heroes of the telegraph-第38章
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1882。
Professor Bell continues to reside in the United States； of which he is a naturalised citizen。 He is married to a daughter of Mr。 Gardiner G。 Hubbard； who in 1860； when she was four years of age； lost her hearing by an illness； but has learned to converse by the Horace…Mann system of watching the lips。 Both he and his father…in…law （who had a pecuniary interest in his patents） have made princely fortunes by the introduction of the telephone。
CHAPTER IX。
THOMAS ALVA EDISON。
Thomas Alva Edison； the most famous inventor of his time and country； was born at Milan； Erie County； Ohio； in the United States； on February 11； 1847。 His pedigree has been traced for two centuries to a family of prosperous millers in Holland； some of whom emigrated to America in 1730。 Thomas； his great…grandfather； was an officer of a bank in Manhattan Island during the Revolution； and his signature is extant on the old notes of the American currency。 Longevity seems a characteristic of the strain； for Thomas 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
