d," was printed by Master
Tom.

This paper was twelve by sixteen inches in size.

It was filled with railway gossip and many other things of interest
to travelers.

Baggagemen and brakemen wrote articles for it.

George Stephenson, who built a great bridge at Montreal, liked it so
well that he ordered an extra edition for his own use.

Everybody liked it.

The "London Times" spoke of it as the only paper in the world
published on a railway train.

But the "Grand Trunk Herald" had a sad ending.

Do you know what phosphorus is?

It is a substance which will take fire of itself if not kept under
water.

Tom's bottle of phosphorus was thrown to the floor by the jolting of
the car.

Soon everything was on fire.

The conductor rushed in and threw all the type and chemicals out of
the car.

He also gave the young chemist a thrashing.

Poor Thomas gathered up what was left.

He put his things in the basement of his father's house.

Thomas's father now lived at Port Huron.

Thomas always slept at home.

He now printed another and a larger journal.

This was called the "Paul Pry."

In this he published an article which one of his subscribers did not
like.

The angry man, meeting Thomas on the banks of the St. Clair River,
picked him up and threw him in.

Thomas was a good swimmer and reached the shore in safety.

But he did not care for the printing business any more.

During the four years in which Thomas Edison was a train-boy, he had
earned two thousand dollars and given it all to his parents.

When in Detroit, he read as much as possible from the public
library.

Once he thought he would begin with number one and read each of the
thousand volumes.

He read until he had finished a long row of hard books on a shelf
fifteen feet long.

Then he made up his mind that anyone would have to live as long as
Methuselah to read a library through, and gave up the plan.

Thomas became interested in telegraphy during the Civil War.

He used to telegraph the headings in his paper ahead one station.

He thought this a good way to advertise.

He finally bought a good book about electricity.

Soon the basement of the house at Port Huron was filled with many
things beside printing presses.

He used stove-pipe wire, and soon had a telegraph wire between the
basement and the home of a boy friend.

Perhaps it was a good thing that all the children in the Edison
family were not like Thomas.

Had t