"The steed called Lightning (say the Fates)Was tamed in the United States;'Twas Franklin's hand that caught the horse,'Twas harnessed by Professor Morse."
"The steed called Lightning (say the Fates)Was tamed in the United States;'Twas Franklin's hand that caught the horse,'Twas harnessed by Professor Morse."
Upon landing in America a long struggle began.
For twelve long years, Mr. Morse worked to get people to notice his invention.
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE MORSE ALPHABET AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE TELEGRAPH LINE.DIAGRAM SHOWING THE MORSE ALPHABET AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE TELEGRAPH LINE.
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE MORSE ALPHABET AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE TELEGRAPH LINE.
It would take much money to construct a real telegraph.
But money Mr. Morse did not have.
He had three motherless children to provide for.
He lived in a room in a fifth story of a building belonging to his brothers.
This room was his study, studio, bed chamber, parlor, kitchen, drawing room and work shop.
On one side of the room was his cot bed.
On the other were his tools.
He brought his simple food to his room at night.
This he did, that no one might see how little he had to eat.
He often gave lessons in painting.
One pupil did not pay promptly.
Mr. Morse asked to be paid.
The pupil gave him ten dollars, asking if he would accept it.
He said it would keep him from starving.
He had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours.
The government, at this time, was giving some work to American artists.
Mr. Morse knew he deserved to have a picture to paint.
But, through a mistake, he was not given one.
He felt much hurt by this.
But perhaps he would not have pushed his telegraph through, if he had been given plenty of painting to do.
As it was, Morse, the painter, became Morse, the inventor.
It was not until 1837 that Mr. Morse had his wonderful invention ready to exhibit.
During that year many people saw it.
Many thought it a silly toy.
Few dreamed of its importance.
Mr. Alfred Vail, whose father and brother had large brass and iron works, was one of those who believed in it.
Mr. Vail decided to assist Mr. Morse.
He was young and liked machinery.
Long after, Mr. Morse said that much of the success of the telegraph was due to Mr. Vail.
In 1838, Mr. Morse asked Congress to give him aid.
He wished to build a telegraph between Baltimore and Washington.
The President and others saw the telegraph exhibited.
A gentleman, named Mr. F.O.J. Smith, helped Mr. Morse with money.
But many Congressmen laughed at the idea.
Do you not think they felt ashamed when they found how great a thing they had been laughing at?
While waiting for Congress to decide, Mr. Morse went to Europe again.
He tried to get a patent in London, but it was refused him.
The French people gave him a paper which didn't mean much.
He met some great men, however, who did all they could for him.
Did you ever see a daguerreotype?
It is an old fashioned portrait.
Perhaps you can find some at home.
Mr. Morse met in Paris the man who first took these pictures.
His name was Mr. Daguerre.
You see how the pictures were named.
He was exhibiting his pictures at this time.
So the two greatest things in Paris in those days were the electro-magnetic telegraph and daguerreotypes.
Mr. Daguerre and Mr. Morse became fast friends.
Mr. Daguerre taught Mr. Morse how to take daguerreotypes.
When Mr. Morse returned to America, he took some portraits of this kind.
He also taught others how to do so.
Having returned to America, he found plenty to do.
He wished to try the telegraph under water.
He arranged about two miles of wire.
He put it into New York Harbor.
A row boat was used in placing it.
It was a beautiful moonlight night.
People walking along the shore might wellwonder what kind of fish were to be caught with such a long line.
At day break Professor Morse was ready for his experiment.
Two or three characters were sent on the line.
Then no more could be sent.
Some sailors, in pulling up their anchor, had caught the wire.
They pulled in about two hundred feet.
Then they cut the wire.
So ended the first cable.
The Vails had been good friends to Mr. Morse.
But they became afraid to spend any more money.
Then, indeed, Mr. Morse was in despair.
A bill had been brought before Congress, asking for thirty thousand dollars.
This was to build the trial telegraph line.
Oh, how anxiously Mr. Morse waited!
Delay after delay came.
Many Congressmen in their speeches, made all manner of fun of the bill.
Twilight came upon the evening of March 3rd, 1842.
It was the last day of the session of Congress.
There were still one hundred and nineteen bills to dispose of.
It seemed impossible that the telegraph bill could be reached.
