The Press., 1890-02-06
EDISON As A HEWsBoY.

The following is one of the ''Talks with Edisons which George Parsons Lathrop reports in Harper's Magazine for Febru- ary: "At the beginning of the civil war" said MT. Edison, q was slaving late and early at selling papers but, to tell the truth, was not making 8 fortune. 1 worked on so small margin that had to be mighty careful not to overload myself with papers that I couldn't sell. On the other hand, could not afford to carry so few that should find myself sold out long before the end of the trip. To enable myself to hit the happy mean, formed plan which turned out admirably. made friend of one of the competitors in the Free Press office, and persuaded him to show me every day galley proof of the most important news article. From study of its head lines soon learned to gauge the value of the days news and its selling capacity, so that 1 could form tolerably correct estimate of the number of papers I should need. As rule, could dispose of about 200; but if there was any special news from the seat of war, the sale ran up to 300 or over. We'll, one day my compositor brought me proof slip of which nearly the whole was taken up with gigantic display head. It was he first report of the battle of Plttsbnrg Landing -afterward called Shiloh, you know-and it gsve the number of killed | and wounded as 60, 900 menl
 II grasped the sltuation at once. Here ! was chance for enormous sales, if only l the people along the line could know what mad happened !; if only they could see the proof slip was then reading Suddenly | tn idea occurred to me. l rushed off to the telegraph operator and gravely made proposition to him, which he received just as gravely. He, on his part, was to wire to each of the principal stations on our route, asking the station master to chalk up on the black bulletin board used for announcing times of arrival and departure If trains-the news of the great battle, with it's accompanying slaughter. This he was to do at once; while agreed, in re- turn, to supply him free, gratis, for noth- ing, a Harpers Weekly, Harper's Month ly, and daily evening paper during the next six months from that date.
 "This bargain struck, began to be- think me how was to get enough papers to make the grand coup intended. had very little cash, and, feared, still less credit. I went to the superintendent of the delivery department and proffered modest request for one thousand copies of the Free Press on trust But was not much surprised when my request was curt | ly and grufdy refused. In those days, though, was pretty cheeky boy, and felt desperate, for I saw small fortune in prospect if my telegraph operator had kept his word-a point on which was still triAe doubtful. Nerving myself for great stroke, marched upstairs into the office of Wilbur F. Storey himself, and asked to see him. A few minutes later was shown in to him. told him who was, and that I wanted .tftcen. hundred copies of the paper on credit. The tall, thin, dark eyed, ascetic- looking man stared at me for a moment, and then scratched 8 few words on slip of paper. Take that down -stalrs,' said he, 'and you will get what you want And so I did. Then I felt happier than have ever felt since. i 'I took my fifteen hundred papers, got three boys to help me fold them, and mounted the train all agog to find out whether the telegraph operator had kept his word. At the town where our first stop was made I usually sold two papers. As the train swung into that station I looked ahead, and thought there must be a riot going on. A big crowd filled the platform, and as the train drew up began to realize that they wanted my papers. Before we left had sold hundred or two at five cents apiece. At the next station the place was fairly black with people. I raised the ante, and sold three hundred papers at ten cents each. So it went on until Port Huron was reached. Then l transferred my remaining stock to the wagon which always waited for me there, hlred small boy to sit on the pile of pa pers in the back of the wagon, so as to dis count any pilfering, and sold out every pa- per had at quarter of dollar or more per copy. remember I passed church fuG of worshippers. and stopped to yell out my news. In ten seconds there was not soul left in meeting. All of them, including the parson, were clustered around me, bidding against each other for copies of the precious paper.
 "You can understand why it struck me then that the telegraph must be about the best thing going. forit was the telegraph lc notices on the bulletin-bosrds that had done the trlck determined at once to become a telegraph operator. But if it hadn't been for Wilbur F. Storey should never have fully appr+ ci tied the wonders
 f electric l sciehce."