New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-02-25
HOW COUNTRY BOY" Ed
SON KNOCKED OUT"
THE WESTERN UNION.


Nashville, Tenn, to New York IN
the cary seventies to take q posi-
ton as electrician in the offices
Of the Franklin, Pacific & Allan
tic and Atlantic & Pacific tele-
graph offices, which ware then
located on Broad Stree near the
junc ion If Wall. Country
boy" was stamped all over him.
He woe q brownish suit and MS
hat was a soft butternut; his tong
laukv hair stood out defiant OF
brush or comb. He was rather
slight in those days, although
has put on rotundity with advanc-
ing years. At the time the Wesi-
ern Union had as rivals the com
pa1ies named and in addition the
Bankers & Brokers and | thlnk
the Southern & Atlantic. On \ W
Street. near by, there was anot er
company, the Automatic, run Y
D. Ii. Craig, which was ass IN the
rival combination.
With Mr.. Edison were d-Soc!@t-
ed two young telegraph experts
named Wright and johnson, me
former a short man with deep,
bass voice and the later 5 I-' n
and taller than Edison himself.
They had as an experiment room
a small light-tight wooden cabhyl,
fitted up IN the office OF the
Franklin and it was an everyday
occurrence for the three 10 rush
out to escape into the main ope-
rating room from the smoke and
fumes which is.-ued from their ut
tie chamber as the result Of their
experiments.
Edison at that time had not
made any Of his wonderful nven-
tons but he was regarded as a
looming man" in telegraphy, neV-
ertheless. His first successful IN
vention showed his quick and
facile genius. He was very deaf
and one had to speak quite loud to
make him hear conversation; yet
his ear detected the falntest me
talic click.
All the telegraph companies
used the same sounder-the lSGe
sounder. 1t had been invented by
= man who had died some time
previous, and the patent, which |
was in the name Of his wife, was
controlled by the Western Union.
One day, in the midst of bust
ness, and when brokers messages
and general kilograms, includl
Che usual line OF press dispatches.
were on the hooks, the opposition
companies We're served simuEtan-
eously with an injunction, obtain
ed from Judge Of the Supreme
Court in New York. restraining
them absolutely from using the
Page sounder. The blow fell like
a thunderbOlt from clear SKY.
The keys were silenced and in the
great operating rooms there was
"nothing doing"
The managers were in consu.ta-
tion over the dilemma when Edison
sauntered into the operating room.
Mr.. Maury Smith. one of the man
ayers. acquainted him with the
situation.
Edison grinned and sat down
at an instrument. He reached out
for q sheet of tin, such as w2rC
used in making manifold cop ,
ies," and called for a stout pair of ,
scissors. From one of his pockets I
which were always bullying with
wire and other Appliances of his /
craft-he took a pair of pliers. ,
First he detached the Page sound }
er from the instrument, an in
tensely interested crowd watch 'ng 8
his every movement. Then. with
the scizzors, he cut section Of the !
thin sheet of tin, about three inch 7
es wide and possibly four or five :
inches in length. He then sliced =
it at either end. making two points !,
through each Of which he bored a !
hole. He then curved it leng h.
wise. doubled up the ends and fit -:
ted them to the instrument pre-
cisely where the Page sounder had
been previously CORRECTED ana
tapped the key. The clicking
and it was a joyful sound-could
be heard all over the room. There
was a general chorus of surprise
and admiration al the ready skill
Of Edison. "He's got it He's
got it," was the exclamation. and.
sure enough. the responsive answ-
sr from the other end of the line
Did you get me?" 80 X! OF
Within an hour, every instru-
nent in the room was equipped
With the improvised sounder and
business was resumed. The in
JUNCTION was completely obviated
md the officials of the rival com
,anies broadly smiled. Edison's
tar was in the ascendant He had
von a brilliant victory with scarce
Y an effort. Similar saunders
vere improvised all over the va
ious circuits and business went on
s usual. although the operating
ooms, as some remarked. were
omewhat "like smalbsized boiler
hops" for noise. In a few days.
Inder Edison's instructions. the
actory of the allied companies
vas turning out hundreds of we'll
made saunders of the new model.
From "The Real Edison" by
ieorge H. Sandison, ID. D.. in the
larch Columbian.
Falls Victim To Thieves.