The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-12

So Large That He Thought It Couldn's
BE Good.


New York Press.
Among the many inventions that sprang
from the fertile brain OF Thomas A. Edi-
son was the instrument generally known
a as the siGke s5. little clicking
pretentious barroom. Keeling on its yards
and yards or paper ribbon, bearing on the
surface IN clear letters the score from the
Polo grounds. the results Of speed trials De-
tween the thoroughbreds OF the Eastern
tracks and much important news. IT is only
within recent years that We have had this
development Of the machine that was orig
inally intended to give to spectators In
stock markets line on how their money
was going or coming.
alties on the tickers turned out by the
manufacturers, and to few persons is the
fact known that the man who evolved the
electric light, the telephone the kaleidoscope
and numerous other wonders of the CEN
fury is identical with the inventor of the
original ticker This comparatively insig-
nifcant work Of the Wizard was the means
by which he obtained the first money be-
yond his salary a telegraph operator. To
a party Of his friends who entertained him
one evening recently in the rooms OF the
sold the patent rights for the ticker.
When came to New York to sell my In
yention, Mr.. Edison said, II was largely in
doubt as to its value. / knew it was a
useful contrivance, but ii was with some
diffidence that 1 entered the presence of the
manufacturer with whom opened negotia-
Il
lolged to possess S. ZOO, and / had a good
mind to hold out for that much money,
though l felt secretly that / would be doing
well to get $1,000. So, when the manufac-
turer asked me how much 1 wanted for the
patent rights | stammered and asked how
much he was willing 10 pay.
Come around in the morning., he said.
ana went home to dream about that 5000
fortune was going to get-perhaps. When
l saw him in the morning he said with a
take-that-or-take -nothing air of determine
ton:
I'VE have decided to pay you s4o.OOo-not
a cent more"
Il almost tainted, but in less than five
and was out in the street looking in half
dazed way at check in my hand, Paya-
bic TO the order of Thomas A. Edison forty
thousand dollars $4,000 Then / began to
think and the forty thousand seemed like
forty millions, and / said to myself: Tom,
you've been swindled. The check is not
good And when went to the bank-I had
never been inside Of one to do any business
and presented the check I was not sur
prised when the teller scrutinized it. glanced
at me and pushed it back with a shake
or the head and a remark that I was too
e&cfted to understand, but concluded that
my fears were confirmed. So stuffed 1T in
my pocket and went to see friend to
whom L related my experience.
Let's see the check he said. Why.
that's all right You must be identified and
we went back to the bank. The cashier
knew my friend and the money was soon
awake until began TO feel and hear the
snap OF the new banknotes. 1t was big
bundle of money, and / stuck some of it in
every pocket, so that almost everywhere /
put my hand l could feel il bullying out.
when / went to the hotel that night do
you think took my clothes off? Not much
] slept in them, so / wouldn't wake up and
nnd that 1t was all a cruel dream"