The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-23
Inventor OF the Telephone.

Pfof. Elisha tray, the inventor OF
the telephone and the owner Of q
brain which has been the means Of
making millionaires Of 20 men, is
spending the evening Of his eventful
life in poverty. This genius, who is
one Of the three greatest inventors Of
the century, finds himself G poor man
at 63, and in the very shadow Of the
palaces OF some Of the men who have
Toasted from the products of his
brains he is now forced to live in "a
humble house, the half Of whose
rooms and table is shared by day
boarders, who pay the regulation price
Of the weekly meal ticket.
He can sit in his place in Highland
Park, ILL.,, and call the names of a
score Of powers in the world of f.
nance who have caught him in a cor
ner, found him without a penny and
fooled him into selling his patout for
a song. The pitiful lament Of his lat
ter days is that he did not have a con-
servator appointed when he had
money. He now fears he may die
without a cent.
Prof. Gray knows his failing better
than anyone else. He has been up
and down. He has made fortunes and
spent them. He has never mad any
considerable amount of money that he
did not think it was enough to last
! forever. He admits that it never oc-
CURED to him to be a scientist for
money. He has never looked for any
return save the fame. He once spent
a year 10 devising a plan for an i'm
provement in the work of the tele-
phone. The improvement was grab
bed up on sight. 1t brought him a
cheek of s5O, 600.
He thought this was enough to last
him the balance Of his life. He or
dered his wife and family to pack the
trunks. They sailed for Europe the
next week. There was nothing too
good or expensive for them to buy.
They brought home pictures, statuary
and art treasures, and the home was
decorated like the palace Of a king.
This season Of extravaganza was
followed by one Of extreme want. The
Professor became filed with an idea
that it would be practicable to send
autograph messages by telegraph.
The plan took SO much Of his time
that he forgot to pay the grocer and
the butcher. The barn on his home
stead became his study. He borrowed
all the money he could get his friends
70 loan him. This went for wires,
batteries and machinery. He became
SO filled with the scheme on his mind
that time and again he was carried by
his station in his trips to Chicago for
material. He lived like a man in a
perpetual dream. The men who
knew him knew hat something
great was to transbire. They waited.
"The time to deal with Gray is
when he is dreadfully hard up" said
the president Of n Of the telegraph
companies. SIT is never good bust
ness to make him an offer when he has
money. He has now on the string an
invention which is going to %revolu-
tionize telegraphy. He wants a big
price for his idea, which is in practi-
cal working order. His figures are
away up. The thing to do is to wait
until his bills get away up. He will
then sell for a song"
Prof. Gray is getting to the point
where he will sell for o song. It has
0oae TO the punt vherc bourders nave
been taken in the home to
aeIn mes. the bills. EEe has lost his
buoyancy Of spirit aud has descended
TO the plane of an ordinary grinder for
an. ordinary salary. Yhc big shop
which was erected for his use has
practically been abandoned. The
fires in the plant are smekeless. and
pent up in his little study, which has
been shorn Of the pictures bought in
golden days, he has been compelled to
abandon his plans of science for
sciences sake, end is now trying to
recoup his fortunes by working in the
mont commonplace lines. He spent
the Lass year in improving q boyle
lamp.
The improvement was quickly COB
bled up by q man who had money and
paid cash-the smallest possible frac-
ton Of it's actual worth.
This trait, possibly moro than his
greatness, has made him one of the
most sought after men in Chicago.
His neighbors have been most solicit
tous about him. Men Of money have