heroes of the telegraph-第32部分

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he　can　amuse　himself　as　he　likes；　provided　he　is　always　fit　for　work。　　Genius　is　not　wanted。

The　clerks　themselves；　reckless　of　a　culture　which　is　not　required；　and　having　a　good　string　to　their　bow　in　the　matter　of　livelihood；　namely；　the　mechanical　art　of　signalling；　are　prone　to　lead　a　careless；　gay；　and　superficial　life；　roving　from　town　to　town　throughout：　　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　States。　　But　for　his　genius　and　aspirations；　Edison　might　have　yielded　to　the　seductions　of　this　happy…go…lucky；　free；　and　frivolous　existence。　　Dissolute　comrades　at　Memphis　won　upon　his　good　nature；　but　though　he　lent　them　money；　he　remained　abstemious；　working　hard；　and　spending　his　leisure　upon　books　and　experiments。　To　them　he　appeared　an　extraordinary　fellow；　and　so　far　from　sympathising　with　his　inventions；　they　dubbed　him　'Luny；'　and　regarded　him　as　daft。

What　with　the　money　he　had　lent；　or　spent　on　books　or　apparatus；　when　the　Memphis　lines　were　transferred　from　the　Government　to　a　private　company　and　Edison　was　discharged；　he　found　himself　without　a　dollar。　Transported　to　Decatur；　he　walked　to　Nashville；　where　he　found　another　operator；　William　Foley；　in　the　like　straits；　and　they　went　in　company　to　Louisville。　　Foley's　reputation　as　an　operator　was　none　of　the　best；　but　on　his　recommendation　Edison　obtained　a　situation；　and　supported　Foley　until　he　too　got　employment。

The　squalid　office　was　infested　with　rats；　and　its　discipline　was　lax；　in　all　save　speed　and　quality　of　work；　and　some　of　his　companions　were　of　a　dissipated　stamp。　　To　add　to　his　discomforts；　the　line　he　worked　was　old　and　defective；　but　he　improved　the　signals　by　adjusting　three　sets　of　instruments；　and　utilising　them　for　three　different　states　of　the　line。　　During　nearly　two　years　of　drudgery　under　these　depressing　circumstances；　Edison's　prospects　of　becoming　an　inventor　seemed　further　off　than　ever。　　Perhaps　he　began　to　fear　that　stern　necessity　would　grind　him　down；　and　keep　him　struggling　for　a　livelihood。　　None　of　his　improvements　had　brought　him　any　advantage。　His　efforts　to　invent　had　been　ridiculed　and　　discountenanced。　　Nobody　had　recognised　his　talent；　at　least　as　a　thing　of　value　and　worthy　of　encouragement；　let　alone　support。　　All　his　promotion　had　come　from　trying　to　excel　in　his　routine　work。　　Perhaps　he　lost　faith　in　himself；　or　it　may　be　that　the　glowing　accounts　he　received　of　South　America　induced　him　to　seek　his　fortune　there。　　At　all　events　he　caught　the　'craze'　for　emigration　that　swept　the　Southern　States　on　the　conclusion　of　the　Civil　War；　and　resolved　to　emigrate　with　two　companions；　Keen　and　Warren。

But　on　their　arriving　at　New　Orleans　the　vessel　had　sailed。　　In　this　predicament　Edison　fell　in　with　a　travelled　Spaniard；　who　depicted　the　inferiority　of　other　countries；　and　especially　of　South　America；　in　such　vivid　colours；　that　he　changed　his　intention　and　returned　home　to　Michigan。　　After　a　pleasant　holiday　with　his　friends　he　resumed　his　occupation　in　the　Louisville　office。

Contact　with　home　seems　to　have　charged　him　with　fresh　courage。　　He　wrote　a　work　on　electricity；　which　for　lack　of　means　was　never　published；　and　improved　his　penmanship　until　he　could　write　a　fair　round　backhand　at　the　rate　of　forty…five　words　a　minutethat　is　to　say；　the　utmost　that　an　operator　can　send　by　the　Morse　code。　　The　style　was　chosen　for　its　clearness；　each　letter　being　distinctly　formed；　with　little　or　no　shading。

