Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-08-12
Four Hundred Miles up Stairs.

"Reading about electricity, light
ming and the telegraph, the other
day" said Uncle Peter. reminded
me os a curious story l once heard
when L was in England
1t seems there was a newspaper
in the city of Glasgow, in Scotland,
which employed a London CORES
poDdent. The correspondent made
it his duty every day to gather the
news and send it to Glasgow every
night by telegraph.
He made an arrangement with the
operator 1T a certain office, by which
news was sent to Glasgow at re-
duction by the year.
One night be arrived at the lower
door at the foot of the stairs leading
up into the telegraph 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 operator had a
bee there. to which he retired prompt
ly O'Clock, and it was now halt
past Two.
The operator yawned and looked
at his watch .'Jinkins won't come
tonight" said he: Il may as well
go to bed" And there was poor
Jenkins all the time pounding away
on the door az the foot of the long
stairs, unable to get in.
whats the row?' said a police
man coming along.
Il am locked out" said Jinkins
"Here I've got batch of the most
important news for any pauer-a
murder, three fires, and riot-and
the door locked in nv face, and ]
can't get in. What will / do 2"
So the policeman began banging
the door, but Jones, the operator
up in his office, was as unconscious
of the tumult as if he had been ia the
moon. He was whistling to him
self and yawning prodigiously.
.sWhy don't you go to some
hother hoffice % Asked the police
man.
No authority to use any other
line" said the correspondent. 'Ah
I've GIT it, he added and before
the policeman could ask what it was
the excited Jinkins started down the
street as if a mad dog was after
him.
J;nkins rushed breathlessly into
another telegraph office six blocks
away.
Il say," said he to the operator
I'm in a fix. Got news to go OF
inside of half an hour, ,and the stupid
operator at my office has gone to
sleep, and 1 cant get in-and-and-
and"
"Well, that is a fix"
Tell you what want said Jink,
ins, endeavoring to catch his breath
Il want you to telegraph down to
Glasgow, and ask the operator there
to telegraph up here to Jones, and
bid him TO come down stairs and lei
me in."
The operator roared with laughter
at this, but went at once to his in
strument, and began rattling away
at great rate.
This is the message he sent:
Glasgow. Wake up Jones, Sta
ton Y. Tell him Jinkins at the
foot of the stairs. can't get in"
Jones was looking at his watcl
again, and concluded that he had
better put out the lights and go tc
his little bedroom across the hall
way, when clatter, clatter went hi;
instrument.
There is Glasgow calling me, ,
said Jones, and hurried to his in
strument and ticked of: What's
wanting?"
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 Jink-
ins got up and sent off his news.
$50 you see how a man sent a
message through a solid door and
up f,ur pair of stairs, four hundred
miles round, by the way of Glasgow
and all happened within twenty min
utes.
"Wasn't that four hundred miles up
stairs go