The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-02-09
ED|SON'S first lamp
and ITS DEVELOPMENT

erous other things, reads like ro-
nance. Only few years ago he was
selling newspapers on middle West. |
ern railroad, crying extras from car to
car. A little later was travelling
from city to city, an itinerant tele-
graph operator, and good one at that,
seeking employment wherever he could
find it, and earning less in month
than his income today Is per minute.
Thomas Alva Edison was born in
Milan, Ohio, February IL, 1S47. The
early family history reads much the
same as that of many other American
families. The ancestral Edisons came
from Holland in 1880 and took up farm
ing along the Passaic River In New
Jersey. The nomadic Edison finally
moved to Nova Scotia In 1904 and later
took up Canadian land at Bayfield,, on
Lake Huron. Still later they moved
to Vienna, on Lake Erie. Here Samuel
Edison, father Of Thomas Alva, kept
hotel and was married to Miss Nancy
Elliott, q schoelteacher, III 1928. A
threatened revolt in Canada against
English rule at this time caused an
exodus Of the participants to the Unit
ed States, among them Samuel Edison.
The Canadian home forfeited, Samuel
Edison settled down at Milan, Ohio,
in 1912, and among several other enter
prises began the making Of shingles.
Edison's mother was an attractive
and educated woman. She was born In
Chenango County, New York, in 1910,
and was the daughter Of Rev. John
Elliott, Baptist minister. AS boy
Edison was none too strong, and for
this reason did not go to school as
soon as the other boys. In 1854 Milan
began to decline in business way
an the E!dscn family removed to Port
Huron, Mich, and occupied q hand
some new house which was unfortun-
ately burned down shortly after the
Civil War. Samuel Edison became in
terested in the grain and lumber busi-
ness, and the family was well-to-do
and stood high In the society of the
community.
Young Edison attended school at
Port Huron for just three months,
when his teachers gave him up in des-
pair He was always at the foot of
his class. After this short course he
studied at home with his mother, and
his father added small sum of money
for each new book mastered. In the
cellar of this home Edison installed
his first Laboratory where he per-
formed certain dubious chemical ex-
periments and tested out formulas en-
countered in his scientific reading. 1t
was to secure money for these expert
ments that Edison turned newsboy,
and in 1859 he began selling papers
on the trains of the Grand Trunk be-
tween Port Huron and Detroit. Near
ly all the profits from this enterprise
went to support his laboratory and
chemical experiments. And very soon
he had installed in the baggage car
small laboratory, where he could ex
pertinent during the leisure hours OF
the daily run. Because of an accident
In this laboratory, which set fire to
the car, Edison was thrown off the
train, and this ended his career as a
newsboy.
Aside from his laboratory expert
ence with electricity Edison learned
telegraphy by installing short line
between his fathers house and the
home of boy friend. Homemade ap
paratus was used, but the line worked
well enough for all purposes. Soor
thereafter he began to work as reg
ular railroad telegrapher. During tn,
next five years Edison drifted all ovel
the Middle States, working as a tele
graph operator He secured his frs
patent June /, 1863, for vote-record
ing device, which he projected il
Boston, but could not prevail upol
, Congress to adopt. Then he began ex
perimenting with stock tickers, i'm
proving those in existence and per
; fecting new and better ones, until HI
finally sold his first invention for $40
900, Thus in short time he passe'
from poverty to independence. havinl
gone to New York without II cent O
, money. With this money he opened
Q machine shop in Newark and began t.
) make stock tickers.
/. Now began the years Of Edison
greatest activities, when he worke
go hours day, stealing maps on wor
4 benches, in corridors and wheneve
I he could From 1869, the date OF hi
Rrst patent, up to the summer OF 1917
no fewer than 1928 separate patent
have been applied for In his name
The height of his activity was In 1885,
. when 14l patents were applied for. II