He was eager to learn something of the principles of electricity but found few from whom he could learn.
Edison arrived in Boston in 1868, practically penniless, and applied for a position as night operator.

"The manager asked me when I was ready to go to work.

'Now,' I replied." In Boston he found men who knew something of electricity, and, as he worked at night and cut short his sleeping hours, he found time for study.

He bought and studied Faraday's works.
Presently came the first of his multitudinous inventions, an automatic vote recorder, for which he received a patent in 1868.

This necessitated a trip to Washington, which he made on borrowed money, but he was unable to arouse any interest in the device.