In 1868, Edison returned home to find his beloved mother was falling into mental illness and his father was out of work. This left Edison disadvantaged, with fewer and fewer opportunities for employment. However, as the technology advanced, receivers were increasingly equipped with a sounding key, enabling telegraphers to 'read' message by the sound of the clicks.

Initially, Edison excelled at his telegraph job because early Morse code was inscribed on a piece of paper, so Edison's partial deafness was no handicap.

He developed an unrestricted style of thinking and inquiry, proving things to himself through objective examination and experimentation. The night shift allowed him to spend most of his time reading and experimenting. In 1866, at age 19, Edison moved to Louisville, Kentucky, working for The Associated Press. In his spare time, he read widely, studied and experimented with telegraph technology, and became familiar with electrical science. He will occupy a unique and exalted position in the history of his native land, which might well be proud of his great genius and undying achievements in the interest of humanity.” (Nikola Tesla)”įor the next five years, Edison traveled throughout the Midwest as an itinerant telegrapher, subbing for those who had gone to the Civil War. For it will retain a perfect mechanical memory of many things which we may forget, even though we have said them.” “We know nothing we have to creep by the light of experiments, never knowing the day or the hour that we shall find what we are after.” “Everything, anything is possible the world is a vast storehouse of undiscovered energy.” “The recurrence of a phenomenon like Edison is not very likely. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man - and I will show you a failure.” “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” “Hell, there ain't no rules around here! We're trying to accomplish something.” “I always invent to obtain money to go on inventing.” “The phonograph, in one sense, knows more than we do ourselves. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” “Restlessness is discontent - and discontent is the first necessity of progress. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.” “I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill.” “I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy.

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