The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-05-31
EBENSBURG, Pa, THURSDAY, MAY 81 1860
Telegraphfc AnecdOte.

Some ten years or more ago, there was
upon the New York and Washington tel
egraph line, at the Philadelphia station,
an operator named Thayer, who, besides
being an adept at the business, was gen.
tleman of culture and wit, and exceedingly
fond of a joke, no matter at whose expense.
At the New York terminus of the line
there was, upon the contrary, steady,
matter-ot-fact sort of man, who was no APP
preciator of jokes and never practised them.
The President Of the line was the Hon. Il.
b. French, for many years Clerk of the
House of Representatives at Washington,
wit, poet and humorist, and of course
appreciated humor wherever he came
across it.
Thayer took it into his head one day to
send dispatch to some fictitious name in
New York, for the purpose of enjoying a
laugh at the expense Of the operator at
New York. Accordingly he composed
and forwarded the following:
PHILADELPHIA, April l, 1916.
To Mr.. Jones, New York: Send me ten
dollars at once, so that can get my clothes.
(Signed) JULIA.
13 words, collect 81 cents.
Lie OpcIdlOT NGW OIh, SuS ptCII-
ing any joke, asked the Philadelphia op-
orator for the address.
The Philadelphia operator replied that
the young lady didn't leave any; and
asked him to look in the directory for it.
The New York operator replied that he
had already done so, but that as there
were over fifty Joneses IN the directory
he was at loss to know which one to send
it to.
"1f that is the case,' says Thayer, "you
had better send copy to each OF them,
and charge 81 cents apiece"
The New York operator did so, and |
will give the result of the arrangement in
the words of the President, Mr. French,
from whom, few days after this affair,
Mr. Thayer received the following letter
NEW YORK, April 6, 1916.
Mr.. THAYER-Sir \ few days since
you sent despatch, purporting to come
from one Julia, addressed to Mr.. Jones
New York The New York operator in
formed you that he desired an address, as
there were upwards of fifty Jones in the
directory, and he was at loss TO know
which one Of them it was designed for
| You replied that in that case he must send
a copy to every one of them, and charge
upon each and the operator at New \ Iork
! in the innocence Of his heart, did so.-
| Some twenty of the Joneses paid for theil
| dispatches, but there was one sent to the
residence of an elderly merchant by tha
name, who being away from home when i
arrived, it was opened by his wife, anC
was the occasion of a very unpleasan
domestic scene Mr. Jones has been t.
see me in relation to the matter, ant
threatens to sue the company for damage
taking the thing very much to heart.
Now all this is very funny, and a goo'
joke, and | have laughed at it as hearth.
as anybody; but you had not better try /
again, or any of the rest of the operator
upon the line, if you value your situations
Some ter years since there was a yer
ludicrous, and at the same time natural
blunder perpetratcd on the line betwee
this city and New York. \ gentlema
sent dispatch requesting parties in Ne'
York to forward sample forks by express.
When the message was delivered it rea
thus: 'forward sample for X. s."
The parties who received it replied b
asking "what sample X. S. wanted
OF course the gentleman came to tn
office and complained that the despatc
had been transmitted wrong, and the ol
orator promised to repeat it. Aceordingl
[ he telcgraphed the New York operate
that the despatch should have read: ''fo
z ward sample forks The New York o.
: orator having read it wrong in the tir
instance, could not decipher it differentl
now; he replied that "he did read it, san
;, pie for X. s. and SO delivered it.
"But," returned the Boston operate
''I did not say for X. s., but forks"
!. "What numbskull that fellow is
Boston," exclaimed the New York oper
: tor in a rage. ''He says he didn't say fl
X. s., but for K. S.
The Boston operator tried for an ho'
v to make the New York operator read
r "forks," but not succeeding, he wrote Il
despatch off upon a slip of paper and 70
warded it by mail, and it remained
e standing joke upon the line for maj
a months afterwards.
n nsa- Faith said an Irishman, who eou
/ | NOT orat into his cabin at Rallipparry h