Year: 1878

short sketch Of the Career of the


Photographic Inventor.


Philadelphia PrOss,l


The occasion was a practical pub
lie test Of Edison's phonograph-
an extraordinary invention = the
nature and capabilities of which
have already been described in the
Press, and brief sketch of the in
ventor by DR.. Cleland, of Chicago.
At eight o'clock every seat was oc.
cupied and hundreds were standing,
while probably quite as many as
gained admittance were turned
away for want Of accommodation.
In his graphic sketch Of the life Of
Thos. Edison, DIR. Cleland began
by claiming for his hero pre-emi-
nence in the scientific world second
to that of none of'the great invent
ors of the present age. The interest
attaching to Edison's career begins
with his experience as telegraph
operator, a pursuit which he learned
in Canada. &


WHY HE LEFT THE DOMINION.


He obtained a position as opera
tor ina railroad office in. one of the
small towns in the Dominion. One
night the agent at the station was
absent and train was standing on
the track. Edison telegraphed for
orders as to what to do with this
train, and received in reply TO
"hold it. Before the reply had
been received, however he had al
lowed the train to depart, and, as
q result, two trains were moving
in different directions on a single
track at the same time. Fortu-
nately the engineers, as the trains
were coming together, saw the
danger in time to avert the catas-
trophe, and thus saved the passen-
gers the necessity OF being parties
to the unpleasant and invariably
unsuccessful experiment OF two
trains trying to pass each other on
the same track at the same time.
But 1t was a serious matter for Edi-
son. How serious he didn't wait
to see, but without the formality Of
rendering his resignation he started
for the States swiftly. Another
incident the speaker related, show
ing how Edison perfected his first
invention. 1t was the custom TO
signal the number six and the num-
Der of the Office to headquarters
every half hour in order to show
that the operator was on the alert.
Edison contriyed a machine which
performed this service automatically
and enjoyed his nap undisturbed.
Then he made and sold a number
of bis ingenious little machines to
other operators, until finally he was
discovered and dismissed. After
speaking of Edison's commonplace
experiences, the speaker went on
to tell of his visit to Memphis,
where his inventive faculties Ied
him to making such alterations
in the instruments that it was
deemed desirable to dispense With
his services. He was dispensed
with accordingly. After enduring
the usual vicissitudes which a tele-
graph operator out of work usually
experiences, he


ARRIVED IN INDIANAPOLIS.


Just at the time he got to the
railroad CITY o strike was in pro-
gress, and men were in demand.
He went into an office. Press dis
patches were coming ip. There
was nobody who could take them,
Edison sat down, and next morning
every paper had its regular quantity
of Associated Press news TO the dis
gust of the strikers. That gave
Edison a start, aud SO pleased the
superintendent that next day he
was promoted from a position worth
$50 to one worth $1l0 per month,
Why Edison left that place the lee
turer did not explain, but his next
experience was in Boston. lie was
anything but a neat-looking speci-
men, and when he applied at an
office for york, his agricultural APP
pearance excited no small degree OF
merriment He stood this like a
hero. They tried 4 joke Oh him,