Mr. Morse had patiently waited all day.
At last he gave up all hope.
He left the building and went to his hotel.
He planned to leave for New York on an early train.
As he came down to breakfast next morning, a young lady met him.
"I have come to congratulate you," she exclaimed.
"Upon what?" inquired the professor.
"Upon the passage of your bill," she replied.
"Impossible! Its fate was sealed last evening.
You must be mistaken."
"Not at all," said the young lady; "father sent me to tell you that your bill was passed. It was passed just five minutes before the close of the session."
Mr. Morse was almost overcome with the news.
He promised the young lady that she should send the first message over the new line.
Mr. Morse received a sad message in the midst of his joy.
This was the news of the death of his dearest friend, Mr. Allston.
He hastened to the home of his friend in Cambridge.
The brush with which Mr. Allston had been painting was still moist.
Mr. Morse begged this as a memorial of his friend.
He afterwards gave it to the National Academy.
Now that the bill was passed, how hard he and his friend worked to build the line!
They tried putting the wires underground.
But this proved very expensive.
Then they tried the poles as we have them now.
This succeeded nicely.
1844 was the year for the appointing of a new President.
The Whig party were to hold their convention at Baltimore, in May.
The managers of the telegraph worked hard to get the line done before the meeting.
And, although the line was not finished, signals were arranged by which the message could be given.
At last the day came.
Henry Clay was nominated for President.
The news was sent by the wires to Washington.
Passengers arrived from Baltimore an hour later.
They were astonished to find the news already known.
On the 24th of May the line was ready for its test.
Every one was anxious.
Mr. Vail was at the Baltimore end of the line.
Miss Ellsworth, the young lady who hadthe promise of sending the first message, was with Mr. Morse.
Remember the twelve long, weary, anxious years, during which Mr. Morse had worked and waited.
It was an anxious moment.
Miss Ellsworth chose her message from the Bible.
It is found in Numbers, 23rd chapter, 23rd verse.
The words are: "What hath God wrought!"
This was received at once by Mr. Vail.
Professor Morse said this of the words of the message:—
"It baptized the American Telegraph with the name of the author."
He meant by this, that God was the author of the telegraph.
What a glad, happy time followed!
Everybody congratulated Mr. Morse.
The democratic convention took place two days later.
There was much excitement.
James K. Polk was nominated for President.
All sorts of messages were sent over the new telegraph line.
Mr. Morse loved his country.
And through his whole life worked for its interests.
He rejoiced in having his invention called an American invention.
He was at one time in Europe.
His friend, Mr. F.O.J. Smith, was embarking on his voyage for home.
Mr. Morse said to him:—
"When you arrive in sight of dear America, bless it for me.
"And when you land, kiss the very ground for me.
"Land of lands! Oh, that all our country-men would but know their blessings!
"God hath not dealt so with any nation.
"We ought to be the best, as well as the happiest and most prosperous of all nations.
"Nor should we forget to whom we are in debt for all these blessings.
"'Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any nation.'"
There were still many hard things for Mr. Morse to endure.
Wicked men tried to steal his invention from him.
They pretended to have invented telegraphs.
The nations of Europe did not treat him justly.
But, little by little, the telegraph lines were built over the country.
Little, by little, the world came to know and love the name of Samuel F.B. Morse.
Honors of all sorts were given him.
But, through all, he was the same kind, patient man.
The Sultan of Turkey was the first foreign prince to honor Mr. Morse.
But he was followed by many others.
You have noticed that Mr. Morse never had a chance to enjoy a home.
In 1847, he bought a beautiful home upon the Hudson.
In the following year he married Miss Griswold, a lady born at Sault Ste. Marie.
They called their new home Locust Grove.
There they enjoyed life greatly.
Professor Morse had a telegraph instrument in his study.
He afterwards bought a beautiful home in New York City.
There they spent their winters.
These words were written by a friend to Mrs. Morse, alluding to her husband:—
"Though he did not 'snatch the thunder from the heaven,' he gave the electric current thought, and bound the earth in light."
To Mr. Morse belongs also the honor of the submarine telegraph.
A successful telegraph of this kind was laid near New York City.
Other gentlemen became interested in this.
Chief among these were Mr. Cyrus W. Field and his brother David Dudley Field.
