Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
Four Hundred Miles up Stairs.

"Reading about electricity, lightning, and
the telegraph, the other day." said Uncle
Peter, reminded me of a curious story once
heard, when 1 was in England"
1t seems there was newspaper in the city
of Glasgow, in Scotland which employed a
London correspondent. The correspondent
made it his duty to gather the news every day
and send it to Glasgow every night by tele-
graph.
He made an arrangement with the operator
at certain office, by which news was sent to
Glasgow at a reduction by the year.
One night he arrived at the lower door, at
the foot Of the stairs leading up into the tele-
graph Office The door was locked and he
could not open it.
The telegraph Office was way up to the top
of the building, in the sixth story The OPP
orator had bed there, to which he retired
promptly at three o'clock, and it was now
half past two
The operator up stairs yawned and looked
at his watch ."Jinkins won't come tonight"
said he; 81 may as well go to bed" And
there was poor Jinkins all the time pounding
away on the door at the foot of the long stairs,
unable to get in.
"Hillo, up there !" he cried, looking at the
window of the telegraph Office, that glowed
with light. "Hillo, Jones' Somebody has
"What's the row ?" said policeman COM
ing along.
'Tm locked out" said Jinkins. "Here
I've got a batch of the most important news
for my paper-a murder, three fires, and riot
and the door locked in my face; and can't
get in. What will do )?
So the policeman began banging the door,
but Jones, the operator, up in his office, was
as unconscious of the tumult as if it had been
in the moon. He was whsting to himself
and yawning prodigiously.
"Why don't you 90 to some hother hoffice!"
asked tho policeman.
"No authority to use any other line"
said the correspondent. "Ah I've got it,"
he added, and before the policeman could ask
what it was, the excited Jinkins dashed off
down the street as if mad dog was after him.
Jinkins rushed breathlessly into another
telegraph Office, six blocks off.
81 say" said he to the operator, ''I'm in
fix. Got news to go off inside of half an hour,
and the stupid operator at my Office has gone
to sleep, and I can't get in-and-and-
and"
''Well, that is fix"
"Tell you what want" said Jinkins, en-
deavoring to catch his breath Il want you to
telegraph down to Glasgow ask the operator
there to telegraph up here to Jones, and bid
him come down stairs and let me in"
The operator roared with laughter at this,
but went at once to his instrument, and began
rattling away at great rate.
This is the message he sent:
"Glasgow. Wake up JONES' Station X.
Tell him Jinkin's at the foot of the stairs !;
can't get in"
Jones was looking at his watch again, and
concluded that he had better put out the
lights and 20 to his little bed room across the
hallway, when clatter, CHATTER; went his in
strument.
"There's Glasgow calling me" said Jones,
and hurried to his instrument and licked off :
"What's wantingT"
Back came the answer:
"Jinkins down stairs-door fast-let him
in"
OFF went Jones down stairs with a rush !;
and at last the anxious Jinkins got up and
sent off his news.
So you see how man sent message
through solid door, and up four pairs of
stairs, four hundred miles around, and by way
of Glasgow, and all within twenty minutes.
Wasn't that four hundred miles up stairs p