heroes of the telegraph-第34部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

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