Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-03-01
NO. 81.


IUtere-iing 10 TcIegrnpherS.
81 don't think, said friend uf Thomas
a. Edison some days ago, to a group seated
in the rear room Of one Of the most com.
/ Portable hostelries Of Orange among whom
was a reporter Of the New York Sun, that
you have ever heard the story Of how the
wizard first came East He was only a
young man, careless generous iovial and
totally ignorant Of the value of a dollar.
He had been knocking round in western
towns in various small telegraph offices, un-
til the reputation Of his wonderful swift
ness as an operator got him into the cen.
tra office of western city. From there
he was ordered TO report to Boston 10 I'LL
vacancy IL was warm weather for the
season when he started East and he don
ned linen trousers and 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 trou-
sers and duster, topped 10y a slouchy, broad
brimmed hat, weren't the fashion in Boston
in the best Of weather, and on a raw day a
man with "A limp, wet duster on, and wet
linen trousers sticking 10 his legs was some.
thing to provoke a smile lie walked into
the superintendent room and said
." Here | am y
"The superintendent eyed him from head
to foot and said
who are you
" Tom Edison
" Who the devils Tom Edison 2
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 Gre
ated much merriment. aud 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
Well, let that new fellow try him, any
way, said the superintendent Young Ed
ison sat down, and for four and half
hours 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 num-
bering and dating were the only moments
he was not writing out transmitted words
Faster and faster tcked the instrument
and faster and faster flew Edison's fingers,
till the rapidity with which the messages
came tumbling out and on the floor attract
ed the attention IF other operators, who,
when their work was DONE gathered around
to witness the spectacle. At the close of
four and half hours, and the New York
business, there flashed from New York the
salutaton
Hello
"'Hello yourself. ticked back Ellison.
"'Who the he'll are you 2 ratified into the
office with big II.
Tom Ellison was ticked back
Shake, Tom Edison, came over the
wires
"'With all my heart, was the reply.
"'Nou are the first man in the country
said the instrument, that could ever take
me at my fastest and the only one who
could ever sit at the other end of my wire
for more than two and half hours I'm
proud to know YOU
Mr. Edison had been experimenting and
studying and improving telegraphy ever
since he was nineteen years old. He pat
ented some of his inventions He left the
Boston office to try to sell his multplex sys
TEN 10 the Western Union. He was II
careless looking young fellow when he
walked into the office one day in New York,
and asked them if they wanted to buy a
patent.
What 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 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 do
ing such feat.
"Well, 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
round for me-
.T. littI. oNi,a and announra1
himself an electrical and telegraphic ex-
pert Some time afterward the company
had trouble with its Albany wire. The
wire wasn't broken, but wouldn't work,
and several days of investigation on the
part of the company's electricians only
served to puzzle them the more. As for
lorn hope, they sent for young Edison
How long will you give Inc Z he asked.
The manager laughed
" Six hours asked Edison.
The manager laughed louder, and told
him he needed longer time than that. Ed
ison sat down at the instrument, establish
ed communication with Albany by way of
Pttsburg, told the Albany office to put
their best man at the instrument, and be-
gan a careful and rapid series of tests with
all currents of all intensities He had his
Pttsburg circuit instrument by his side,
and directed the Albany operator in each
movement from his end. The steps were
simultaneous and the Albany man tee-
graphed the results of each test. Edison
compared them, made calculations, and in
two and half hours told the officials that
the trouble existed at a certain point he
named ON the line, and told them what it
was. The officials telegraphed the office
nearest this point and an hour later mes
sages We're tripping gayly between New
York and Albany. The company made him
their superintendent Immediately Now he
was in position to command respect and
attention. He induced the companies to
test his patents, and sold them rapidly He
much improved his multiplex system, and
sold that TO the Western Union at ten times
what he would have taken for 1t at the time
they laughed at his first proposition. He
simply informs the Western Union now
when he has invented something new in
telegraphy Does it work 1t works.
How much: Hundred thousand Check.
That's the way he sells all his inventions
nowadays.
The public doesn't know it, but there
are in the safes of the Western Union pat
ents, which, if applied, would nearly double
the efficiency of the telegraph in the inter
ests of public convenience. They are not
used because ii costs money to put them in
| to use, and there is no competition to com
! pei the Western Union to do the best 1t
| knows how to do. The company buys Mr..
! Edisons inventions, partly because they
| NAV want to use them some day, but chief
| ly because they don't want them to get into
the hands of people who might, by these
means, become dangerous competitors.
| They have 10 pay fortune for each inven-
ton, and don't expect to use it when they
| get it, but the retention of their secure mo