The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-08-23

Old Time TeIegrapher
Tells of the Early (.
Career of
THE GREAT INVENTOR

New York, Aug 22--To have the
distinction Of knowing the great
Thomas Edison from, his boyhood and
of being the one who taught him
telegraphy, is something Of whicn
John Thomas. an old telegrapher, ir-
ing In Detroit, is very proud
81 first met Thomas Edison in 1867 =
Thomas says "By the way. his name
should noe be pronounced the way 1t
Is. Most every one pronounces 1t
Edison, when II should be Edison, |
recalled the fact while We were dining
together at the Cadillac Hotel some
time ago. aud he only laughed and
said, ut is only human to err.
when we first became acquainted
I was telegrapher at Ft Gratiot,
now known as North Port Huron. He
was about 15 years OF age at Chat time,
and used to sell papers on the train.
Hescame down to Detroit every morn
ing on the train, and after reaching
here would go at once either to the
public library, one of the newpaper
offices, or the Detroit Locomotive
Works. in Congress street west
where he would work on the construc
tions of small engines. He had one
cf these engines In the baggage car,
and, using section OF stove pipe
closed at each end for a boiler, he
used to print paper on the train
called the Grand Trunk Herald. He
got some old type from the different
newspaper Offices for use In getting
out the paper.
Il always called him 'Al' and hs
called me Johnny One day looked
up from my work of copying mes
sage and saw him watching me intent
ly. asked him II he would like u
be a telegrapher, and he replied that
he was very anxious to learn. After
that gave him a few lessons, and
he learned lil1s CREASED Lightning,
and | wrote to James Murray, then
telegraph superintendent. at Toronto
acquainted him OF my discovery. Mur
ray wrote back and told me he would
give him a chance and placed him in
charge OF the station at Stratford
Ont "'"r
1T was down IN Memphis. Tenn,
that he caused other operators To
think he was crazy. by endeavoring
to send two messages on one wire
at the same time. He driftsd from
there 10 other places until he returned |
10 his home In Port Huron. '''''
when he came back TO his for. |
mer home, was working at Poft Ed
ward a little station Just across the
river. from Fort Gratiot At that tim;
we did all our repeating at Ft. Graft.
ot. hut there were many times II |
would have been handler II we could
repeat az Port Edward. The company |
was considering the plan of laying
separate wires across the river, that
would cost hundreds OF dollars. Ju'
about the time Al returned. | told
lim what they were going TO do and
le fixed up some kind Of an apparatus
hat afterward cost the company but
few dollars. He got nothing for II.
"He visited at home for some time
nd then went East again. used 10
II down nights and read In the pa.
'ers OF the wonderful dolngs OF Al;
nd all who knew him were glad To
ear OF his success.
"The most comicai happening can
ay at his door with an experiment
e made on a German boy employed
y his father at Port Huron. He lik.
d chemistry, and his fathers wood
he'd was filled with bottles contain
lg about everything known to that
tudy. One day he called the boy In.
, the .woodshed and gave him two
lasses. one containing the white por.
on of seidlitz powder and the
ther the blue portion. He ordered
ne boy to drink one at time, and
,e result may be imagined. 1t was
ie last Of Edison's experiments In
dentistry for some time.
Some time ago Al Invited me to
)me TO his home In Orange, Nj
nd spend the rest OF my years with
i'm. am getting along In years. be-
Ig four years older than Edison. and
~ present Intentions are that as
,on as | can settle my affairs In De.
oit | will accept his offer"