The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-10-13
BOYHOOD OF EDISON.
Something About the Youth Of the
Great Inventor.

Aurecent number of st. Nicholas con-
tains an article from the pen of Ida
Rose McCabe on the boybood of the
great Edison. According to this au-
thority the early life of the nineteenth
century wizard was certainly unique
and interesting. He was genuine
type of the American youth, and yet
his father says he had no real boyhood
days, for his earliest amusements were
steam engines and mechanical forces.
OF his life in Milan, Mich, the writer
says:
In Milan, on the banks of the Huron
river, where he passed the first seven
years of his life, he seems to have joined
in the boys games; but soon marbles,
ball and hop-scotch were left to less in
genious urchins, while young Edison
constructed plank roads or dug tunnels
and caves along the shore.
His interest i'll tunneling was rivaled
by his love for chickens. Astonished
at the results of a goose sitting on a
nest of eggs, the inventor thought to
increase the broods by device of his
own. One day the boy was missed
from his usual haunts. Messengers
were sent in search of him and found
him curled up in nest he had made in
the barn. 1t was filed with goose and
hen eggs, upon which he was sitting.
trying to hatch theml
There was one phase of Milan child
life in which Edison, happily or unhap-
PLY, hardly shared. He was not one of
those who daily trudged with satchel
and books to the white. washed school
| house. Indeed, Edison went to school
| for only two months. In her youth his
mother had been teacher in the
Canadian high school. She taught her
son at home, impressing him with the
love and purpose of study. Like many
of the worlds greatest men, Edison
owes much of his fame to his mother,
to whom he was devoted son. Read
ing was his delight. His father, to en-
courage him in the habit, paid him for
| every volume he finished. At the age
of seven, the family removed from
Milan to Port Huron, where Edison, on
the shores of Lake Erie, continued to
build roads and dig tunnels, during the
same time pursuing his studies at home
with the industry and concentration
that continue to dominate his life.
With Hume's History of England -
D'Aubigne's "History of the Reforma-
tion," Gibbons "Rome," Sears ''His.
tory of the World" the "Penny Ency-
clop@dia," and various scientific works,
he had well stored his mind before he
began as train-boy to carry basket
of figs, apples, toys, periodicals and
| newspapers. In the ups and downs o1
this rugged calling Edison found his
university education. He always re
| fers to this period with a humorous
CLEAN in his searching eyes.
His rum was from Port Huron to
Detroit. Night, however, always found
him in the shelter of his fathers home
"a large d-fashioned frame building
servatory that commanded a glorious
outlook over the broad river and dis
tant hills
Business increased rapidly and soor
the boy had to employ four assistants
At this period Edison's inventive
genius first asserted itself. The wal
had just begun. News was eagerly
awaited. 1t was this dull-looking news,
boy who hit upon the novel idea of tel
egraphing, in advance of his train, the
head lines of the war news columns
which were promptly bulletined at the
stations. When the train arrived his
papers sold with electric speed.
His stock in trade was purchased
principally at the Detroit end of the
line, where his reputation as an 'hon
est boy" who did a ''cash business" wal
soon established.
Had Edison been a less energetic boy
he might have remained to this day /:
vender of news. But scarcely had h
reached his fifteenth year when he re
solved to edit and publish paper o
his own. For this purpose he pur
chased three hundred pounds of olt
type from the Detroit Free Press, who's
composing-room was one of his favorit
resorts when off duty.
Attached to his train there was
springless freight-car with room Sc
apart for smoking, Owing to the ba'
ventilation, passengers rarely enteret
this compartment. Here the newsbo,
deposited his type and set about tn
publication of the Grand Trunk Her
} aid. 1t was twelve by sixteen-incl
sheet. printed by the pressure of tn
hand and on one side only. The Heral,
was issued weekly and sold for thre