New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-06
EDISON'S FIRST BIG CHECK.
IT WAS GOOD BUT HE HAD HIS Suspicious
ABOUT 1T.
From The Boston Transcript.

ABOUT 1T.
From The Boston Transcript.
Wizard Edison recently came over to New-York
Of his numerous enterprises, and while in town
dined with friend and the writer During the
sationa and told In his quaint way the story OF
his first acquaintance with any large sum Of
money.
1t was In the early seventies, when he was
young struggling along with his inventions.
had no bank account and hardly knew what one
Bank checks were things he had never had
value apparently as the man In the moon
On he FGa sS SpanS ee
SsnTd oyer Of wan and T. gel
had been told that the locality was fnll OF sharks
place. and that II ever had occasion to 90 there
Al time General Lesrts was president of of
sensations on the morning that went into the
companys general offices to close up the sale OF
clerk. who ushered me into the presence OF the
president. who after few prelirnnares handed
y looked at il curiously for moment or r two
and my manner must have conveyed t 10 L n1saS
What VIII to- to do with it. OF course knew that had
od s b" Go cou ids exae feaae the
scrap Of paper rendered was good Tor such an
me that If would go down to the Bank Of America
in Wall-st. I could get the check cashed.
We'll" continued Mr. Edison, Il started out,
after carefully folding up the check. and went
toward Wall-st. So uncertain was / even yet In
regard TO the way General Lererts had Of doing
business that thought while on the way that II
should h Up TO tor ms s Niece OF
should have give him up the check Willingly.
ARRIVING at the Bank OF America, hesltated
about entering fearing still that something mignt
be wrong. At last. however. mustered up my
courage and determined to try II. Entering the
bank I walked up tremblingy to a little hole in a
high glass-topped desk. through when pushed
my check to the cashier.
1.-THE latter. after scrunzing II closely, gave me
the check back with piercing glance. and said
something which could not understand, as was
then. as am now. rather deaf 49, -
THAT enough. ] was now more tnan ever
convinced that his check wasn't worth soeD' ana
/ again thought as | rushed out of the bank with
IL, that any man who would give me the 5000
would be welcome to the check.
'As quick az my legs could carry me hurrlcd
back 10 the Western Union office and told the
president that the check was no good TO me- as
couldn't get any money for It. General l|enerts
laughed, and seeming TO understand my iinsophls-
Heated business methods. he called clerk ana re-
quested the latter to accompany me 10 the panK
and identify me. Arriving at the bank again pre-
sented the troublesome bit Of paper 10 the cashier.
and Lenerts's clerk said: This man Is Thomas A.
Edison TO whose order that check Is drawn.
"'Why, certainly. Mr. Edison said the cashier.
How would you like TO have the A0,VW! IN DIS
of what denomination. sr?' ,
Oh any way suit the bank. II does not make
much difference 10 me. so long as get the mohes:
II was given $4,000 In large bills. After dividing
the roll into two wads of $4,000 EACH stuffed one
into each trousers pocket, buttoned up my coat as
tightly as possible. and after bidding the cashier
and the telegraph clerk good-day, made a preak 10
get out Of Wall-st. as quickly as ! could Inc next
day began work on my first laboratory at New