The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-06
EDISONsS FIRST BANK CHECK.
e Was Very Mech Afraid OF Eeing 4eid Up aae
Robhtd i'm Wall Street.

Eou"r" w "aH Nhce'
The other day u smooth faced man,
wearing handsome clothes and dis
playing Il soilcd collar and neektie
I'LL awry, and slices that never expt'-
rienced the skillful manipnlations Of
a bootblnck, and finger nails that
never experienced u manicure, leaned
his elbow on n Washington counter
and talked in the jolliest way to n
circle of newspaperfriends. He look
ell like tramp, but he really is ono
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
man. His name il Thomas Alva
Edison, and he was once a peanut
boy and news butcher OH u jerk
water railroad in the Buckeye state,
During u little luncheon Edison, be.
tween hearty drinks of beer his
favorite beverage, told in his quaint
way the story of his first acguain-
lance with any large sum OF money.
1t was in the days when he was
struggling along with his early in
ventions, and didn't have big capt.
talists to back him. In fact, he
didn't have any bank account him
self, and hardly knew what one was.
Bank checks were things he never
had occasion to 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 COM
pany for $4,000, and was coming
over to New York to get his money.
He had heard of Wall street and
it's bulls and bears, and had been
told that it was full of sharks" who
would fleece n man very quick. So
he made up his mind that Wall street
was very dangerous place, and
that if ever he had occasion to go
there he would be lucky ifhe got
away without losing his overcoat
and umbrella.
At that time Gen. Leffarts was
president of the Western Union. Ono
morning Edison came into the com
pany's general offices TO close up
the sale of his patent. After few
preliminaries he was given check
for $4,000.
He looked Mt it curiously for mo-
ment or two, and appeared to be
puzzled what to do with il. He
knew he had sold n patent to the
Western Union company for $4O,-
600, but he did not see any money.
Observing his perplexity, Gen. LEI
ferts told him that il he would go to
the Bank OF America, in Wall street.
he would get the check cashed. $50
| started" said Edison, latter care
fully folding up the check and went
toward Wall street. SO uncertain
was in regard to that way of do
ing business that thought while OH
the way that if any man should
come up to me and offer me two crisp
thousand dollar bills for that piece
of.paper, ] should give him up tho
check very quick"
On arriving at the Bank of Amer
lea he hesitated about entering, fear
ing still that something might be
wrong. At last, however, he muster
ed up courage and determined to try
it. He knew that Gen. Letferts had
told him he would get his money here,
so braced ahead and half trembling
~ showed his check out to the cash
ier.
The latter scutinized it closely, gave
Edison n piercing glance, and said
something which Edison could not
understand, as he was hard of hear
ing.
That was enough. lie was now
more than ever convinced that his
'check" wasn't worth $4,000, and
again thought as he rushed out of
the bank with it that any man who
would give him $4,000 could walk
away with the check
He hurried back to the Western
Union and said he couldn't get any
money. Gen. Lefferts then sent a
man with him to indentify him. He
said. "This man is Mr.. Thomas A.
Edison, to whose order the check is
drawn"
"Why, certainly, Mr.. Edison"
said the cashier, very obsequiously:
show would you like your $4,000
lin what shape?"
"Oh, any way to suit the bank, it
doesn't make any difference to me
so long as get my money"
Edison was given $40. 900 in large
bills. After dividing the roll into
two wads of $4,000 each, hestuffed
one into each trousers pocket, but
toned up his coat as tightly as pos
sible, and made break to get out
of Wall street as quick us he could.
The next day Edison began work on
his first laboratory in New York
F. D. Mussey in Cincinnati CONNER
cial.