The story of the cable laid across the Atlantic is a long one.
But Mr. Morse lived to see this, too, a success.
When Mr. Morse was eighty years of age, his statue was erected in Central Park, New York.
This was done by the telegraph operators of the country.
It represented Mr. Morse as sending the first message of the telegraph, "What hath God wrought."
Mr. Morse was present when the statue was unveiled.
In 1872 he became very ill.
His busy life was at an end.
The whole country mourned, as news flashed over the wires that Professor Morse was dying.
The light was going out of those bright, kind eyes.
The fingers that harnessed the steed, Lightning were powerless.
The great brain, that had worked so hard for the world, was ready for rest.
The great heart, that never kept an unkind thought, ceased to beat.
All America mourned for him.
Messages were received from Europe, Asia and Africa, paying tribute to the dead.
Few men have lived such lives as did Samuel Finley Breese Morse.
deco
PETER COOPER.PETER COOPER.
PETER COOPER.
On the seventh of April, in 1883, the great city of New York was in mourning. Flags were at half-mast. The bells tolled.
Shops were closed, but in the windows were pictures of a kind-faced, white-haired man.
These pictures were draped in black.
All day long tens of thousands of people passed by an open coffin in one of the churches.
Some of these people were governors, some millionaires.
There were poor women, too, with little children in their arms.
There were workmen in their common clothes.
There were ragged newsboys.
And all these people had aching hearts.
The great daily papers printed many columns about the sad event.
People in England sent messages by the Atlantic cable that they, too, had sad hearts.
Who was this man for whom the world mourned on that April day?
Was he a president? Oh, no.
A great general? Far from it.
Did he live magnificently and have splendid carriages and fine diamonds?
No, he was simply Peter Cooper, a man ninety-two years old, and the best loved man in America.
Had he given money?
Yes, but other men in our country do that
Had he traveled abroad, and so become widely known?
No, he would never go to Europe because he wished to use his money in a different way.
Why, then, was he loved by so many?
One of the New York papers gave this truthful answer:
"Peter Cooper went through his long life as gentle as a sweet woman, as kind as a good mother, as honest as a man could live, and remain human."
Some boys would be ashamed to be thought as gentle as a girl, but not so Peter Cooper.
He was born poor, and was always willing that everyone should know it.
He despised pride.
When his old horse and chaise came down Broadway, every cartman and omnibus driver turned aside for him.
Though a millionaire, he was their friend and brother, and they were proud and fond of him.
He gave away more than he kept.
He found places for the poor to work if possible.
He gave money to those he found were worthy.
And though he was one of the busiest men in America, he always took time to be kind.
His pastor, Mr. Collyer, said this of him:—
"His presence, wherever he went, lay like a bar of sunshine across a dark and troubled day. I have seen it light up the careworn faces of thousands of people. It seemed as if those who looked at him were saying to themselves; 'It cannot be so bad a world as we thought, since Peter Cooper lives in it and blesses us.'"
But how did this poor boy become a millionaire? And how did he get people to love him so?
He did it, boys and girls, by making up his mind to do it at first, and then sticking to it.
Nobody could have had more hard things to overcome than Peter Cooper.
His parents were poor and had nine children.
His father moved from town to town, always hoping to do better.
He forgot the old saying, "A rolling stone gathers no moss."
When the fifth baby was born, he was named after the Apostle Peter, because his father said, "This boy will come to something."
But he was not a strong boy.
He was able to go to school but one year of his life, and then only every other day.
His father was a hatter, and when Peter was eight years old he pulled hair from rabbit skins for hat pulp.
Year after year he worked harder than he was able, but he was determined to win.
When his eight little brothers and sisters needed shoes, he ripped up an old one to see how it was made. Always after that he made the shoes for the family.
Do you think a lazy boy would have done that?
When he was seventeen, he bade his anxious mother good-bye, and started for New York to make his fortune.
Do you know what a lottery is?
It is a way dishonest people have of making money.
Tickets are sold for prizes, and of course only one person can get the prize, while all the rest must lose their money.
Soon after Peter Cooper reached New York he saw an advertisement of a lottery.
He might draw a prize by buying a ticket.
Each ticket cost ten dollars.
Peter had just that much money.
He thought the matter over carefully.
