The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-08-06
COVER THE WIRES.

First, must tell you who am. and
how came to be in the Bayesvilie bank
in the "wec sma' hours" one drcary
December night, sone three years ag'.
Nv rame was then Olive Hudson,
and l was seventeen years old that
Mrs. Knights Dolly, who was not twelve
years old, was half a head taller than
myself
We were rich folks once, but father
died and left us very poor. Mother
struggled along in weary hand-to-hand
fight with poverty till l was sixteen, and
then died. She had rented two rooms
of Mrs. Knight, widow, also, with two
stalwart sons, one aged father, and two
|dau ehters. After mother died / was
adopted by the Knights, and, although
am earning a support as music teacher
in the Raycsyille acqdemxL-xas-Lks
one " the ianIily when was in my
gccd laud;ady's home.
They were all in good positions. but
by no means an aristocratic family.
John, the eldest son, was in New York
in a VIII hc!csale sugar house; Tom was
the nigh, watchman of the Bayesville
bank building, and grandpa-we will
call him grandpa-was telegraph opera
tor of the town. while Mary was mil
liner. and Dolly stayed ut tn" Office
send;np and RECEIVING messages.
Baysville bank building was large
granite building, containing the post
Office and the bank on the first tioor
the tclegrph Office and number OF prl,
v,te law Offices on the second floor, and
other private Offices on the third floor
Tn the basement were post office rooms,
for sorting the mail, and also the large
bank vault.
I knew the building well, for l wal
fond of telegrapbing. and spent half my
leisure time perched up beside grandpa
while he slept peacefully or read 'h'
newspapers.
And that was the beginning OF IN.
amusement at Dryden, the next station
The operaior at Dryden was a wit, ant
flashed nonsense at our Office when bus
mess was dull 1t fell fat when grandp
was in the Office, but if | was there
sent back Jest for jest, and sometime
an hour slipped by like minute as W
talked over tho wires Of every topic un
under the sun. He called himsel
"Lion." and I, for nonsense, signed my
self Elephant" laughing as did =
at the reflection of my tiny fingers IN tn
Office mirror. III.
Beyond Dryden, and only five mile
from Baysville, was c., large com
mercial town, the nearest railway sta
tion. and where an Office was Away
open for the accommodation OF traVei
AsI have said, Tom Knight was tn tn
the night watchman of the bayesv'''
bank building, and lonely time ne I'D
oft. The last mail came by stage
fonr o'clock in the afternoon, ana u, IN
nost.ofIicc was vacated at SIX. d
hank was closed at three. and by 81
o'clock every Office was deserted for tn
night. , on
grandpa, who was restless at n'Sn'' s' s
in the habit of taking down some COTE
and luncheon, as the building was onl
q stones throw from the house.
On the December night | have q o,
| ready mentioned, it had stormed heav'
all day. and had taken new class ,
the academy, coming home later in Il
i. d.v ,ban usual. and excited over II
increase in salary.
y Everybody else had gone to Sed' a! s
T was lingering over the kitchen n
u with Mrs. Knight, dreading the plun'
into nv cold room, where l had ailo~'
g the fire to 60 out. u
The clock struck twelve, and MI
Knight, lifting her face from over t
,r DO call grandpa, Olive; he's AISLE
a On the sofa in the sittlnG-room' !
'e have Toms basket ready by the I'll
: grandpa has his hat and coat .,o;n U;,
hate to call him, for he was c"i'p'alpl
of rheumatism all day, and the grou
I'D is yery wet, although the storm