The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-18
eplsoMs INST BANK CHECK.
lie wa veyy Much Afraid OF Being "e'"
Uv and Robbed In Wall Street

Tho other day a smooth faced man,
wearing handsome clothes end ans
olaying a soiled collar and "a necktie
All aw~y. and shoes that never expe-
r;enced the skillful manlpulaiions Of a
hootblack. and finger nails that never
avnerienced a manicure. leaned ms
elbow on Washington counter ana
talked i'm the jolIest way TO a circle OF
na,ysn,per friends. He looked like
tramp. but he really isone OF The most
famous men in the world. and ms
name is known in every part OF the
Globe OF course lac IS AN Ohio man.
G;s name is Thomas Alya Edison, and
Inc was once peanut boy and news
butcher on "a ierkwater railroad ~
he Ruckeye state. During a little
luncheon Edison. between hearty
drinks OF beer. his favorlte beverage,
told in his quaint way the story OF ms
Grst acauaintance with any large sum
of money. 1t was IN the days when
he was sirugglingalong with his early
inventions. and didn't have big capt
salisis 10 back him. In fact. he didn |
have any bank account himself ana
hardly knew what one was BANK
checks were things he never had oc
cssion To use. aud had about rs much
idea of their value as the man in the
moon
Edison had finally sold his patent
on the gold and stock indicator 10 the
Western Union Telegraph company
for so 900, and was coming over To
New York To get his money
He had heard of Wall street and rs
bulls and bears. and had been told
that II WAS lull OF sharks. Who
would fleece man very quick. -
he made up his mind that Wall
street was very dangerous place
and that II ever NE had occasion to
90 there he would be luckily 81 bee got
away without losing his ovcrcoat and
umbrella
AT that time Gen lelioris was
president Of the Western Union. One
morning Edison came into the com
panys general Office, 10 close up the
sale Of his patent After few pre-.
luuaries he was given a check Tor
$4,000
llc looked 40 u curiously for mo.
nent or two. and appeared TO be puz
zled what to do with IT, lie knew be
had sold patent iO the Western IN.
lon company for $4,000. bui he did
mol see ANY money Observing his
peipexly, Gen. Leferts told him
hat a he woud 20 the Bank Of
America in Wall street. he would
get the check cashed SO started.
SAID Edison. after carefully folding
up the check. and went toward Wall
street. So uncertain WAS iu regard
% that way of doing business that /
thought while ON the way That n any
mam should come up to me and offer
ire TWO crisp thousand dollar bills Tor
that piece of paper should give hun
up the cheek very quick.
On arriving at the Bank of Amer
lca he hcslated about entering. lear
inc still that something might be
wrong Al last, however. he mustered
up courage and determined to try II.
lie knew that Cen Lclierts had told
him ho would get his money here, 50
bracod ahead aud half tromDlngly
showed his check out To thc cashier.
The latter scrutinlzed u closely,
gave Edison a piercing glance, and
said something which Edison could
not understand. as be was hard Of
hearing.
That wasenough. He was now more
than ever convinced that his check
wasn't worth $4,000, and again
thought as be rushed out OF the bank
with It that amy man who would give
him s.. 600 could walk away with the
check
He hurried back to the Western Tn.
ION and said he couidn't get any mon
ey. Gen LcIierls then sent "a man
with him 10 identity him Tie sad
This man ls Sir Thomas a. Ellison
To whose order the checA Is drawn.
Why. certainly, Mr. Ellison. said
the cashier very obseqmousiyi how
would you like your slO.ooO in what
shapef
"Oh. any way to salt the bank. IL
doesn't make Amy difference To- noe 50
long as get my money
Edison vas given $4,000 DID, large
bills After dividing the roll into two
wads Of 10000 clch, he stuffed one
into each trousers pocket. butloned zap
his coat as tightly as possible, and
made break 10 get out OF Wall street
as quick as he could The next day
Edison began work on his first labora.
tory in New York. r. ID Massey Ia
Cincinnati Commercial.