventions He left the Boston office to try and
sell his multiplex system to the Western Union
He was a careless looking young fellow when he
walked into the office one day in New York and
asked them if they wanted to buy patent
That is it? they asked
"Why, means of sending two messages over
the same wire in different directions at the same
time said the young inventor.
THE Western Union officials lay back in their
chairs and shouted in merrment.
"'Don't bother us with such nonsense that, ,
said one at last.
"Mr Edison tried to sell it to one of the rival
companies that existed at the time. They also
laug he'd to scorn the idea of doing such feat.
"tWell,' remarked the inventor, as he turned
carelessly away, 'if you ever get anything the
matter with your plant that you can't -straighten
{ out yourselves send around for me-
ale took little Office and announced himself an
electrical and Geographic expert. Some time after
ward the company had trouble with its Albany