He wished very much to have some money, for then he could help his mother.
So he bought a ticket, and drew—nothing.
Poor boy! he was now penniless.
But he never touched games of chance again.
Years afterward he used to say, "It was the cheapest piece of knowledge I ever bought."
Day after day the tall, slender boy walked the streets of New York looking for work.
At last he found a place.
It was in a carriage shop.
Here he bound himself as apprentice for five years at two dollars a month and board.
You see he could buy no good clothes.
He had no money for cigars or pleasures of any kind.
He helped to bring carriages for rich men's sons to ride in.
There is an old saying, that "everybody has to walk at one end of life," and they are fortunate who walk at the beginning and ride at the close.
When his day's work was over he liked to read.
His companions made fun of him because he would not join them.
He made a little money by extra work.
He hired a teacher, to whom he recited evenings.
He was often very tired, but he never complained.
He had many friends because he was always good-natured.
He used often to say to himself, "If ever I get rich I will build a place where the poor girls and boys of New York may have an education free."
Wasn't that a queer thought for a boy who earned only fifty cents a week?
Yet perhaps his even dreaming such dreams helped him to do the great things of which I shall tell you.
Now, Peter noticed that the tools which they worked with in the carriage shop were not very good.
So he began to try to make better ones.
He succeeded in doing so, but Mr. Woodward, the man for whom he worked, had all the benefit of his work.
But at last Peter's apprenticeship was over.
Much to his surprise Mr. Woodward one day called him into his office.
"You have been very faithful," he said, "and I will set you up in a carriage manufactory of your own.
"You could pay me back the money borrowed in a few years."
This was a remarkable offer for a poor young man.
But Peter had made it a solemn rule of his life never to go in debt.
So he thanked Mr. Woodward very earnestly, but declined his offer.
It was then Mr. Woodward's turn to be astonished.
But he knew Peter was right, and respected his good judgment in the matter.
We may now call Peter Cooper a mechanic.
A mechanic is one who has skill in using tools in shaping wood, metals, etc.
Peter now found a situation in a woolen mill at Hempstead, Long Island.
Here he received nine dollars a week.
Still he kept trying to find better ways of doing things.
He invented a machine for shearing cloth, and from that earned five hundred dollars in two years.
With so much money as this he could not rest until he had visited his mother.
He found his parents deeply in debt.
He gave them the whole of his money, and promised to do more than that.
His father had not made a mistake in naming him after the Apostle Peter.
During this time Mr. Cooper had learned to know a beautiful girl named Sarah Bedell. This girl became his wife.
They moved to New York.
Here Mr. Cooper had a grocery-store.
A friend advised him to buy a glue factory which was for sale.
He knew nothing of the business, but he thought he could learn it.
He soon made not only the best glue, but the cheapest in the country.
For thirty years he carried on this business almost alone, with no salesman and no book-keeper.
He rose every morning at daylight, kindled his factory fires, and worked all the forenoon making glue.
In the afternoon he sold it.
In the evenings he kept his accounts, wrote his letters, and read with his wife and children.
He worked this way long after he had an income of thirty thousand dollars a year.
This was not because he wanted to have so much more money for himself.
You remember he had a plan to carry out which would take much money.
That was to build his free school for the poor.
He had no time for parties or pleasures.
But the people of New York knew he was both honest and intelligent.
They asked him to be a member of the City Council, and President of their Board of Education.
Peter Cooper never refused to do anything which might help others.
So he did not refuse these offices.
I must tell you now about Mr. Cooper's first child, and how fine a thing it was to have an inventor for a papa.
Mr. Cooper made for this baby a self-rocking cradle, with a fan attached to keep off the flies, and with a musical instrument to soothe the dear baby into dreamland.
Mr. Cooper's business prospered.
THE "BEST FRIEND," FIRST LOCOMOTIVE BUILT IN AMERICA. BUILT BY PETER COOPER.THE "BEST FRIEND,"—FIRST LOCOMOTIVE BUILT IN AMERICA. BUILT BY PETER COOPER.
THE "BEST FRIEND,"—FIRST LOCOMOTIVE BUILT IN AMERICA. BUILT BY PETER COOPER.
Once the glue factory burned, with a loss of forty thousand dollars.
But at nine o'clock the next morning there was lumber on the ground for a factory three times as large as the one burned.
