The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-02

II am little confused, sir, by som,
unexpected changes that 1 have founC
about here this morning; will you be gooC
enough to give me little information p
"With pleasure, sir
Il have missed some important letters
that | looked for from New York and the
West. | wish to communicate with M
frien Is at once. Win you please tell mt
where | can find a telegraph Office
"The telegraph Office l don't under
stand, you, sir p
81 wish to send messages to my friendi
at those points"
"Well, sir, l know of no other way tC
send them than through the postoficc
here"
''Do you mean to say that there is nc
telegraph line from here TO New York p
"My dear sir: what do you mean by {
telegraph line p
"A telegraph line-a line of wire on
which l can send messages by electricity.
81 fear something is wrong with you
sir" said the gentleman, gravely. Nc
such thing exists. No such thing can
exist"
'Nonsense !" said Ephraim, waxing iu.
dignant. "How do you suppose the after.
noon papers to-day will get the quotations
of the Liverpool markets of to-day? How
will the brokers learn to-day the price Of
securities at the meeting of the London
stock exchange this morning?" ?"
"You are speaking very wildly, sir,
said the gentleman, stepping close to Eph.
rain and using low tone, while the
crowd laughed. "You must be more care.
ful or persons will regard you as insane. -
"Tnsane! Who? Because l tell you
what everybody knows, that we get cable
news from Europe every day?
"Cable news! cable news What does
the old fool mean ?" shouted the crowd.
"What do | mean p exclaimed Eph-
rain in passion, II mean that you are
pack of idiots for pretending to believe
that there is no such thing as a telegraph,
and no such thing as a telegraph cable to
Europe" +"
The crowd sent up shout of derisive
laughter and rushed at him as if to hustle
him and use him roughly The gentle
man to whom he had spoken seized him
by the arm and hurried him away. When
they had turned corner the man stopped
and said to Ephraim:
"HOu appear to be sane man, although
you speak so strangely. Let me warn YOU
to be more careful in the future. IF you
should be taken up as a madmau and con
signed to a mad-house, you would endure
terrible suffering aud find it very difficult
to secure release"
II dm perfectly sane" said Ephraim.
"and | cannot comprehend why you think
what have said strange. | wanted my
letters, and l wished in their absence to
correspond by telegraph, because am ex-
pecting cargo of wheat to-day, which
am to ship to Liverpool by steamer"
"By steamer There you 90 again.
Nobody can know what you mean by
steamer"
Steamer Steamship A ship that
crosses the ocean by steam; without sail /!
You know what that is, certainly r.
''I have heard some talk about a-rattle-
trap invention which used steam to make
little boat paddle about on the river
here, but as for crossing the ocean-well,
my dear sir, that is a little too ridiculous"
Ridiculous Why
"lardon me" said the man, II see YOU
are incorrigible; must bid you good morn
ing" and he bowed politely and hurried
away.
"Well, well p said Ephraim, standing
still and looking after him helplessly, ''it's
queer, very queer l don't begin to un-
derstand it all. l am half inclined to be-
lieve that the world has conspired to make
game of me, or else that my poor wits
really are astray. don't feel as certain
of them as a clear-headed man should"
While he spoke, the bells of the city
rang out an alarm of fire with furious
claDgor, and in few moments he saw,
dashing past him, an old-fashioned hand
engine pulled by score or two of men
who held rope. The burning building
was not many hundred yards distant from
Ephraim, and he felt an inclination to see
it. When he reached the scene, men with
leather buckets were pouring water into the
engine" while other men were forcing the
handles up and down, with the result
that thin stream fell upon the mass of
flames.
lie had an impulse to ask somebody
why the steam fre-engines were not used,
but every one seemed to be excited and
busy, and he remembered what his friend
had said to him about steamers. So he
expressed his disgust for the stupidity of
these people in a few muttered ejacula-
tions; and then, suddenly bethought him
of his business.
He resolved to 90 down to the wharf
where he had expected to ship his cargo,
and TO ascertain what the situation was
there.
As he came near to the place, he saw
that it had changed since he last saw it,
but handsome ship lay in the dock and
men were carrying bags of grain aboard of
her.
THAT must be my cargo" he said; "but
what on earth do they mean by loading it
in that manner, and upon a sailing YES
sci ?"
He approached the man who seemed
to be experimenting the work and said :
''ls this Ephraim Batterby's wheat ?"
The man looked at him in surprise for
moment, and then smiling, said
''No, sir; it is Brown & Martins
"When did it arrive ?"
yesterday"
"By rail ?"
by rail ] What do you mean by
that p
81 say did it come by rail?"
"Well, old man, have not the least
idea what you mean by "rail," but if you
want to know I'll tell you the grain came
by canal boat"
"From Chicago?"
"Never heard of Chicago. The wheat
came from Pittsburg. What are you ask
ing for, anyway"
"Why I'm expecting some myself, by
rail from Chicago, aud l intend to ship it
to Liverpool in steamer-that is, added
Ephraim, hesitating, "if can find one" 8"
"Chicago! rail steamer! Old chap,
I'm afraid you're a little weak in the top
story. What do you mean by Chicago ?"
"Chicago Why, it's a city three or
four hundred miles west of Pittsbug; a
great centre for the western grain traffic
Certainly you must have heard of il"