The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-23
MEN WHO FACED THE FEVER.
FIDELITY IND COURIGEIN THE South
ERN TELEGRAPH OFFICES.
Operators Standing mt their Instruments until
they were me- Longer Able 10 stand-Fncts
to Make Men Proud OF Human Nature.

operators stnndtng mt thetr Instruments until
they were me- Longer Able 10 staud-Fncts
TO Make Men Proud of Human Nature.
When the story ~ the great scourgc In
tho South is told it will bc found that Of the
many who have hcroically stood by their posts
tclcgrnphcrs IRE behind none
Frcd. II. Moxon. u youth VI ~ years was the
first tclcgraphcr to- succumb. He was employed
in the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Oflicc in
New Orleans. His illness proved TO bo we'll
defined case ot the fever. For several days he
lay between life and death. He became conval-
cs"cnt on the ninth day. and two dnys after on
a sunday he reported himself ready Tor duty
next day. On that fatal Sunday, however, he
was mprudcnt enough to cat heartily Of spring
chicken. He had u relapse ut once and died
four days ultcrward His mother. who lived in
Washington, upon hearing Of his sickness.
went TO Now Orleans rs a nurse. contrary TO all
cntrcatics " her family. Her fate is not known.
Hugh Irvine. chief operator of the Western
Union Office. was taken down few days utter
MoXon but he died eleven days before him. IT.
vine was n native Of Toronto. und was employed
for some limo previous to 1869 In Louisville
| Then he went to New Orleans. where his rise
| was rapid He was about % years old.
rs soon ns 1t was known that an operator was
| taken down in New Orleans tho fraternity in
Galveston sent 500 fer tho relief of any who
/ might he attacked. This example was followed
| in other cities. L. ". Barnes. the man igcr VI
the same office in which Irvine worked. died
Hitor very short Illness, Oh Aug. 81 lie was
ono OF the oldest tecgraphers IN the country.
Histwo daughters. Harriet aged ~. and Matilda
lsadore, agud 10. died ten duys altcrward io
! WIS 40 years old.
Meanwhile the fever was brcaking out nj
| other points among the tclcginphers. Thomas
] r Marshall, the manager ot the Grenada Office.
was soon called away from the onl 20 by fever in
| his family. He ran from the onc" IT, his iniu-
| nv aud back again. until having buried three
| children. u" was taken down. with Il fourth
child in the throcs ol death by his side, md
| died On the first Ut this month. His wife thus
| added 10 her list OF dcnd father, mother.
| uncle. auit and three children. husband.
| These all died Of tho fever, and Mrs. Marshall.
was unable 10 attend the burial Of It's
iSH, cm ian Tnc duties o. the tclGTr"bh 3Gies
He was at one time one OF the last tour white
! male residents 81 the town remaining IN i who
wer" hot sick. He averaged twenty hours labor
daily. until no fell an easy victim because 81
his Exhausted condition. All thu while he was
looked upon az the only hope Of tho untortu-
nate town, being ne only means OF comrnuni.
| eating to the world without all trains having
been quarantined. Trains passing through the
the mail was not allowed To be forwarded. Rcd
ding was natiyc of MatshRll County. Miss, %
| years old. for five years he was statiOnn, al
| Grenada. He corrcspOndcd for the N,,r York
Times, On the sofia oi August Rcdding was al
tackled white az his instrument, Two lays be-
| fore John +. Hcaberg II volunteer from Winoua
Miss. came TO his assistance. and tho day aftor
kedtins was attacked Heabcrg was taken.
leaving Grenada without any communication
with the world Tor several days When this
condition OiaiiHirs was known. David Flannsry.
volunteered To- open the Grenada Office. He
ioura that kcdding and Marshall were both un.
der the sol aud that Ileabcrg WAS dying. Red.
ding aid Marshall died on III. Same day. and
were hurried nm hour anu half after DEATH
The uny attendant ut their graves WAS the
negro who drove the cart containing tile collins.
H. Au.rG - Commissioning.
~ Memphis the fraternity has been almost
totally Frustrated. On Sept. there were only
the chief operator and one assistant ia tho day
aud two operators al night out Of "a forco Of
fifteen men. These four men did double duty
W to Wednesday last Then Acting Chief
Operator J. W. Mcdonald was taken with the
irycr: McD9nald Wns attacked while sending u
hand on tho key. He WAS carried home. and the
latest heard from him. lao was improving. Nc,
wife and three children IN CINCINNATI.
whose wife died Of the scoIree Operator Mai.'
ford, whose family is ,prostrnted with It, and {.
one Of tie rs - cd dc H. Mynatt T died va" o
the l3th John j Connolly on tho 10Th and
lishmdn. who came to this country during the
great strike 81 the teegrHphers in 1869. He
stood by the boys 10 the end and made him
sell worry popular IN Consequence. T.; W. Glib
son Is ut the point Of DEATH This is all that is
known % tho regular force. Ii Is believed 9th
crs nre dead. Volunteers have gone o. MI the
pncrs. but these succumO very readily Mar
lin keyrs. volunteer from Louisville. died on
tue 9Th. II. NJ. Goewey. a volunteer from
Pittsburgh. was stricken on the sih. and died
four days aftcrward. lie was an old timer.
as tho telegrHphers Of the old school speak Of
each other. GOewey wac widely known in tho
West, where tor many wears no served in his
profession; lie was 80 years old. aud WAS al
keeper u. Wash and the wite of Batteryman
Clements died last Friday IL Memphis. J. J. 5.
taken sick last Thursday. Is not expected Ia live.
II" LETT wife ana child. SraldinG vert through
the, epidemic In New Orleans in ls67. aud has
Memphis. who was stricken down. Is conval-
escinc. The little messenger boys who arc
rarely referred 70. have suffered greatly.
TO return 10 New Orleans. where tho number
Of telegraphers 10 large. the prgstrations have
been almost proporiionate with Mlmphi.. The
Wolf died sept. I. Thosr am idGl are Chg.rlcs
T. Chase. chief operator; Charles II. smith Paul
b Hunter. and c, II. ii, Cotirell, Several have
volunteered To- illl the places Of these men. Ed.
Weedcn, who WAC "lnpoyed in the rnRin office
u this city len on the 3lst ult for New Orleans.
lie worked three days, and WAS taken with
III. foyer, lie Is not expected 70 recover. His
vie md two childTsn nre with him; ,o,.
At Brook Haven. Miss. {. NJ. Carr and George
LonnoN. who volunteered from St Louis, wore
taken down on the list inst. Carr died lnst Friday.
Carr was another old timer" The old man
NIGER VI. T.. Flippen. and chief operator, Jack
Tinney. are running the ycksburg office.
Was that Of Ben Fortune Of Hickman. NY. lie
was taken with the scourgc on the sth. but
would not leave his instrument for two days.
though urged by physicians. In those two days
he worked his koy 80 rapidly that the best Ope-
rntors were required 10 take his matter. On the
third day OF his illness he WAS driven 10 the
oiil,e in u buggy, but was obliged 10 turn back
and he died next day.
Tho operators ut Jackson, Tenn. and Port
Gibson, Miss, are suffering with the fever.
Mr.. John Van Horne. General Superintendent
Of the southern Division has list Of sixteen
volunteers from various parts Of tho country
who mr." roady TO 60 where sent some OF tho
oldest aud best known operators are on the list
| Tho afflicted operators are attended by nurses
hired 10y the companies at 1850 u day. aud
other expenses are paid from money raised by
the fraternity.
MOBILES C.IN'T GIT AWAY CLUE