His　comrades　were　no　better　than　before。　　On　returning　from　his　work　in　the　small　hours；　Edison　would　sometimes　find　two　or　three　of　them　asleep　in　his　bed　with　their　boots　on；　and　have　to　shift　them　to　the　floor　in　order　that　he　might　'turn　in。'

A　new　office　was　opened；　but　strict　orders　were　issued　that　nobody　was　to　interfere　with　the　instruments　and　their　connections。　　He　could　not　resist　the　infringement　of　this　rule；　however；　and　continued　his　experiments。

In　drawing　some　vitriol　one　night；　he　upset　the　carboy；　and　the　acid　eating　its　way　through　the　floor；　played　havoc　with　the　furniture　of　a　luxurious　bank　in　the　flat　below。　　He　was　discharged　for　this；　but　soon　obtained　another　engagement　as　a　press　operator　in　Cincinnati。　　He　spent　his　leisure　in　the　Mechanics'　Library；　studying　works　on　electricity　and　general　science。　　He　also　developed　his　ideas　on　the　duplex　system；　and　if　they　were　not　carried　out；　they　at　least　directed　him　to　the　quadruplex　system　with　which　his　name　was　afterwards　associated。

These　attempts　to　improve　his　time　seem　to　have　made　him　unpopular；　for　after　a　short　term　in　Cincinnati；　he　returned　to　Port　Huron。　　A　friend；　Mr。　F。　Adams；　operator　in　the　Boston　office　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　recommended　Edison　to　his　manager；　Mr。　G。　F。　Milliken；　as　a　good　man　to　work　the　New　York　wire；　and　the　berth　was　offered　to　Edison　by　telegraph。　　He　accepted；　and　left　at　once　for　Boston　by　the　Grand　Trunk　Railway；　but　the　train　was　snowed　up　for　two　days　near　the　bluffs　of　the　St。　Lawrence。　　The　consequence　might　have　been　serious　had　provisions　not　been　found　by　a　party　of　foragers。

Mr。　Milliken　was　the　first　of　Edison's　masters；　and　perhaps　his　fellows；　who　appreciated　him。　　Mediocrity　had　only　seen　the　gawky　stripling；　with　his　　moonstruck　air；　and　pestilent　habit　of　trying　some　new　crotchet。　Himself　an　inventor；　Milliken　recognised　in　his　deep…set　eye　and　musing　brow　the　fire　of　a　suppressed　genius。　　He　was　then　just　twenty…one。　The　friendship　of　Mr。　Milliken；　and　the　opportunity　for　experiment；　rendered　the　Boston　office　a　congenial　one。

His　by…hours　were　spent　in　a　little　workshop　he　had　opened。　　Among　his　inventions　at　this　period　were　a　dial　telegraph；　and　a　'printer'　for　use　on　private　lines；　and　an　electro…chemical　vote　recorder；　which　the　Legislature　of　Massachusetts　declined　to　adopt。　With　the　assistance　of　Mr。　F。　L。　Pope；　patent　adviser　to　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　his　duplex　system　was　tried；　with　encouraging　results。

The　ready　ingenuity　of　Edison　is　shown　by　his　device　for　killing　the　cockroaches　which　overran　the　Boston　office。　　He　arranged　some　strips　of　tinfoil　on　the　wall；　and　connected　these　to　the　poles　of　a　battery　in　such　a　way　that　when　the　insects　ran　towards　the　bait　which　he　had　provided；　they　stepped　from　one　foil　to　the　other；　and　completed　the　circuit　of　the　current；　thus　receiving　a　smart　shock；　which　dislodged　them　into　a　pail　of　water；　standing　below。

In　1870；　after　two　years　in　Boston；　where　he　had　spent　all　his　earnings；　chiefly　on　his　books　and　workshop；　　he　found　himself　in　New　York；　tramping　the　streets　on　the　outlook　for　a　job；　and　all　but　destitute。　After　repeated　failures　he　chanced　to　enter　the　office　of　the　Laws　Gold　Reporting　Telegraph　Company　while　the　instrument　which　Mr。　Laws　had　invented　to　report　the　fluctuations　of　the　money　market　had　broken　down。　No　one　could　set　it　right；　there　was　a　fever　in　the　market；　and　Mr。　Laws；　we　are　told；　was　in　despair。　　Edison　volunteered　to　set　it　right；　and　though　his　appearance　was　unpromising；　he　was　allowed　to　try。

