The Portland daily press., 1878-04-29
MONDAY MORNING. APRIL 20.

worst looking specimen of humanity l ever
saw. The modern telegraph tramp isn't a
marker. He wore pair of jean breeches six
inches too short for him, pair of very low
shoes, the Canuck jacket and broad brimmed
butternut hat, relic of his life in Memphis.
The wide rim was badly torn and hung down
so that you could see his ear through the open
ing. There was the slight trace of dirt on his
upper Up That he called a moustache. His
hair hadn't been combed for a week. and he
wore the blacklist white shirt that ever was
seen on the back of human being Nervous
~ pinching bis upper lip-a habit that he had
he inquired for the manager and was sent to
Millikin.
Are you the boss?' Tom asked. Milliken
smiled and said be was manager. Tom then
introduced himself and asked when they wau ted
him to go to work. Milliken stared at him as
though he couldn't believe his ears and said,
the afternoon. Tom began to look around the
office for a clock, and Milken said 'Yonng
map, you have to work a pretty heavy re-
Tom gave what he called his moustache an
extra twist and with all the assurance 10 the
world 6lurted ont, fAll right boss. I'll be
he made Milliken's head swim.
Inc operators burst into a peal of laughter.
They had seen and heard everything and their
remarks were anything but complimentary to
Tom. oh, said one of them, he won't last as
long as that Jerseyman-that Jerseyman that
tackled the wire the other day. why that
fellow can't read by paper, let alone by sound. ,
shouted another. A third declared that Tom
was the worst he ever saw and
when the fourth wondered whether the walk
good there was general roar.
Weir continued Stewart, "half-past five
came and SO did Tom Every body was on the
qus UtUe. Milliksn was taking from the vault
The supply of blanks for the night operators
As Tom came up he pointed to pile of them,
saying, Take what blanks you want and 1
will show your table, Tom nnocently picked
up the whole bundle, and followed Milliken to
the table. The operators began to grin and
smoker. They all thought he would get
bounced after trying to catch one message. It
was the No. wire to New York. Jerry Borse,
then considered one of the fastest senders 10
the country, worked the New York end. As
Tom seated himself he heard the call 'B' and
turning to Milken asked if that was the call
for Boston. Yes, replied the manager watch
log Toms movements with intense curiosity
Thereupon Tom opened his kew and
licked the answer I, Ip Jerry began to whoop
EN- up in his best style, and every eye was
turned on Tom. He displayed no anxiety, but
kept right along at bis work as though he had
been taking Jerry all his life. For four morta
hours did Jerry Keep up 100 pounds to the
square inch, and for four mortal hoursdid Tom
take it down in handwriting as neat and
plain as reprint. For the first time in his life
Jerry had rushed it until he was tired. without
q break from the receiver. He was astonished
When he had finished, the following message
passed between them:
From Jerry.
who the devil are you, anyhow?
From, Tom.
pn the new man. My name is Tom Edi-
Sod
From Jerry
We'll, by "a ripping-Rep) you're the man
I've been looking for for the last ten years and
you're the only man ever found that could
take me without break. Shake
And they shook The establishment of the
boys in the Office was unhounded. There was
no more jibing or snickering. Everybody was
Toms friend at once The next day Milliken
picked up sheet of Toms manuscript and re.
fectively stroked his long beard. L never saw
such pretty copy be said. Hes as good an
operator as ever met