k as a newsboy, young Edison decided it was time to move up in the world, so be began working as an operator in telegraph offices. Subsequently, Edison was able to fully operate the complicated telegraph machine, by the time he was only 16 years old. Edison's childhood was one of much strain and difficulty, however it provided a foundation for Edison's subsequent determination and high level of perseverance that would provide the driving forces for his success as an inventor.
             Despite Edison's profound success, life was far from easy for Edison as a young man. In total, Edison spent a mere three months in formal education; an amount much lower than that of a typical young boy living in the mid-19th century (Thomas Alva 1). Edison was forced to acquire the majority of his education on his own, with little outside assistance. Edison's mother taught him the basics of reading and writing, however the rest was up to him. His first job as a newsboy aided in his literary proficiency, for he often read the articles for sale at his newsstand(Billington 33). This not only helped him with his reading skills, but it also taught him a lot about current events, as well as scientific information. According to the Henry Ford Museum, an early age, "Edison was curious about the world around him and always tried to teach himself through reading and experiments"(1). Edison also acquired much of his knowledge through the shadowing of his father, Samuel. Edison frequently watched his father's experiments, which taught him much
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