Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-17
EdiSon'S Experience.
He Didn't Know How to Cash a Check
on the Bank.
Genius and Banking Are Two Things
Quite Distant From Each Other.

Fred Mussey, in the CINCINNATI Com
mercial Gazette: The other day q smooth
faced uan, wearing handsome clothes and
displaying soiled collar and n.cktie all
sw1y, and shoes that never experienced
the sklliful u AMI pulationS of q bootblscS,
and the hugernails that never met
manicure, leaned his elbow Oh a Wash
Ington counter and conversed in the jol-
Hest way with circle of newspaper
friends. He looked like a tramp but hs
really is one 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 Is Thomas Alva
Edison, and he was once a peanut boy
and news butcher on jerkwater railroad
in the Buckeye State. DuriEg q little
luncheon Edison, between hearty drinks
of beer, his favorite beverage, told in his
quaint way the story of his first acqusiu
1ance with any large sum of money. 1t
was In the days when he was struggling
along with his earlier inventions, and
didn't have big capitalists to back him.
In fact, he didn't have any tank account
himself, and hardly knew what one was.
Bank checks were things he never had oc
casion to Use, and had about Is much
idea of their velue as the man in the
moon.
EDISON HAD FINALLY SOLD
his patent on the gold and stock indica-
tor to the Western Union Telegraph for
$4,000, and was coming over to New
York the get his money.
He had heard of Wall street and its
bulls and bears, and had been TOLD that
1t Was full of sharks" who would fl 1ece
a man very quick. So he made up his
mind that Wall street was q very danger
Gus place, and that, if he ever had ocoas-
loI to go there, he would be lucky if he
got away without losing his over coat and
un breIla.
At that time General Lefferts wss Pres
ident OF the W. U. One morning Edison
came into the company's office to close
up the sale of his patent. After few
preiimiuaries be was given a check for
$40,0 900.
He looked ct it curiously for mo-
ment or two, and appeared to be puZz &c
what to co with it. He knew that he haG
sold patent to the W. L. Company fol-
$40, 900, but he did not see any money
Deserving his perplexity General Lefferts
told him that if he would 60 to the Bank
OF America In Wall street he could
GET THE CHECK CAsaED.
$50 started" said Edison, "aftel
carefully folding up the check, aud wen
toward Wall street. So uncertain was
IN regard to that way of doing business
that thought while on the way thst if an,
man should come up to HE and offer M,
crisp thousand dollar bills for tina
piece of paper, should give him up tn,
check very quick"
On arriving at the Bank of America HI
hesitated about entering, fearing still
that something might be wrong. At last
however, he mustered up courage and de-
ermiued to try it. He knew that Gen
eral Lefferts had told him he would &c
his money here, so he braced ahead enc
half tremblingly showed his check out Il
The cashier.
The latter sc.utinized it closely, gave
Eiison piercing glance, and said some
thing which Edison did not understand, al
he was hard of hearing.
That was enough. He was now more
than ever convinced that his "check'
wasn't worth more than $4,000, and a gair
thought a. be rushed out of the bank witt
it that any man who would give hin
$4,000 could walk away with the check.
he hurried Daok To Tue w. y. anu sdlt
that he couldn't get any money. Genera
Leffe1ts then sent man with him Il
identify him. He said: "This man is
Mr.. Thomas A. Edison, to whose orde,
the check is drawn"
"Why, certainly, Mr.. Edison," said the
cashier" very obsequiously; show would
you like your So 000-in what shape?"
''Oh, any way to suit the bank. II doesp'
make any difference to me 30 long as
get my money"
Edison was given $4,000 in large bills
After dividing the roll into two wads Of
500, 900 each he stuffed one into eacf
trousers pocket, buttoned up his coat al
tightly as possible, and made break tc
get out of Wall street as quick as he
could. The next day EDISON began work
on his first laboratory at New York.