Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-02
Tom Edison's Queer Start

when the battle of Pittsburg Landing
was fought the first report which reached
Detroit was that there were $4,000 killed and
wounded. I was train newsboy then
and 1 told the telegraph operator at the
Detroit station that If he would wire the
main facts of the battle along the line, so
that announcements could be put up at the
station bulletin boards, 1 would give Har-
per's Weekly to him for six months free
of cost.
81 used to sell about forty newspapers on
the trip. That time 1 made up my mind
that 1 ought TO take 1000, but when l
counted my money I found 1 had only
enough to buy 400
"Then 1t occurred to me that II could
get to Wilbur F. Story, the proprietor of
the Detroit Free Press, might be able to
work out of my difficulty. ! climbed up
the stairs to his office and said:
"'Mr. Story, 1 have only got money
enough to buy 400 papers and I want 600
more. 1 thought 1 might get trusted for
| them. I'm a newsboy.'
II got my 1000 papers, all right. That
was a great day for me. At the first sta
ton the crowd was SO big that 1 thought
1t was an excursion crowd. But, no, when
| the people caught sight of me they began
| to yell for papers. 1 just doubled the price
| on the spot and charged 10 cents instead
of cents a copy
when 1 got to the last station I Jumped
| the price up to 25 cents a copy and sold
all l had left. 1 made $75 or 500 on that
one trip, and, 1 tell you, l felt mighty
good.
THAT called my attention to what tele-
| graph operator could do. I thought to
myself that telegraphing was simply great,
and 1 made UP my mind to become an OPP
orator as soon as possible.
"Then Joined hands with a man named
Callahan and we got up several improved
| types of stock tickers. These improve
ments were a success.
| when the day of settlement for my in
ventions approached l began TO wonder
how much money would get. was pretty
raw and knew nothing about business, but
hoped that might get 5000
1T dreamed OF what could do with big
money like that; OF the tools and other
things could buy to work out inventions;
| but knew Wall street to be a pretty bad
place and had a general suspicion that a
man was apt to get beat out Of his money
there. So tried to keep my hopes down,
but the thought of 5000 kept rising In
my mind.
"well, one day I was sent for by the
president OF the Gold and Stock Telegraph
company to talk about settlement for my
! improvements He was General Marshall
Lefferts, colonel OF the Seventh regiment
II tell you was trembling all over with
embarrassment, and when I got In his
presence my vision of 5000 began to van
ish. When he asked me how much wanted
was afraid to speak. l feared that II I
mentioned 5000 1 might get nothing.
THAT was one of the most painful and
exciting moments of my life. My. how I
beat my brains to know what to say. FL
nally, l said:
| Suppose you make me Offer
by that time was scared. l was more
than scared. 1 was paralyzed.
How would $4,000 dor asked General
Lefferts.
1T was all I could do to keep my face
straight and my knees from giving away.
was afraid he would hear my heart beat
with a great effort said that guessed
| that would be all right. He said they
would have the contract ready in a few
days and l could come back and sign IT,
In the meantime scarcely slept. / couldn't
believe 1t.
when 1 went back the contract was
ready and signed 1t in hurry. l don't
| know even now what was In II. A check
for $4,000 was handed me and went TO
the bank as fast as my feet would carry
| me.
1T was the first time 1 was ever inside
Of bank. ! got in line and when my
turn came / handed In my check. OF
course. had not Endorsed Il
1.-THE teller looked at. then pushed IL
back to me and r0ared out something