heroes of the telegraph-第34节
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lived to the patriarchal term of 102； his son to 103； and Samuel； the father of the inventor； is； we understand； a brisk and hale old man of eighty…six。
Born at Digby； in the county of Annapolis； Nova Scotia； on August 16； 1804； Samuel was apprenticed to a tailor； but in his manhood he forsook the needle to engage in the lumber trade； and afterwards in grain。 He resided for a time in Canada； where； at Vienna； he was married to Miss Nancy Elliott； a popular teacher in the high school。 She was of Scotch descent； and born in Chenango County； New York； on January 10； 1810。 After his marriage he removed； in 1837； to Detroit； Michigan； and the following year settled in Milan。
In his younger days Samuel Edison was a man of fine appearance。 He stood 6 feet 2 inches in his stockings； and even at the age of sixty… four he was known to outjump 260 soldiers of a regiment quartered at Fort Gratiot； in Michigan。 His wife was a fine…looking woman； intelligent； well…educated； and a social favourite。 The inventor probably draws his physical endurance from his father； and his intellect from his mother。
Milan is situated on the Huron River； about ten miles from the lake； and was then a rising town of 3；000 inhabitants； mostly occupied with the grain and timber trade。 Mr。 Edison dwelt in a plain cottage with a low fence in front； which stood beside the roadway under the shade of one or two trees。
The child was neither pale nor prematurely thoughtful； he was rosy… cheeked； laughing； and chubby。 He liked to ramble in the woods； or play on the banks of the river； and could repeat the songs of the boatmen ere he was five years old。 Still he was fond of building little roads with planks； and scooping out canals or caverns in the sand。
An amusing anecdote is imputed to his sister； Mrs。 Homer Page； of Milan。 Having been told one day that a goose hatches her goslings by the warmth of her body； the child was missed； and subsequently found in the barn curled up in a nest beside a quantity of eggs！
The Lake Shore Railway having injured the trade of Milan； the family removed to Port Huron； in Michigan； when Edison was about seven years old。 Here they lived in an old…fashioned white frame…house； surrounded by a grove； and commanding a fine view of the broad river； with the Canadian hills beyond。 His mother undertook his education； and with the exception of two months he never went to school。 She directed his opening mind to the acquisition of knowledge； and often read aloud to the family in the evening。 She and her son were a loving pair； and it is pleasant to know that although she died on April 9； 1871； before he finally emerged from his difficulties； her end was brightened by the first rays of his coming glory。
Mr。 Edison tells us that his son never had any boyhood in the ordinary sense； his early playthings being steam…engines and the mechanical powers。 But it is like enough that he trapped a wood…chuck now and then； or caught a white…fish with the rest。
He was greedy of knowledge； and by the age of ten had read the PENNY ENCYCLOPAEDIA； Hume's HISTORY OF ENGLAND； Dubigne's HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION； Gibbon's DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE； and Sears' HISTORY OF THE WORLD。 His father； we are told； encouraged his love of study by making him a small present for every book he read。
At the age of twelve he became a train…boy； or vendor of candy； fruit； and journals to the passengers on the Grand Trunk Railway； between Port Huron and Detroit。 The post enabled him to sleep at home； and to extend his reading by the public library at Detroit。 Like the boy Ampere； he proposed； it is said； to master the whole collection； shelf by shelf； and worked his way through fifteen feet of the bottom one before he began to select his fare。
Even the PRINCIPIA of Newton never daunted him； and if he did not understand the problems which have puzzled some of the greatest minds； he read them religiously； and pressed on。 Burton's ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY； Ure's DICTIONARY OF CHEMISTRY； did not come amiss； but in Victor Hugo's LES MISERABLES and THE TOILERS OF THE SEA he found a treasure after his own heart。 Like Ampere； too； he was noted for a memory which retained many of the facts thus impressed upon it； as the sounds are printed on a phonogram。
