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281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
191
In
1864,
tempted
by
a
better
salary,
he
removed
to
Memphis,
where
he
found
an
opportunity
of
introducing
his
automatic
repeater,
thus
enabling
Louisville
to
communicate
with
New
Orleans
without
an
intermediary
clerk.
For
this
innovation
he
was
complimented;
but
nothing
more.
He
embraced
the
subject
of
duplex
telegraphy,
or
the
simultaneous
transmission
of
two
messages
on
the
same
wire,
one
from
each
end;
but
his
efforts
met
with
no
encouragement.
Men
of
routine
are
apt
to
look
with
disfavour
on
men
of
originality;
they
do
not
wish
to
be
disturbed
from
the
official
groove;
and
if
they
are
not
jealous
of
improvement,
they
have
often
a
narrow-minded
contempt
or
suspicion
of
the
servant
who
is
given
to
invention,
thinking
him
an
oddity
who
is
wasting
time
which
might
be
better
employed
in
the
usual
way.
A
telegraph
operator,
in
their
eyes,
has
no
business
to
invent.
His
place
is
to
sit
at
his
instrument
and
send
or
receive
the
messages
as
fast
as
he
can,
without
troubling
his
mind
with
inventions
or
anything
else.
When
his
shift
is
over
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.
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