He then built a rolling mill and furnace in Baltimore.
They were then trying to build the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
Only thirteen miles of the road had been finished.
The directors were about to give up the work.
There were many sharp turns in the track.
The directors were discouraged because they thought no engine could be made to make those turns.
Mr. Cooper knew that this road would help his rolling mill.
Nothing could discourage him.
FIRST TRAIN IN AMERICA.FIRST TRAIN IN AMERICA.
FIRST TRAIN IN AMERICA.
He went to work and made the first locomotive made in America.
He attached a box-car to it.
Then he invited the directors to take a ride.
He took the place of engineer himself.
Away they flew over the thirteen miles in an hour.
The directors took courage, and the road was soon finished.
Years after, when Mr. Cooper had become a great man, he was invited to visit Baltimore.
The old engine was brought out, much to the delight of the people, who cheered again and again at sight of it.
Mr. Cooper soon built at Trenton, N.J., the largest rolling mill in the United States.
He also built a large blast furnace, and steel and wire works in different parts of Pennsylvania.
NEW YORK CENTRAL EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS. FASTEST LOCOMOTIVE IN THE WORLD. "ENGINE 999."NEW YORK CENTRAL EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS.FASTEST LOCOMOTIVE IN THE WORLD. "ENGINE 999."Copyrighted by A.P. Yates, by permission of New York Central R.R.
NEW YORK CENTRAL EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS.FASTEST LOCOMOTIVE IN THE WORLD. "ENGINE 999."Copyrighted by A.P. Yates, by permission of New York Central R.R.
He bought the Andover iron mines.
He built eight miles of railroad in this rough country.
Over this road he carried forty thousand tons a year.
The poor boy, who once earned but twenty-five dollars a year, had become a millionaire.
No good luck accomplished this.
But these are the things that did it:
Hard work.Living within his means.Saving his time.Common sense, which helped him to look carefully before he invested his money.Promptness.Keeping his word.
Hard work.
Living within his means.
Saving his time.
Common sense, which helped him to look carefully before he invested his money.
Promptness.
Keeping his word.
Mr. Cooper was honorable in all his business.
Once he said to a friend who had an interest in the Trenton works:
"I do not feel quite easy about the amount we are making. We are making too much money. It is not right."
The price was made lower at once.
Do you not think Peter Cooper was an unusual kind of a man to lower the price of an article just because the world needed it so much?
He was now sixty-four years of age.
He had worked day and night for forty years to build his Free College.
He had bought the ground for it.
And now for five whole years he watched his great, six-story, brown-stone building as it grew.
The man who was once a penniless lad should teach many through these great stones some of the lessons he knew so well.
Some of these are industry, economy and perseverance.
The words which he wrote and placed in a box in the corner stone are not too hard for you to read.
"The great object that I desire to accomplish by the erection of this Institution is to open the avenues of scientific knowledge to the youth of our city and country, and so unfold the volume of Nature that the young may see the beauties of creation, enjoy its blessings, and learn to love the Author from whom cometh every good and perfect gift."
But would the poor young men and women of New York who worked hard all day care for an education?
Some people said no.
But Mr. Cooper thought of his own boyhood, and believed that young people loved books, and would be glad of a chance to study them.
COOPER INSTITUTE, NEW YORK CITY.COOPER INSTITUTE, NEW YORK CITY.
COOPER INSTITUTE, NEW YORK CITY.
And when the grand building was opened students crowded in from the shops and factories.
Some were worn and tired, as Peter Cooper had often been in his youth.
But they studied eagerly in spite of that.
Every Saturday night two thousand came together in the great hall.
There the most famous people in the world lectured before them.
Every year nearly five hundred thousand read in the free library and reading rooms.
Four thousand pupils came to the night school to study science and art.
The white-haired, kindly-faced man went daily to see the students.
They loved him as a father.
His last act was to buy ten type-writers for the girls in that department.
Has the work paid?
Ask any of those young men and women who have gone out from Cooper Institute to earn their own living.
Not one of them had to pay a cent for his education.
No one is admitted who does not expect to earn his living.
Mr. Cooper did not love weak, idle young people, who are willing their parents shall take care of them.
The work has grown so large that more money is needed—perhaps another million.
