Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-18
A STORY OF EDISON.
His First Big Check.
Il B. Min CINCINNATI Gszette.

| IF. B. M in Cincinnati Gazette.
| The other day a smooth-faced man, wearins
handsome clothes and displaying a soiled collal
and necktie all awry, and shoes that never ex
/ perienced the skillful manipulations Of boot
| black, and finger nails that never met mani
| cure. leaned his elbow on Washington counter
and conversed in the jolliest way with a circl,
Of newspaper friends. He looked like tramp
| but he really is one of the most famous men il
the world, and his name is known in every par
| of the globe. OF course he is an Ohio man
His name is Thomas Alva Edison. and he wa.
once peanutsboy and news butcher on Jerk.
water railroad in the Buckeye state. During q
little luncheon Edison, between hearty drinks
of beer. his favorite beverage, told in his
quaint way the story of his first acquaintance
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 capi-
talists to back him. In fact, he didn't have any
bank account himself, and hardly knew what
one was. Bank checks were things he had
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 tele-
graph for 10000, and was coming over to New
York to get his money
He had heard of Wall street and its bulls
and bears. and had been told that it was full of
sharks who would fleece a man very quick
SO he made up his mind that Wall street was
very dangerous place, and that if he ever
had occasion to go there he would be lucky if
he got away without losing his overcoat and
umbrella.
AT that time Gen. Lefferts was president of
the W. Y: One morning Edison came into the
eompahys general Offices to close up the sale
OF his patent. After a few preliminaries he was
given check for $40 00O
He looked at it curiously for a moment or
two and appeared to be puzzled what to do
with 1t. He knew that he had sold patent to
the W. .. Co. for $40 OO0 but he did not see
any money. Observing his perplexity Gen.
Leferts told him that if he would go to the
Bank OF America in Wall street he could get
the check cashed. $50 / started" said Edison.
after carefully folding up the check, and went
toward wall street. SO uncertain was in re-
gard to that way of doing business that l
thought while on 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 the check very quick
On arriving at the Bank of America he hest
tated about entering, fearing still that some
thing might be wrong. At last however, he
mustered up courage and determined to try it..
He knew that Gen. Lefferts had told him he
would get his money here SO he braced ahead
and half tremblingly showed his check out to
the cashier.
ioNbSA SCI y ClOStlN. gave
piercing. glance and said something which
Edison could not understand, as he was hard of
hearing.
That was enough. He 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 W. U. and said he
couldn't get any money. Gen. Lefferts then
sent man with him to identify him. He said:
This man is Mr.. Thomas A. Edison, to whose
order the check is drawn"
why, certainly, Mr.. Edison" said the cash
Ter, very obsequiously, "how would you like
your S40.000-in what shape?"
'.Oh, any way to suit the bank. 1t doesn't
make any difference to me SO long as 1 get my
money"
Edison was given $4,000 in large bills. AZ
ter dividing the roll into wads of $4,000 each
he stuffed one into each trousers pocket but
toned up his coat tightly az possible and
made break to get ont of Wall street as quick as
he could. The next day Edison began work on
his first laboratory at New York.