Arduous Years In The Central West - 9

Arduous Years In The Central West - 9

Drifting after a time from Louisville, Edison made his way as far north as Detroit, but,

like the famous Duke of York, soon made his way back again. Possibly the severer

discipline after the happy-go-lucky regime in the Southern city had something to do with

this restlessness, which again manifested itself, however, on his return thither. The end of

the war had left the South a scene of destruction and desolation, and many men who had

fought bravely and well found it hard to reconcile themselves to the grim task of

reconstruction. To them it seemed better to "let ill alone" and seek some other clime

where conditions would be less onerous. At this moment a great deal of exaggerated talk

was current as to the sunny life and easy wealth of Latin America, and under its

influences many "unreconstructed" Southerners made their way to Mexico, Brazil, Peru,

or the Argentine. Telegraph operators were naturally in touch with this movement, and

Edison's fertile imagination was readily inflamed by the glowing idea of all these vague

possibilities. Again he threw up his steady work and, with a couple of sanguine young

friends, made his way to New Orleans. They had the notion of taking positions in the

Brazilian Government telegraphs, as an advertisement had been inserted in some paper

stating that operators were wanted. They had timed their departure from Louisville so as

to catch a specially chartered steamer, which was to leave New Orleans for Brazil on a

certain day, to convey a large number of Confederates and their families, who were

disgusted with the United States and were going to settle in Brazil, where slavery still

prevailed. Edison and his friends arrived in New Orleans just at the time of the great riot,

when several hundred negroes were killed, and the city was in the hands of a mob. The

Government had seized the steamer chartered for Brazil, in order to bring troops from the

Yazoo River to New Orleans to stop the rioting. The young operators therefore visited

another shipping-office to make inquiries as to vessels for Brazil, and encountered an old

Spaniard who sat in a chair near the steamer agent's desk, and to whom they explained

their intentions. He had lived and worked in South America, and was very emphatic in

his assertion, as he shook his yellow, bony finger at them, that the worst mistake they

could possibly make would be to leave the United States. He would not leave on any

account, and they as young Americans would always regret it if they forsook their native

land, whose freedom, climate, and opportunities could not be equalled anywhere on the

face of the globe. Such sincere advice as this could not be disdained, and Edison made his

way North again. One cannot resist speculation as to what might have happened to

Edison himself and to the develop- ment of electricity had he made this proposed plunge

into the enervating tropics. It will be remembered that at a somewhat similar crisis in life

young Robert Burns entertained seriously the idea of forsaking Scotland for the West

Indies. That he did not go was certainly better for Scottish verse, to which he contributed

later so many immortal lines; and it was probably better for himself, even if he died a

gauger. It is simply impossible to imagine Edison working out the phonograph,

telephone, and incandescent lamp under the tropical climes he sought. Some years later

he was informed that both his companions had gone to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and had died

there of yellow fever.