The boy student was also a keen man of business； and his pursuit of knowledge in the evening did not sap his enterprises of the day。 He soon acquired a virtual monopoly for the sale of newspapers on the line； and employed four boy assistants。 His annual profits amounted to about 500 dollars； which were a substantial aid to his parents。 To increase the sale of his papers； he telegraphed the headings of the war news to the stations in advance of the trains； and placarded them to tempt the passengers。 Ere long he conceived the plan of publishing a newspaper of his own。 Having bought a quantity of old type at the office of the DETROIT FREE PRESS； he installed it in a spingless car； or 'caboose' of the train meant for a smoking…room； but too uninviting to be much used by the passengers。 Here he set the type； and printed a smallsheet about a foot square by pressing it with his hand。 The GRAND TRUNK HERALD； as he called it； was a weekly organ； price three cents； containing a variety of local news； and gossip of the line。 It was probably the only journal ever published on a railway train； at all events with a boy for editor and staff； printer and 'devil；' publisher and hawker。 Mr。 Robert Stephenson； then building the tubular bridge at Montreal； was taken with the venture； and ordered an extra edition for his own use。 The London TIMES correspondent also noticed the paper as a curiosity of journalism。 This was a foretaste of notoriety。
Unluckily； however； the boy did not keep his scientific and literary work apart； and the smoking…car was transformed into a laboratory as well as a printing house。
Having procured a copy of Fresenius' QUALITIVE ANALYSIS and some old chemical gear； he proceeded to improve his leisure by making experiments。 One day； through an extra jolt of the car； a bottle of phosphorus broke on the floor； and the car took fire。 The incensed conductor of the train； after boxing his ears； evicted him with all his chattels。
Finding an asylum in the basement of his father's house （where he took the precaution to label all his bottles 'poison'）； he began the publication of a new and better journal； entitled the PAUL PRY。 It boasted of several contributors and a list of regular subscribers。 One of these （Mr。 J。H。B。）； while smarting under what he considered a malicious libel； met the editor one day on the brink of the St。 Clair； and taking the law into his own hands； soused him in the river。 The editor avenged his insulted dignity by excluding the subscriber's name from the pages of the PAUL PRY。
Youthful genius is apt to prove unlucky； and another story （we hope they are all true； though we cannot vouch for them）； is told of his partiality for riding with the engine…driver on the locomotive。 After he had gained an insight into the working of the locomotive he would run the train himself； but on one occasion he pumped so much water into the boiler that it was shot from the funnel； and deluged the engine with soot。 By using his eyes and haunting the machine shops he was able to construct a model of a locomotive。
But his employment of the telegraph seems to have diverted his thoughts in that direction； and with the help of a book on the telegraph he erected a makeshift line between his new laboratory and the house of James Ward； one of his boy helpers。 The conductor was run on trees； and insulated with bottles； and the apparatus was home…made； but it seems to have been of some use。 Mr。 James D。 Reid； author of THE TELEGRAPH IN AMERICA； would have us believe that an attempt was made to utilise the electricity obtained by rubbing a cat connected up in lieu of a battery； but the spirit of Artemus Ward is by no means dead in the United States； and the anecdote may be taken with a grain of salt。 Such an experiment was at all events predestined to an ignominious failure。
An act of heroism was the turning…point in his career。 One day； at the risk of his life； he saved the child of the station…master at Mount Clemens； near Port Huron； from being run over by an approaching train； and the grateful father； Mr。 J。 A。 Mackenzie； learning of his interest in the telegraph； offered to teach him the art of sending and receiving messages。 After his daily service was over； Edison returned to Mount Clemens on a luggage train and received his lesson。
At the end of five months； while only sixteen years of age； he forsook the trains； and accepted an offer of twenty…five dollars a month； with extra pay for overtime； as operator in the telegraph office at Port Huron； a small installation in a jewelry store。 He worked hard to acquire more skill； and after six months； finding his extra pay withheld； he obtained an engagement as night operator at Stratford； in Canada。 To keep him awake the operator was required to report the word 'six；' an office call； every half…hour to the manager of the circuit。 Edison fulfilled the regulation by inventing a simple device which transmitted the r
