New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-14

General Arson Stager, vice president and
Western manager, used to be York State
printer boy, aud about the time the tele-
graph got into running order he turned his
attention to telegraphy, and soon became
an expert at the business. About twenty
years ago he was still an operator, and the
possibilities of the telegraph were yet, in q
large measure, in embryo. At this time
Pittsburg was the Generals headquarters.
One bitter cold night he found himeelf on
the cars on the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne
railroad. All of q sudden the train came to
halt Time passed and still there was no
forward movement. Finally, after half an
hour had gone, our operator made bold TO
inquire what the matter was, and was in
formed that the locomotive had gone back
on them, and that they would be compelled
to wait ct least four hours for relief.
"HOw are we to be relievedp inquired
Mr. Stager.
"The conductor is hoofng it to the next
station, nine miles away" was the answer.
why didn't you call met" inquired our
operator.
"Call youY What could you have dOnep'
II would have teleRraphed,"
"Are you an operators"
Eyes, sir"
"Hsve you an instrument"
"Ne"
Then what good would it have done to
have called you; you can't telegraph with
out en- instrument"
"Yes can" said the ambitious Anson,
land if the officers of the road are willin 9
| Ill make the attempt"
rectors' car, well filed with dignitaries of
the road, was attached to the train. These
were exceedingly anxious TO reach Pitts
burg TO attend an important meeting, and
the delay was exceedingly annoying to
them. Although incredule1s to the last
degree, they gave the word to Ego ahead, !"
| and all of them ''atood round" in the bitter
| cold to witness the experiment.
DGtaching several car lengths of the con-
ductOr's bell rope, our operator threw it
| over the telegraph wire, and broke it as
near Rs possible 10 the middle between two
| poles. Having succeeded in this enter
| prise, he was not little chagrined to find
that the wire vas not charged. Nothing
daunted, the ssDguine Arson tackled
another wire, and the only other one there
was. This proved to be well charged, and
prepared to act responsive to his desires.
He now prepared to make both ends
meet" in more than q metaph0rical sense.
Securing all the slack he could, he brought
the two ends together, and by expert
touches succeeded in calling the nearest
office. He then sent brief message, call
ing q fresh locomotive TO their aid. The
| operator felt considerable confidence that
his message had been properly transmitted
and received, but he wanted to be fully
satisfied, and how to receive q message in
return WAS the problem.
The sense of hearing, on which the opera
| tor had been accustomed to rely, failing
+, him for want OF an instrument, it was NEG
essary to call some other sense or faculty
into requisition, and hence he decided on
that of feeling or touch, and concluding
that the tongue was the most sensitive 20
electricity OF all the parts of the human
body, he accordingly applied the wire
thereto. But this was not enough. Ground
connection had to be established How.
ever, even this want was overcome. The
railroad track was made to DO duty, and
did its work remarkably we'll, though it
was cold comfort for our operator to hold
on to the rail in the nipping frost with the
bare hand. But he made his circuit. and
as he held the end of the wire to his tongue
he soon felt the shocks, and ives thus en-
abled through tactual impression, TO read
what the operator nine miles away was put
ting on the wire.
Meanwhile the conductor was trudging
his lonely way along, but before he had
gone half the distance to the station he was
met by the locomotive hurrying to the rec
cue. He was utterly COMPOUNDED and moi
little terrified TO see the monster booming
along, and made frantic efforts to bring il
| to o halt by placing himself directly on it,
path on the track and swinging his arml
for dear life. He succeeded in attracting
the engineers attention, and as soon as he
came in speaking distance he wanted to
know "what in the hi he was doing on
the track on liz time" "Been called. ,
was the answer. WHO called your
Been telegraphed for by broken dowI
train some five miles along here. The
superintendent himself sent the order
The conductor now found himself in regu
lar fog, but got on the locomotive, aDC
when he reached the train lost no time il
seeking Light Chicago Times.