The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-09
EDISON'S EARLY DAYS.
THE FIGURE He CUT DURING MS
FIRST HOURS IN BOSTON.
IN, n. AstonI.hed the old Men by Taking
Messages at Greater Speed Than Ihe'
n,red Attempt-His Introduction To thf
Western Union.

nored Attempt-HIs Introduction to tho
Western Union.
81 don't think. - said friend Of Thomas a
/ Edison 20 group seated in the rear room o.
ono Of the most comfortable hostelrics Of
Orange. that you have ever heard the story
Of how the Wizard first came cast lie wa
only a young man, careless, generous, Joyiai
and totally ignorant Of the value Of dollar
lie had been knocking round in western
towns in various small telegraph Offices unth
the reputation Of his wonderful swiftness a.
/ an operator got him into the central Office OF
/ a western city From there he vas orderel
/ 10 report 10 Boston 20 Gil a vacancy. IL Wa
ynrm weather for the season when be staftcd
: east. and he donned linen trousers and
I dusior By the time he reached Boston Ins
weather had got cold raw and stormy. lie
/ didn't care. and reported just as be was
| Linen trousers and buster, topped 10y
/ slouchy, broad brimmed hat, weren't the
fashion in Boston in the best 81 weather. ana
| on a raw day man with limp, vet duster
on and wot lincn trousers sticking % hH legs,
was something 10 provoke a smile IL walked
| into the superintendent room and said;
Hero am
"The superintendent eyed him from he'd
to foot and said:
"'Wh0 are your
"'Tom Edison
"'Wh0 the DEVILS Tons Edisonf
"The young operator explained that he bad
been ordered 20 report for duty, AMI the
. a.. I'll ~ % tNUfrfl fNT
operating room His advent here created
much merrment, aud 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 swifneS
called the Office and there was no one TO take
him.
"sHAKE, TOM EDISON
"'Well. let that new fellow Try him, any
way. said the superintendent. Young Edison
sat down. and for four hours and bait wrote
out messages in a clear round hand, stuck
date and number on them, and threw them on
the floor for tho Office boy % pick up. The
time he took In numbering and dating were
the only moments be was not writing out
transmitted words Faster mud faster licked
the instrument and faster aud faster Edisons
fingers. til tho rlpility with which tho mes
sagcs camo tumblmg out and on tho door at
raced tho attention OF other operators Who
when their work was done gathered around
to witness the spectacle At toe close OF four
hours and half, and the New ork bushes
there flashed from New York tho salutati0n
"'Hell0m
"'Hello yourself, licked back Edison.
".Who the Hell are you ~ ratified into tie
Office with big H.
tom Edison. was licked back
"'Shake, Tom Edisou,' came over the
wires.
".With nH my heart was the rgpIy
"'You are the first man boz the country
said the instrument, "lhat could ever take
ue ot my fastest, aud the only one who could
ever sit at the other end of my wire for more
than two hours and a half I'm proud o.
Know you
Mr. Edison had been experimenting and
studying and improving teiopruphy ever
since be was lJyears DID, lie patented some
of his inventions lie left the Boston office
TO try and sell his muluploX system 90 the
Western Union He was careless looking
young fellow when BE walked into ihe Office
one day ia Ncw York and asked thom If they
wanted % buy patent
"'What is it, they asked.
"'Why, a means Of sending two messages
over the same wire in different directions at
the same time, said the young inventor
"Tho Western Union officials Day back IN
their chairs and shouted in merrimeut
Don't bother us with such nonsense as |
that, said one NJ last
Mr. Edison tried TO sell it 10 ono II the
rival companies that existed at the time. /
They also laughed 10 scorn the idea of doing /
such feat.
"'Wcu' remarked the inventor as he /
turned carolessly away, III you ever got any
thing tho matter with your plant that you /
can't straishton out yourselves send round I
tor me-
a GRIP OS THE BIO MONOPOLY.
lie took a little office, and announced him F.
self an electrical and Geographic expert I
Some time aftcrwarl The company had .
trouble with It's Albany Wro The wire .
wasn't broken, boat wouldn't work and sew I
oral days investigation on tho part Of the .
company'5 electricians only served 20 puzzle /
them the more. As lorlorn hope they sent 4
for young Edison.
How long viii sou give ne be- asked
"The manager laughed
six hoursf asked Edison
1.-THE manager laughed louder and told him T.
he'd need longer time than that Edison sat /
down at the instrument, established commu-
nication with Albany by way Of Pttburg,
told the Albany Office 20 put their best man .
no the instrument, and began careful and .
rapid series Of tests with all currents IF all F
intensities. Ho had his Piitsburg circuit in
stIument by his side and directed the Albany
operator in each movement from his end
The steps were simultaneous and the Albany
man telegraplcd tho results Of each test.
Edison compared them, made calculations,
and ia two hours and "a half told the officials
that the trouble existed 40 a certain point he
named on tho line. and told them what 10
was The otlicials tcegraphcd the Office near.
est this point, and un hour later messages /
were tripping gayly between New York and .
Albany. The company made him their super
lutendgnt Immediately Sow Do vas iu "a
position 10 command respect and at
tCntiOn Tie induced tho companies %
test his patents AMI o.l tlem rapidly
lie much improved bis muluplex sys-
TEN, and sold that % tho Western
Union az ten times what be would have tlkcu
for it at the time they laughed az Bis first
proposition He simply informs be Western
Union now when he has invented something
new in telegraphy. Docs 10 work. 10 works
How muchi Hundred thousand Check
That's the way he sells all bis Inventions now
adays
"Tho public doesn't know IL, but there are
In the safes Of tho Western Union patents
which, il applied. would nearly d0uh., the
efficiency OF the telegraph in tho Interests Of
public convenience They arc not used DO
cause 1t costs money o. put them into u.o,
and there j. no competition o. compel the
Western Union 70 DO tho best it knows how
% do. The company buys Mr Elsons I'M
veltions partly because they may want %
lse lbem some day, but chiefly because they
don't want them TO get into the hands of peO-
ple Who might By these means become danger
ons competitors. They have 90 pay q fortune
for each invention, and don't expect 90 use il
y hen they get it, but the retention OF their
SECURE monopoly makes tho policy q paying
ono. Cincinnati Commercial Gazette