Edison

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7070, 16 February 1893, Page 1

Edison

“ I was an operator in the Memphis office when Thomas A. Edison applied to the manager for a position,” said A. G. Bock* feller, a member of the Reminiscence Club, Bt. Louis. "He oame walking into the office one morning, looking like a veritable hayseed. He wore a hickory shirt, a pair of butternut pants tucked into the tops of boots a size too large and guiltless ef blacking. * Where’s the boss ?’ was his query as he glanced round the office. No one replied at once, and he repeated the question. The manager asked him what be could do for him, and Edison proceeded to strike him for a job. Business was rushing, and the office was two men short, so almost any kind of a lightning-slinger was welcome. He was assigned to a desk, and a fusillade of winks went the rounds of the office, for the 1 jay ’ was put on the St. Louis wire, the hardest in the office. At this end of the line was Jan operator who was chain lightning and knew it. Edison had hardly got seated before St. Louis called. The new comer responded, and St. Louis started in on a long report, and he pumped it in like a house afire. Edison threw his leg over the arm of his chair, leisurely transferred a wad of spruce gum from his pocket to his mouth, picked up a pen, examined it critically, and started in, about 200 words behind. He didn’t stay there long, [though. St. Louis let out another link of speed, and still another, and the instrument on Edison’s table hummed like an old-style sewing machine. Every man in the office left his desk and gathered round the * jay ’ to see [what he was doing with the electric oyblone. Well, sir, he was right on the word, and was putting it down in the prettiest copperplate hand you ever saw, even crossing his t’s, dotting his i's, and punctuating with as much care as a man editing telegraph for f rat’ printers. St. Louis got tired byand-bye and began to slow down. Edison opened the key, and said 1 Here, here! This is no primer class! Get a hustle on you!’ Well, sir, that broke St. Louis all up. He had-been ' raw-hiding ’ Memphis for a long time, and we were terribly sore, and to have a man in our office that could walk over him made us feel like a man whose horse had won the Derby. I saw the ‘ wizard ’ not long ago. Ho doesn’t wear a hickory shirt, nor put his pants in bio boots, but he is very far from being a dude yet.”