The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-01-01
still in my possession. and intend never
to part with them, for they were certain.
" the means of saving my life,
sMisrsnanr.
WIRE AaECDorEs,
curious Teiegraphic Experiences,

I'll luis W0tiu lVx ttuuylDS human nature
than in a telegraph office, says Mr..
Johnston, in q telegrapbic volume just
published, called Lightning Flashes"
You are. brought in contact with 90
many different people, made q confident
of in SO Iuenx important transactions.
meet SO many peculiar people, and see
SO many strange messages passing over
the wire, that you feel as If from some
loopho.e of retreat you were viewing
the world shorn of its shams and its
pretences. Perhaps no class of men en-
joy good joke better than telegraphers,
and they certainly often find in the or
dinary routine duties of their position
many dispatches calculated: to provoke
a smile. For instance, a Massachusetts,
man recently telegraphed to his son II
am dying; come Immediately" which
ELECTED the very sympathetic reply.
Cannot come. Let me know when you
die" A message was sent not long
since to doctor in this city from the
husband of one of his patients, which
read: "Please come down right away !;
wife very ILL.," and fifteen minutes after.
ward another, merely saying: "You
need not come. Funeral Tuesday p'-
The following message, addressed to an
insurance agent. recently passed through
the Western Union general Office in this
city: sa
"Have you received proofs Of my
death ? They were forwarded sixty
days ago
(Signedl JOHN BAIRD, deceased,
per Mary Baird"
AS the operator always follows copy,
and the senders are often little excited,
very queer messages are sometimes sent ;
for example this one: "Cousin: Go for
Auntie. Father is dying as soon as
possible" An Irishman-of course
in Palmer, Mass, sent the following
message to is brother, in New York /:
"Your wife died yesterday. We will
wake her to night Come home. P. S
Don't open this for two hours, so as
to prepare yourself for the melancholy
news"
But the most fatghah1e messiges are
generally those from love sick swains to
their sweethearts. A gentleman in the
South not long since telegraphed to his
affianced in Maine: ssYour life is rich
bouquet Of happiness. yourself the
sweetest flower. II Northern winds
whisper Southern wishes, how happy
tyou must be. Good might. Happy
dreams, sweet love Frank" The fol
lowing message recently passed through
the Chicago Office: 81 lent you one yeal
ago tonight four dollars eighty. seven
cents. II you have not had it long
enough, please keep it one year longer
To this delicate hint this answer was re
turned: "Ha6 forgotten it, and hoped
you had. Let her iun another year."
Mr. Beecher, years ago, when be was
but little known outside OF New Yorh
or Brooklyn, received Q. telegram from
a Y. NJ G. 4 in the West asking hiu
to come ON and lecture for fame. His
reply created hearty laugh in the tefe
graph office; 1t was, "Yes, will lecture
for F. A. NJ E fifty and my expenses
/ Operators occasionally encounter SOME
very strange people in tie way of Gus
TONERS. 1t is quite astonishing what
crude ideas many even intelligent peo
pie have of the telegraph A German
once brought message, to one Of the
branch offices In New York for trans
mission. 1t was so indistinctly writer
that the operator couldn't read it, and
asked to be enlightened. Hans studied
it carefully for some time, but couldn'
make it out either. Eftef Awhile, how
ever, his face frightened up and he said
"Oh, well, just send it that way! he'll
understand it!' A porter belonging tc
one of the city hotels one night handed
; the operator message and two dol
lar BILL The operator returned him tht
; lchange, and was not q little surprised te
tsee him walk of With both change sni
message.
saint you going to have the message
sent 2" he inquired.
| "Oh!" replied the porter, 81 though
you had eent it. l supposed that al
1you had to do was simply to look at it :!
A lady Of color once asked what th'
tariff was to Portsmouth.
| "What Portsmouth p asked the oper
Eatof..,
.why, just Portsmouth"
"What State is it in ?"
"The- United States"
"Yes, but there are over thirty States
| Which particular one !" >
81 never heard Of any Portsmouth
but the one" And she looked like it
j After little questioning she spoke o
Richmond, and be concluded ii was fir
ginis
"Seventy.ffve cents for ten words"
"Well, what's words l want t,
say ARRIVED safe, but my trunk hasn'
come on Please forward it at once b,
express, care of Mrs Julia Johnson
without DELAY. I'll Write as soon as ev
er have time Is that more than on
: word? 2"
He thought 1t was.
. Not long since man stopped at tn
little window of a branch Office in th
"Hnb," tie inhabitant evidently OF
little sphere of his own, outside of whic
be was lost in the ma1es Of life.
/ '.Is this the telegraph Office ?" he ash
Y led, hesitstingly..
{ The young lady operator satisfied biz
. of this fact.
: 81 want to telegraph" be proceeded
!. growing confidential, II want to tele
/: graph to my vile and tell her I misse
t the train"
"You will have to write it on one {
I those blanks said the operator, coolly
e entirely unimpressed by the Ito the ser
a der) exciting event.
2 "Oh! we'll I guess you'd better writ
it I can write," (evidently thinking
, necessary to establish this fact befoI
proceeding farther J, "but' (latteringly
t "yon. can fix it up better than / can
y "Whom is the message going to
0 asked the operator, as she armed he
e self with pen and blank,
"To-my wife-in Providence" |
a re,llicd wiffi tl,c MOS. sIihliuan iinorenr