The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-29
A STORY OF EDISON.
Ills First Big Oh eek, and the Trouble
1t Gave Him.


Fl 3, w." in Cincinnati Gazette.
The other day a snoota-faoed man, wear
ing handsome clothes and displaying a soilsd
collar and & necktia all awry, aud shoes that
never eNperenc Vi the s6illcul manipulation
of booJola,k, ard dnge mails that never
met a ma licure, leaned his elbow o
Washington counter aad colversed in the
Jollles- way with a circle of newspaper
friends. He looked like a tramp, but he
really is ono OF the most ia nous mon in the
world and his name is known in every
part of the globe. OF course he is an OHIO
man. His name is Thomas Alva +, lis)n,
and he was once peanut boy and news
butcher on a jerkwater railroad in the
Buckeye state Duri * a little luncheon
y iiso1 !, between hea ty drinks of bee, pis
favorte beverage, toll in his qIaint way
the story Of his first acquaintance with any
large sum of mo icy. 1t was in the days
when he was strug cling along with his ear
her inventions, and didn't have big tptal
lists to buck MIN. In fact, he didI't have
any bank ac count himself, and har ily knew
what ono was. Bank checks vera things
he had never had occasion 10 use, and had
alb nut as much idea OF their value as the
man in the moon
sol had finally sold his patent on the
gold and stock indicator to the Western
Union telegra IN for $40 900 and was coming
over to New y DIRK to get his noOey.
He had heard of Wall street and its bulls
and bears, and had been told that it was
full of ''shai k" who would fleece a man
very quick SO he made up his mind that
Wall street was a very dangerous pa @,
aud that if he ever had occasion to go there
he would be lucky if he got away without
losing his oyercOat and umbrella.
AT that time Gen. Lefforts was president
of the Western Union. Oae morning
Edison came into tine company's general
office TO close up the sale OF his patent.
After a few preliminarles he was given
check for Si0,O
He looked at it curiously for = moment or
two and appeared to be puzzled wnat TO do
with it. He knew that he had sold patent
t. the Western Union company, for $4,000
but he did not see any money. Observing
III perpleXitv Gen. LeffsrtS Joid ann thai
if he would 20 70 the Ba TX of America in
Wall street ha could get the check c7shel
IS | started, SAID Edison, after ca efUlly
folding up Dne CHECK, and Wouo tOWa'd
Wall street. So uncertain was | in regard
to Jaat way oil doing business that tucugt
while ON the way that If any man should
come up to me and offer me two crisp ST.
600 bills for that piece of paper | should
give him up the check very quick"
Ga arriving at the Ba * Of America he
hes tated about entering. fearing still that
something might be wrong. At last, how
ever, he mus cred up tue courage and de-
termined TO try it. He knew that Ge1.
Lefferts had told him he would get his
money here, so he bracod ahead aud half
trembling showed his check out to the
cashier.
The latter scrutinzed it closely. gave
Z lis N piercing 81 ,nca ana said some
tniog which E iison could not understand,
as he was hard of hearing.
That was enough. lie was now moro
than ever convinced that his "check" wasn't
worth $4,000, aud again thought as he
rusled ou, of the bank with it that any
man who would give hun $1,000 could walk
away with the check
lie hurried back to the W ostern Union
and aid ne couldn't get any money. Gen
LetTerts then sent man with hi to Idelti-
fy him. lie SAID: "This is Mr. Thomas
A. Edison, to whose order the check is
drawn
why, certainly, Mr. Eiisop," said the
cashier, very ohsequlously, 'how would
yOu like your $40 Coin what shapeW
"On, any way TO suit the bank. II
doesn't make any difference TO me so long
as get my money"
Edison was given $4,000 in large bills.
After dividing the roll into wads Of $4,000
each he stuffed one into each trousers pock-
ct. buttoned up bis coat as tigAtiy as posi-
bic, and made II break to get OUT Of Wall
street us gu OK as To could. The next day
Edison beg work on his FIRST laboratory
at New York.