A STORY OF EDISON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2273, 6 November 1889, Page 2

A STORY OF EDISON.

Me Edlsoa (aay« the " Blalto") likes to tell the atory of how ha drifted eaat to Bob'o:i from Mamphla, Ttnui, ia his wandering period aa a telegraph operator. Ha had been engaged by letter to aot aa reaelviog operator on the night service of the Aeeoolatod Proaa, Ooe evening he strolled Into the Boston office &\d asked for thu manager. The latter looked aakrmooat the gawky, 111-nt-ease, sh«bbily dressed chap, who presented himself: foe the really Important and well-paid poafc. At tbni: time tho eeadtng operator at the Nhw York end of the Una was kaown as tha "lightning txport," and no one hid baen able to "take" him without annoying breaks, Mr Edison flashed under the manager's sneering Inquiry as to whethu? he thought he oould aacoaad where ao many h»d failed. '' I'll try," was Mb qatet rejoinder aa he seated himself at the Instrument, Oonneotlon waa made-, and the New York operator began to fire a 5000 word message Faster and faster oame the words, bat their Was neither p*ase nor break at the Boston end, where the manager gassd In amazement at the ooontry bnmpkln who, wltti apparent ease, was succeeding where all his oraok experts bad failed.. At the oonotusion of t'lo b»ttle royal this query ticked over tha wire from New York ; 11 Wbo the dovil are yoa ?" And the answer ticked baok . " Tom E liion, the new man from Michigan. 1 ' And quiok as the message ooald ba onrrled oame the response :«• Tom EdUoo, yoa're a brlok. Bhakei"