Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-08-26

ne uilSnI nave Icihthicu w WIS Noy ="
vender of ne WIS. Bet scarcely had he
reached his fifteenth year when he re-
solved to edit and publish paper OF
his own. For this purpose he pur-
chased three hundred pounds OF old
type from the Detroit Free Press. whose
composing-room was one Of his favorite
resorts when off duty.
Attached to his train there was a
springlcss freight-car with room set
apart for smoking. Owing to the bad
ventilation, passengers rarely entered
this compartment. Here the newsboy
deposited his type and set about the
publication of the Grand Trunk Her
aid. 1t was a twelve by sixteen-inch
sheet, printed by the pressure of the
hand and on one side only. The Herald
was issued weekly and sold for three
cents copy or eight cents month,
and reached a circulation of several
hundreds The columns were devoted
to railway gossip, changes, accidents,
market reports and general informa-
ton. Railroad men of prominence
were among its contributors, and it be-
came celebrated as the only newspaper
in the world printed in railway train.
The journalistic ambition of the young
editor was satisfied when the Herald
attained editorial mention in the Lon
don Times.
Not content with his success rs ed
itor, publisher and trainboy, Edison
now purchased on the installment plan
a supply of chemicals, and, having Sc
cured in the railroad shops some old re-
torts in exchange for papers, he fitted
up in the Herald Office u chemical lab
oratory. Rich in Frcsenius' ''Qualita-
tative Analysis" which he had thor
oughly studied, and the materials now
at hand, he stood on the threshold of
new world. with the dawning con-
seriousness Of the message natures I'M
tried forces had in store for him. Alas,
an extra jolt of the springlcss car one
day played havoc with the rudely con-
structed laboratory! In the wreck was
q bottle of phosphorus from which the
water had evaporated. The phosphorus
ignited and set fire to the car, and, be-
fore he could say Jack Robinson, the
hapless young chemist editor and ven
der was soundly cutfed by the infuri-
ated conductor and thrown bodily from
the blazing train.
The destruction of the boys railroad
laboratory transferred his operations
to the basement of his fathers house
in Port Huron. In order that his chrm-
icals should not be disturbed, he labeled
every bottle poison"
Soon after this time he made his Sec
ond venture into the journalistic field
by the publication Of a newspaper
called Paul Pry. 1t was more ambi-
tious publication than the Herald. and
had host of contributors and large
subscription list Its fate, however,
was scarcely less disastrous than that
OF its predecessor. A contributed arti-
Gle gave offense to subscriber, who,
meeting the editor in chief on the banks
of the St Clair, deliberately pitched
him into the river.
His success in telegraphing the war
column early impressed young Edison
with the power of telegraphy. His
curiosity on that subject was thence
forth Unsuitable. He read everything
on electricity that he could get; he be-
sieged the telegraph offices and the
railroad shops along the line, and was
the terror of the engineers: and he
never failed to beg for ride on the
engine, where he frequently made mis-
chief by trying to solve for himself the
why and wherefore of the steam horses
construction.
In the telegraph offices he could see
the cup with its copper, zinc and acid
and hear the click of the sourder; but
whence came the magical power De-
termined to find out for himself, he
short line from his lab
oratory to the residence of his young
assistant and chum, James Ward. Com
mon stovspipe wire, insulated with bot
ties placed on nails and driven into
trees, and carried under an exposed
road by means of piece Of abandoned
cable tished up from the Detroit river,
was the equipment used. The young
ster had seen sparks emitted from
cats back. Judging that there must
be good battery where the indications
were SO strong he inserted n cat in the
circuit, using the fore and hind feet as
The connection made, he tried to
start the electric current by rubbing
the cats back. Despite the animals
telephone resentment of the liberty
taken the experiment was not without
success. A tremendous local current
and perfect electric arc were produced,
by considerable disturbance,
but as the battery would not work the
line was soon abandoned.
His second venture in practical tele-
graphy was the turning-point of his
life. The story is told as it was related
to the writer by Mr.. j. U. Mackenzie,
who during the early sixties was the
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