Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-23
EDlSON'S EARLY DAYS.
THE FIGURE HE CUT DURING HIS
FIRST tOURS IN BOSTON.

Il don't think" said friend of Thomas A.
Edison toa group seated in the rear room of
one OF the most comfortable hostelries of
Orange, that you have ever heard the story
or how the W Zard first came east. He was
only young man, careless, generous, jovial
and totally ignorant of the value of a dollar
He had been knocking round in western
towns In various small telegraph offices until
the reputation of his wonderful swiftness as
an operator got him into the central office of
Il western city From there he was ordered
to report to Boston to fill vacancy 1t was
warm weather for the season when he started
east, and he donned linen trousers and a
duster. BY the time he reached Boston the
weather had got cold, raw and stormy. He
didn't care, and reported just as he was
Linen trousers and duster, fopped by a
slouchy, broad brinnled hat, weren't the
fashion in Boston in the best of weather and
on a raw day a man with limp, vet duster
on and wet linen trousers sticking TO his legs,
was something to provoke smile H.. walked
into the super ntendent's room and said:
Here am
''The super intendent eyed him from head
to foot and sai Id:
"'Who are your
Tom Edison.
"'Who the DEVILS Tom Edisonr
1.-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 advent here created
much merriInent, and the operators guyed
him loud enough for him to hear them. He
didn't care, though. Several hours later a
New York sender noted for his swiftness
called the Office and there was no one to take
him
"SHAKE, TON EDISON"
"'Well, let that new fellow try him, ary
way, said the superintendent Young Edison
sat down, 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 and dating were
the only moments he was not writing out
transmitted words. Faster and faster licked
the instrument, and faster and faster Edison's
fingers, till the rapidity with which the mes
saSes came tumbling out and on the floor at
tracred the attention of other operators, who
when their work was done, gathered around
to witness the spectacle At the close of four
hours and a half, and the New York business
there flashed from New York the salutation
"'HeIlol"
Hello yourself licked back Edison
Who tie Hell are your ratified into the
office with big FL.
Tom Edison,' was ticked back.
Shake, Tom Edison,' came over the
wires.
with al my heart was the reply.
You are the first man in the country
said the instrument, that could ever take
me at my ftstest, and the only ono who could
ever sit at the other end of my wire for more
than two hours and half I'm proud to
know you
Mr.. Edison had been experimenting and
studying and improving telepraphy ever
since he was 10 years old He patented some
of his inventions. He left the Boston office
to try and sell his multiplex sys i to the
Western Union. He was a car - looking
young fellow when he walked into the office
one Cay in New York and asked them if they
wanted to buy patent
What S itF they asked
why, a means of sending two messages
over the sa ne wire in different directions at
the same time, said the young inventor.
The Western Union officials lay back in
their chairs and shouted in merriment.
Don't bother us with such nonsense as
that, said one at last.
Mr. Edison tried to sell it to one of the
rival companies that existed at the time
They also laughed to scorn the idea of doing
such a feat
WELL remarked the inventor, as he
turned car alessly away, if you ever get any
thing the matter with your plant that you
can't strai ghten out yourselves send round
for me-
RIP ON THE BIG MONOPOLY
He tool little office, and announced him
self an electrical and Geographic expert
Some time afterward the company had
trouble W tn its Albany WIRE The wire
wasn't broken, but wouldn't work, and sew
eral days investigation on the part of the
company's electricians only served 20 puzzle
them the more. AS u forlorn hope they sent
for young Edison.
How long will you give ner he asked
"The manager laughed
Six hOursP asked Edison.
THE manager laughed louder and told him
he'd need longer time than that Edison sat
down at the instrument, established commu-
nication with Albany by way of Pittsburg
told the Albany Office to put their best man
at the instrument, and began n careful and
rapid series of tests with all currents Of all
intensities He had his Pittsburg circuit in
strument oy his side and directed the Albany
operator IN each movement from his end
The steps were simultaneous, and the Albany
man telefraphed the results of each test
Edison compared them, made calculations,
and In two hours and half told the officials
that the trouble existed at a certain point he
named OH the line, and told them what it
was. The officials telegraphed the office near
est this point, and an hour later messages
l-.If ylrz a
Albany. The company made him their super
intendent immediately Now be was in a
position to command respect and at
tention. He induced the companies to
test his patents and sold them rapidly.
He much improved his multipIex sys-
tenn, ard sold that to the Western
Union ct ten times what he would have taken
for it at the time they laughed at his first
proposition. He simply informs the Western
Union now when he has invented something
new IN telegraphys Does it worki 1t works
How mucht Hundred thousand Check.
That's th3 way he sells all his inventions now
adays
1.-THE public doesn't know it, but there are
in the safes of the Western Union patents
which, l. applied, would nearly double the
efficiency Of the telegraph in the interests of
public convenience. They are not used be-
cause 1t costs money to put them into use,
and there is no competition to compel the
Western Union to do the best it knows how
to do. The company buys Mr.. Edisons in
ventions partly because they may want to
use them some day, but chiefly because they
don't want them to get into the hands of peo-
pie who might by these means become danger
Gus competitors. They have to pay fortune
for each invention, and don't expect to use 1t
when they get 1t, but the retention Of their
secure monopoly makes the policy a paying
one "-Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
$500 Reward.