The telegraph changed the world, making instant communication possible across long distances. It was the first step towards the great communication revolution that shaped the modern world.
The second half of the 19th century saw a rapid spread of the telegraph. This gave Edison an opportunity to travel and see the country, enriching his experience. The United States had more than fifty telegraph companies, by 1851. The telegraph spread its net wide, with the newspapers using it to gather news and business houses, to send money by ‘wire’ or to check the stock market prices.
Edison learned to send and receive messages on the telegraph using the Morse code. When he was 15, Edison started to drift around the country as a ‘tramp telegrapher’, working at various places to operate the telegraph. This went on for five years, starting in 1863. He preferred to work at night, spending the days reading science books or working on new gadgets.
Edison had already started to lose his hearing, but thankfully he was still able to hear the telegraph clicks. Edison acquired considerable skill at sending messages on the telegraph, and later he worked for the Union Army during the American Civil War. His hobby during his spare time was to take things apart to see how they worked. This led to a passion to invent new things.
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