Boyhood At Port Huron, Michigan - 3
The home at Port Huron thus saw the first Edison laboratory. The boy began
experimenting when he was about ten or eleven years of age. He got a copy of Parker's
School Philosophy, an elementary book on physics, and about every experiment in it he
tried. Young Alva, or "Al," as he was called, thus early displayed his great passion for
chemistry, and in the cellar of the house he collected no fewer than two hundred bottles,
gleaned in baskets from all parts of the town. These were arranged carefully on shelves
and all labelled "Poison," so that no one else would handle or disturb them. They
contained the chemicals with which he was constantly experimenting. To others this
diversion was both mysterious and meaningless, but he had soon become familiar with all
the chemicals obtainable at the local drug stores, and had tested to his satisfaction many
of the statements encountered in his scientific reading. Edison has said that sometimes he
has wondered how it was he did not become an analytical chemist instead of
concentrating on electricity, for which he had at first no great inclination.
Deprived of the use of a large part of her cellar, tiring of the "mess" always to be found
there, and somewhat fearful of results, his mother once told the boy to clear everything
out and restore order. The thought of losing all his possessions was the cause of so much
ardent distress that his mother relented, but insisted that he must get a lock and key, and
keep the embryonic laboratory closed up all the time except when he was there. This was
done. From such work came an early familiarity with the nature of electrical batteries and
the production of current from them. Apparently the greater part of his spare time was
spent in the cellar, for he did not share to any extent in the sports of the boys of the
neighborhood, his chum and chief companion, Michael Oates, being a lad of Dutch
origin, many years older, who did chores around the house, and who could be recruited as
a general utility Friday for the experiments of this young explorer--such as that with the
Seidlitz powders.
Such pursuits as these consumed the scant pocket- money of the boy very rapidly. He was
not in regular attendance at school, and had read all the books within reach. It was thus he
turned newsboy, overcoming the reluctance of his parents, particularly that of his mother,
by pointing out that he could by this means earn all he wanted for his experiments and get
fresh reading in the shape of papers and magazines free of charge. Besides, his leisure
hours in Detroit he would be able to spend at the public library. He applied (in 1859) for
the privilege of selling newspapers on the trains of the Grand Trunk Railroad, between
Port Huron and Detroit, and obtained the concession after a short delay, during which he
made an essay in his task of selling newspapers.
