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  CHAPTER II

  AN UNUSUAL LAD

  Professor Gray turned to the box and began moving the metal switch armsback and forth, thus tuning in more perfectly as indicated by theincreased and clearer sound and the absence of interference from otherbroadcasting stations, noticed at first by a low buzzing. In a momentthe music came clear and sweet, the stirring tune of "America." When thesound of the cornet ceased, there followed this announcement:

  "My subject is the early life of Thomas Alva Edison."

  Everyone settled down most contentedly and Gus saw Bill hug himself inanticipatory pleasure; the lame boy had always been a staunch admirer ofthe great inventor. There was no need of calling anyone's attention tothe necessity for keeping quiet. Out of the big horn, as out of aphonograph, came the deliberate and carefully enunciated words:

  "It has been said that 'the boy is father to the man.' That may beworthy of general belief; at least evidences of it are to be found inthe boyhood of him we delight to speak of as one of the first citizensof our country and probably the greatest scientific discoverer of alltime. The boyhood of this remarkable man was almost as remarkable as hismanhood; it was full of incidents showing the tendencies that afterwardcontributed to true greatness in the chosen field of endeavor of a mindbent upon experiment, discovery and invention.

  "Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, in the year 1847. Theprecise date, even to Mr. Edison, seems somewhat doubtful.

  "He was a frail little chap, with an older brother and sister. But hewas active enough to have several narrow escapes from death. He wouldn'thave been a real boy if he hadn't fallen into the canal and barelyescaped drowning at least once.

  "Then while he was a little bit of a fellow, climbing and prowlingaround a grain elevator beside the canal, he fell into the wheat bin andwas nearly smothered to death.

  "Once he held a skate strap for another boy to cut off with a big ax andthe lad sliced off the end of the fingers holding it!

  "Another time the small Edison boy was investigating a bumblebee's nestin a field close to the fence. He was so interested in watching the beesthat he didn't notice a cross old ram till it had butted in and sent himsprawling. Although he was then 'between two fires,' the little lad wasquick-witted enough to jump up and climb the fence just in time toescape a second attack from the ugly old beast. From a safe place hewatched the bees and the ram with keen concern. But Edison says hismother used up a lot of arnica on his small frame after this doubleencounter. The little lad early learned to observe that 'It's a greatlife if you don't weaken!'

  "Mr. Edison tells this story about himself:

  "'Even as a small boy, before we moved away from Milan, I used to try tomake experiments. Once I built a fire in a barn. I remember how startledI was to see how fast a fire spreads in such a place. Almost before Iknew it the barn was in flames and I barely escaped with my life.

  "The neighbors thought I ought to be disciplined and made an example of.My mortified parents consented and I was publicly whipped in the villagesquare. I suppose it was a good lesson to me and made the neighbors feeleasier. But I think seeing that barn burning down made me feel worsethan the whipping,--though I felt I deserved that, too.'

  "The Edisons moved to Port Huron, Michigan, and lived a little way outof the town on the St. Clair river, where it flows out of Lake Huron.The house was in an orchard, but within easy walking distance of thetown. There was no compulsory school law in those days and young Edisondid not attend school, but his mother taught him all she could. She wasa good teacher--she had taught school before she was married--but evenshe could not be answering questions all the time. There was a publiclibrary in town, so the boy spent a good deal of his time there. Hewould have liked to read all the books in the library--but he started inon a cyclopedia. He thought because there was 'something abouteverything' in that, he'd know all there was to know if he read itthrough. But he soon found question after question to ask that thecyclopedia did not answer. Some of the books he took home to read.

  "Mr. Edison, the boy's father, had built a wooden tower that permitted abeautiful view of the town, River St. Clair and Lake Huron; one couldsee miles around in Michigan and over into Canada. Mr. Edison chargedten cents a head to go up and get the view on top of this tower. Veryfew people came, so the tower was not a great success. But the boy wentup there to read, not caring so much for the view as to be alone.

  "Young Edison read all he could find about electricity. That alwaysfascinated him. But the father seemed to have a hard time making aliving and Al, as they called the boy, went to work. He began sellingnewspapers in Port Huron, but there was not much in that, so he got achance to sell on the seven o'clock train for Detroit. He applied at theGrand Trunk offices for the job and made his arrangements before he toldany one. He had to be at the station at 6:30 A.M. and have his stock allready before the train started, which compelled him to leave home atsix. The train was a local with only three cars--baggage, smoking andpassenger. The baggage car was partitioned off into three compartments.One of these was never used, so Al was allowed to take that for hispapers to which he added fruits, candies and other wares.

  "The run down to Detroit took over three hours. His train did not startback till 4:30 in the afternoon, so the lad had about six hours in thebig city. He took all the time he needed to buy stock to sell on thetrain and to eat his lunch. This left him several hours for reading inthe Detroit public library, where he found more books on the subjects heliked, more answers to appease his never abating curiosity."