Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-21
TRIALs OF a GENIUS,
Laughable stories of Edison's First
Money Making,

Va
Money Making.
A man NAV have genius and yet be
what the world calls green as to COM
mon matters of every day. In tact, the
very possession of genius lmplies
measure of abstraction, and puts man
often at d disadvantage. Some STRIKING
illustrations OF this fact are found i'll
"rne Life and Inventions of Edison"
While employed in a telegraph office
in New York young Edison bad made
several inventions, to which the COM
pauy thought it advisable to obtain the
right. The inventor himself, as he tells
us, had thought the matter over. and
concluded that $4,000 would be perhaps
fair price; but when tho committee
asked him what he wanted, he answered
automatically
II don't know what they are worth.
Make me an offer"
SWELL" said the spokesman, show
would $4,000 strike your"
1t struck him so hard that, as he de.
clares, he might have been knocked
down with the traditional feather. He
accepted the offer, signed the contract,
received check for the amount, and set
ont instantly for the bank. II con.
cluded that there must be some Wall
street trick about the thing" he say.,
land believed that IL ever got cent
should be lucky"
He had never been into bank before,
and stood back for while to see the
methods of procedure. Then he took
his place in the row before the paying
teller's window.
4 t., Ii ttHP n and he
| passed in his check. The teller yelled
out lot of jargon," Edison says, which
the customers deafness prevented him
from understanding. The "jargon'
was repeated, and the check was handed
back.
| Edison, surer than ever that he was
the victim of some trick, went outside
and sat down on the steps to think the
situation over. just then, he declares,
"Any one might have bought that check
from me for $50"
However, he went back 10 the tele'
graph office and told one Of the clerks
what had happened.
"Oh, we'll" said the clerk, "the tellei
wanted you to be identified. Come on.
With that the clerk went with him tt
the bank, identified him, and the tellel
promptly handed him the $4,000
greatly to my establishment" Edisor
concludes.
He invested the money in shop o
his own, in Newark, and soon his heat
was full of inventions Of all sorts, bu
especially of the quadruplex telegraph
Suddenly he was notified that his take
were overdue. If they were not pa.t
i the next day he would have to pay II
; per cent extra.
1 The next day, accordingly, he re
j paired to the City Hail, and with hi
I brain still busy with the quadruplei
| telegraph, took his place in the line
3 The line was long, and the business da.
I was already closing when he reache
the collectors window. II was the las
moment of grace.
Nov, then, young man, look sharp,
said the tired functionary, as the absent
1 minded inventor stood before him; "loo
/. sharp. What is your namey"
. The inventors composure was gon
+ completely, and in "blank perplexity,
Il to use his own words, he stammcred
e Ill don't know"
i No doubt the collector thought he ha
!. an idiot to deal with. lie waved hi
aside, another stepped into his place, III
day closed, and Edison had to pay I'll
extra 1911 per cent.