Mr. Cooper gave it two millions of dollars.
Many are turned from the doors because there is no more room.
Some of the pupils from the Institute have become teachers.
One receives two dollars an hour for teaching.
Several engrave on wood.
One receives one hundred and fifty dollars a month.
Another, a lady, married a gentleman of wealth, and to show her gratitude to Mr. Cooper has opened another "Free School of Art."
Is it any wonder that when Peter Cooper died thirty-five hundred came up from the Institution to lay roses upon his coffin.
His last words to his son and daughter were not to forget Cooper Union.
They have just given one hundred thousand dollars to it.
Mr. Cooper had many friends among the great and good of the land.
He died as unselfishly as he had lived, and who can measure the good he did in the world?
EDISON.EDISON.
EDISON.
Thomas A. Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, February 11, 1847.
There was nothing in Milan to make a boy wish to do great deeds.
There was a canal there.
Thomas had one great help—his mother.
She had been a teacher.
Her greatest wish for her son was that he should love knowledge.
Thomas had a quick mind.
He inquired into everything.
He was fond of getting every little thing well learned.
He never did things by halves.
He loved to try experiments.
When Thomas was a very little boy, only six years old, and still wearing dresses, he did a very funny thing.
He was one day found missing.
His frightened parents searched for him long and anxiously.
Where do you think he was found?
They found him in the barn, sitting on a nest of goose eggs, with his dress spread out to keep them warm.
He thought he could hatch some goslings as well as the mother-goose.
He had placed some food near by so that he might stay as long as necessary.
He went to a regular school only two months.
His father and mother were his teachers.
His father, to encourage him to read, paid him for every book which he read.
But Thomas did not need to be paid to read, for he read with pleasure every volume he could get hold of.
When he was ten years old, he was reading such books as Gibbon's "History of Rome," Hume's "History of England," and Sear's "History of the World."
Besides these, he had read several books about chemistry.
He loved to read about great men and their deeds.
When he played, it was at building plank roads, digging caves, and exploring the banks of the canal.
When only twelve years of age, he was obliged to go out into the world and earn his own living.
He obtained a place as train-boy on the Grand Trunk Railroad, in Eastern Michigan.
He sold apples, peanuts, song-books, and papers.
He had such a pleasant, sunny face that everyone liked to buy of him.
He succeeded so well that soon he had four boys working under him.
This was not enough to keep him busy.
He had never lost his liking for chemistry.
He managed to trade some of his papers for things with which to try experiments.
He found a book which helped him.
He fitted up an old baggage car as a room for his experiments.
He was afraid some one would touch his chemicals; so he labelled every bottle, "Poison."
Soon this busy boy had another business.
He bought three hundred pounds of old type from the "Detroit Free Press."
He had gained a little knowledge of printing by keeping his eyes open when buying papers.
Soon a paper, called the "Grand Trunk Herald," was printed by Master Tom.
This paper was twelve by sixteen inches in size.
It was filled with railway gossip and many other things of interest to travelers.
Baggagemen and brakemen wrote articles for it.
George Stephenson, who built a great bridge at Montreal, liked it so well that he ordered an extra edition for his own use.
Everybody liked it.
The "London Times" spoke of it as the only paper in the world published on a railway train.
But the "Grand Trunk Herald" had a sad ending.
Do you know what phosphorus is?
It is a substance which will take fire of itself if not kept under water.
Tom's bottle of phosphorus was thrown to the floor by the jolting of the car.
Soon everything was on fire.
The conductor rushed in and threw all the type and chemicals out of the car.
He also gave the young chemist a thrashing.
Poor Thomas gathered up what was left.
He put his things in the basement of his father's house.
Thomas's father now lived at Port Huron.
Thomas always slept at home.
He now printed another and a larger journal.
This was called the "Paul Pry."
In this he published an article which one of his subscribers did not like.
The angry man, meeting Thomas on thebanks of the St. Clair River, picked him up and threw him in.
Thomas was a good swimmer and reached the shore in safety.
But he did not care for the printing business any more.
During the four years in which Thomas Edison was a train-boy, he had earned two thousand dollars and given it all to his parents.
When in Detroit, he read as much as possible from the public library.
Once he thought he would begin with number one and read each of the thousand volumes.
