Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-09-13
sp,soN.s FIRST BANK CHECK.
ne Was veyy Much Afraid of Beisx Held
Up and Robbed in Wall Street

ne w 4n teFt Murh Atfatu - tr@toH .Nta
Up and Robbed In Wall Street
The other day a smooth faced man,
wearing handsome clothes and dis
playing a soiled collar and q necktie
oil awry, and shoes that never expe
rienced the skillful manipulations OF
bootblack, and finger nails that never
experienced a manicure. leaned hrs
elbow on Washington counter and
talked in the jolliest way TO circle OF
newspaper friends. He looked like
tramp. but he really isone Of the most
\ famous men in the world. and his
name u 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 a jerkwater railroad u
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
tirst acquaintance with any large sum
OF money. Ii was in the days when
he was struggling along with his early
inventions, and didn't have big capi-
halists 70 back him. In fact. he didn't
have any bank account himself, and
hardly knew what one was Bank
checks were things he never had 90
casion 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 10 the
Western Union Telegraph company
b for Gao, 600, and was coming over tc
D New York 70 get his money.
lie had heard Of Wall street and it.
o bulls and bears, and had been told
that il was full Of sharks" wh'
K would fleece a man very quick. y
n he made up his mind that Wal
i. street was very dangerous place
n and that il ever he had occasion b
II go there he would be luckily If he &c
ID away without losing his overcoat an
umbrella.
O. Al that time Gen. Lefferts wa
In president Of the Western Union. On
le morning Edison came into the con
1" pany's general offices 10 close up th
nd sale of his patent After few pr
,n liminaries he was given O check Il
I'd $4,000.
IL He looked at IL curiously for IN
,s ment or two, and appeared TO be pu
to xled what To do with IL He knew
had sold patent 10 the Western III
IT, ion company for $40, 900, but he d
not see any money. Observing h
perplexity, Gen. Lefferts told hi
thai If he would go the Bank
ire America, in Wall street. he wou
or get the check cashed. so started
ty said Edison, latter carefully foldii
ID. up the check, and went toward Wa
90 street So uncertain was / in rega
ss to that way OF doing business that
,ut thought while on the way that II al
IN, man should come up 10 me and oil
in me two crisp Thousand dollar bills
,n that piece OF paper should give hi
is up the cheek very quick
sed On arriving at the Bank Of Am
lge ica he hesitated about entering, fe'
as ing still that something might
the wrong. AT last however, he muster
yer up courage and determined 10 try
ins He knew thai Gen. Letferts had "
md him he would get his money here.
Ier> braced ahead and half trembling
Of showed his check out 10 the cashier
'ar The latter scrutinized IL close
nix gave Edison q piercing glance, a
,el. said something which Edison col
an not understand, as he was hard
zen hearing.
an That was enough. He was now m,
ing than ever convinced that his "ches
uld wasn't worth $40,0O0, and agl
the thought as he rushed out of the ba
tin. with it that any man who would z
cen him 1000 could walk away witk
the check.
an. he hurried back to the Western [
Ugh ion and said he couldn't get any N
uel ey. Gen. Letferts then sent a n
lse- with him 10 identify him He 50
on This man II Mr.. Thomas A. Edis
the 10 whose order the check Is drawn.
res why, certainly, Mr. Edison" s
lire the cashier, very obsequiousiy; "h
would you like your s4U. .O0o--in W
shapel"
:, ''Oh, any way 10 suit the bank
iied doesn't make any difference TO me
PEI p, long as get my money"
'ula Edison was given $40, 600 in la
ap, bills After dividing the roll into
oi wads of go. 700 each. he stuffed
it1- into each trousers pocket, buttoned
'ary his coat as tightly as possible,
luce made break TO get out of Wall ST
con as quick as he could. The next |
al Edison began work on his first lab
enl' tory in New York. F. d. Musse,
car Cincinnati Commercial
ary.
s''es Monkeys a. Pets
~ Easier TO keep because not 30 .