The　insight　of　the　born　mechanic；　the　sleight　of　hand　which　marks　the　true　experimenter；　have　in　them　something　magical　to　the　ignorant。　　In　Edison's　hands　the　instrument　seemed　to　rectify　itself。　　This　was　his　golden　opportunity。　　He　was　engaged　by　the　company；　and　henceforth　his　career　as　an　inventor　was　secure。　The　Gold　Indicator　Company　afterwards　gave　him　a　responsible　position。　　He　improved　their　indicator；　and　invented　the　Gold　and　Stock　Quotation　Printer；　an　apparatus　for　a　similar　purpose。　　He　entered　into　partnership　with　Mr。　Pope　and　Mr。　Ashley；　and　introduced　the　Pope　and　Edison　Printer。　　A　private　line　which　he　established　was　taken　over　by　the　Gold　and　Stock　Telegraph　Company；　and　soon　their　system　was　worked　almost　exclusively　with　Edison's　invention。

He　was　retained　in　their　service；　and　that　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　as　a　salaried　inventor；　they　having　the　option　of　buying　all　his　telegraphic　inventions　at　a　price　to　be　agreed　upon。

At　their　expense　a　large　electrical　factory　was　established　under　his　direction　at　Newark；　New　Jersey；　where　he　was　free　to　work　out　his　ideas　and　manufacture　his　apparatus。　　Now　that　he　was　emancipated　from　drudgery；　and　fairly　started　on　the　walk　which　Nature　had　intended　for　him；　he　rejoiced　in　the　prolific　freedom　of　his　mind；　which　literally　teemed　with　projects。　　His　brain　was　no　longer　a　prey　to　itself　from　the　'local　action；'　or　waste　energy　of　restrained　ideas　and　revolving　thoughts。　　＇The　term　　'local　action'　is　applied　by　electricians　to　the　waste　which　goes　on　in　a　voltaic　battery；　although　its　current　is　not　flowing　in　the　outer　circuit　and　doing　useful　　work。＇　　If　anything；　he　attempted　too　much。　　Patents　were　taken　out　by　the　score；　and　at　one　time　there　were　no　less　than　forty…five　distinct　inventions　in　progress。　The　Commissioner　of　Patents　described　him　as　'the　young　man　who　kept　the　path　to　the　Patent　Office　hot　with　his　footsteps。'

His　capacity　for　labouring　without　rest　is　very　remarkable。　　On　one　occasion；　after　improving　his　Gold　and　Stock　Quotation　Printer；　an　order　for　the　new　instruments；　to　the　extent　of　30；000　dollars；　arrived　at　the　factory。　　The　model　had　acted　well；　but　the　first　instruments　made　after　it　proved　a　failure。　　Edison　thereupon　retired　to　the　upper　floor　of　the　factory　with　some　of　his　best　workmen；　and　intimated　that　they　must　all　remain　there　until　the　defect　was　put　right。　　After　sixty　hours　of　continuous　toil；　the　fault　was　remedied；　and　Edison　went　to　bed；　where　he　slept　for　thirty…six　hours。

Mr。　Johnson；　one　of　his　assistants；　informs　us　that　for　ten　years　he　worked　on　an　average　eighteen　hours　a　day；　and　that　he　has　been　known　to　continue　an　experiment　for　three　months　day　and　night；　with　the　exception　of　a　nap　from　six　o'clock　to　nine　of　the　morning。　　In　the　throes　of　invention；　and　under　the　inspiration　of　his　ideas；　he　is　apt　to　make　no　distinction　between　day　and　night；　until　he　arrives　at　a　result　which　he　considers　to　be　satisfactory　one　way　or　the　other。　　His　meals　are　brought　to　him　in　the　laboratory；　and　hastily　eaten；　although　his　dwelling　is　quite　near。　　Long　watchfulness　and　labour　seem　to　heighten　the　activity　of　his　mind；　which　under　its　'second　w