He read until he had finished a long row of hard books on a shelf fifteen feet long.
Then he made up his mind that anyone would have to live as long as Methuselah toread a library through, and gave up the plan.
Thomas became interested in telegraphy during the Civil War.
He used to telegraph the headings in his paper ahead one station.
He thought this a good way to advertise.
He finally bought a good book about electricity.
Soon the basement of the house at Port Huron was filled with many things beside printing presses.
He used stove-pipe wire, and soon had a telegraph wire between the basement and the home of a boy friend.
Perhaps it was a good thing that all the children in the Edison family were not like Thomas.
Had they been, the poor old house would scarcely have held them.
But the mother was proud of all that Thomas did.
She did not worry over the bottles, wires, strings, and printing presses.
About this time Thomas did a brave thing.
The station agent at Mt. Clemens had a baby boy two years old.
This baby crept on to the track in front of a train just coming in.
Quick as thought, young Edison rushed to the track and saved the child at the risk of his own life.
The baby's father was very grateful and offered to teach Thomas telegraphy.
Of course, Thomas was very happy, and accepted the offer.
He came to Mt. Clemens every evening, after working hard all day.
He did so well that, in five months, he was given a position at Port Huron.
He earned six and one-quarter dollars a week.
He worked almost night and day, so that he might learn all he could about it.
His mother said that the world would hear from her boy some day.
Afterwards he worked in several places.
In Indianapolis, though not yet seventeen, he invented his first telegraph instrument.
This was thought to be a great thing for so young a boy to do.
He lost several places because he tried new ways.
At last, he was obliged to walk nearly all the way to Louisville because he had no money.
Here he was given a good position.
He stayed several years.
Under the telegraph rooms was an elegant bank.
One day, while experimenting, he spilled a great bottle of acid.
This acid went through the floor into the bank below.
Of course it spoiled the ceiling, handsome carpets, and furniture.
So the unfortunate inventor had to leave Louisville.
He finally gave up trying to be a telegraph operator.
He opened a little shop.
He invented many things, and kept on thinking.
He could not make his inventions successful, for he had little money.
He thought so hard that he forgot everything else.
Once he was asked to speak before a company.
He forgot all about it.
They sent for him, and found him at the top of a house putting up a telegraph line.
He went in his working clothes to make his speech.
He felt queer when he found a room full of elegant ladies.
But he made a good speech.
Then he went to New York.
There he walked the streets three weeks, looking for work.
Nobody wanted a man who experimented.
By chance, he one day went into an office where the telegraph instrument was out of repair.
He offered to fix it.
They laughed at him, but let him try.
He succeeded in fixing it.
They gave him a good position.
From this time on there were better times for him.
After this the world soon sang his praises; and, in the next ten years, Fortune poured into his lap half a million dollars.
This was the result of his thinking.
The man who was in charge of the United States Patent Office called him "the young man who keeps the pathway to the Patent Office hot with his footsteps."
Mr. Edison believed that two messages could be sent over the same wire at the same time.
Of course the world laughed at the idea.
But soon our inventor managed to send four messages over the same wire at the same time.
Then the world stopped laughing.
People said, "This young man is the greatestinventor of his age, and a discoverer as well."
The Grand Trunk train-boy had proved a genius.
When twenty-six years of age, he married a young lady of Newark, Miss Mary Stillwell.
Three years later he moved to Menlo Park.
This was twenty-four miles from New York.
It was not a pleasant place, but he hoped to work there in quiet.
He had so many visitors that he could not work.
He said, "I think I shall fix a wire to my gate, and connect it with a battery so that it will knock everybody over that touches it."
But he was really kind.
He would smile pleasantly, and explain patiently to anyone who wished to know about his inventions.
At Menlo Park he built a great laboratory.
This was filled with batteries and machinery.
Here all the world came to see his wonderful talking machine.
It is called a phonograph.
What do you think Mr. Edison called this machine?
He said, "I have invented a great many machines, but this is my baby, and I expect it to grow up and support me in my old age."
Would you like to know the names of some of his inventions.
One is the carbon telephone.
The tasimeter measures the heat even of the far away stars.
The electric pen multiplies copies of letters and drawings.
Over sixty thousand are now in use in this country.
The automatic telegraph permits the sending of several thousand words over the same wire in one minute.