Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-22
FOUR HUNDRED MILES UP

Reading about electricity, lightning
and the telegraph, the other day, said
Uncle Peter, streminded me of curious
story l once heard when / was in Eng
land"
1t seems there was newspaper in the
city of Glasgow, Scotland, which en-
ployed a London correspondent. The
correspondent made it his duty to gather
news every day and send it to Glasgow
every night by telegraph.
He made an agreement with an opera
tor at certain Office by which his news
was sent to Glasgow at reduction, by
the year.
One night he arrived at the lower door,
at the foot of the stairs leading up to the
telegraph Office. The door was locked
and he could not find it.
The operator upstairs yawned and
looked at his watch. "Jenkins won't
come tonight, said he, 81 may as well
60 to bed"
And there was poor Jenkins al the
time pounding away at the door at the
foot of the long stairs, unable to get in.
'Hillo," he cried, looking at the win
dow of the telegraph Office, that glowed
with light. ''Hillo, Jones, somebody has
locked the outside door, and can't get
in."
"What is the rowl" said'a policeman
coming along.
'pm locked out, y said Jenkins. ''Here
I've got batch of the most important
news for paper-a murder, three fires
and riot-and the door locked in my
face, and can't get in. What will |
do9''
So the policeman began banging at the
door, but Jones, the operator, up in his
Office, was as unconscious of the tumult
as if it had been in the moon. lie had
been whistling to himself, and yawning
prodigiously.
''Why don't you go to some other Of
fice7" asked the policeman.
''No authority to use any other line, "
said the correspondent 'tAhi I've got
it," he added, and before the policeman
could ask HIM what it was, the excited
Jenkins dashed down the street as if
mad dog was after him.
Jenkins rushed breathlessly into anoth-
or office, six blocks on.
81 say" said he to the operator, 'tpm
in q ixl Got news to 90 off inside of an
hour, and the stupid operator at my Office
has gone to sleep, and can't get in-and
and"
''Well, that is fix. -
''Tell you what want, said Jenkins,
endeavoring to catch his breath. 81 want
you to telegraph down to Glasgow, and
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 to his instrument and be-
gan rafting away at a great rate.
This is the message he sent:
'Glasgow-Wakeu up Jones, Station Y;
tell him Jenkins, at the foot of the stairs,
can't get in"
Jones was looking at his watch agsin,
and concluded that he had better put out
the lights and goes to his little bedroom
across the hallway, when CHATTER went
his instrument.
''There's Glasgow calling me-" said
Jones, and he hurried to his instrument,
and licked off,
''What's wantingl"
Back came the answer:
Jenkins down stairs-door fast-go
let him in. y
of went Jones witha rush down stairs,
threw open the door, End at last the anx
ious jenkins got up and sent off the
newg.
So you see how a man sent message
through solid door and up four psir of
stairs, four hundred miles around, and by
way of Glasgow, and all within twenty
minutes.
''Wasn't that four hundred miles up
stairs