The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-01-11

81 guess I'll mend that break, {" said
the Colonel in the presence of the Duke
of Newcastle.
"Have you the wire to do it with9''
inquired his Grace.
"No," answered the Colonel, "but
l guess III send for some"
"But, SIR" said the Duke, somewhat
alarmed, I'VE can't do without YOU.
and I'm sure we can't wait here day
or two, while you send 10 the nearest
station, which understand is 10 miles
away, for the repairing material"
am repair the break and not detain
you longer than the time you will re-
quire to dispatch your lunch, return
ed theimperturbable Colonel, and while
he was still talking to the credulous
Duke-to whom, however, he had given
no hint how the repair was to be effect
ed-a train came in sight, in a twink
ling it was upon them, and as it passed
the spot where the party was congre-
gated, at tremendous burst of speed,
coil of wire was thrown from the bag
gage car, and in half an hour
THE BREAK WAS REPAIRED.
The Duke after referred to the fact as
a most striking example of what was
known as "fast" America, AMI even
after the simple explanation of the
''trick," he still thought it marvellous,
and could only have been performed in
America. The case was simply this:
As soon as Col. Wilson found the wire
broken, and while in communication
with the nearest station in the direction
in which the wire was not broken, he
had given orders to put a coil of wire
on the next train, with instructions To
throw it off at the point where the COM
pany would be found making halt.
Even while he was giving this order,
the answer was returned, "The train
is now in sight, and hence he could
calculate that it would reach the point
at which they were camped in less than
half an hour. 1t was about twenty
minutes later that he had the CONVERSE
ton with the Duke, and hence it was
that while they were still talking over
the matter, the train came in sight
SIGNALS BY STEAM.
At one time, in the early winter
months, one of the company's cables,
crossing the Mississippi, was broken
As bad luck never comes singly, it so
happened at the time that the river was
wild with floating ice, and it was liter
ally impossible for those on one side to
communicate with those on the other by
the ordinary methods. In this dilen-
ma it occurred to Col. Wilson to bring
locomotive into requisition. As quick
ly as possible he submitted himself to a
short but comprehensive course OF in
structiou with reference to working the
whistle of his new continuance; and
having acquired the art, the iron horse
was pranced to point near the rivers
side, and the Colonel began to blow
his horn," az he never blew it before
or since. People in the town
on the opposite side wondered for a
long lime what had got into that loco
motive, but all of sudden telegraph
operator over yonder began to pick up
his ears, and exclaimed, "Why, that
darned locomotive is calling this tele-
graph station; it is giving our signal. y"
Then it occurred to the operator what
was wanted, and, engaging a locomo-
tive on his own side of the river, he ran
it to convenient point, and then en-
sued what must ever be regarded as
one Of the loudest Ineligible CONVEX
stations on record. The method ofeon-
fab proved perfectly satisfactory.