Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-11-07

The father Immediately received this |
from Jennie: "A thousand thanks for
your permission John and marry at
once. The telegraph stupidity made his
name George, but of course you meant
John"
How it happened that John was so
wonderfully convenient is, probably,
not our concern, and we can only hope
that the father and Jennie have never re-
eretted this mistake of the telegraph.
The hieroglyphical..c characters supposed
to be writing in some messages handed
in over the Office counters is sometimes
fearful and wonderful to contemplate.
The telegraph is only used in cases of
Importance or emergency, and the incor-
rect reading of single word in con-
densed telegram is apt to render it not
only valueless, but is liable to lead to
serious misconstruction.
Business men especially should bear
in mind that a plain, clear chirography
not only lessons the liability to error,
but helps to hasten the forwarding of a
message.
To illustrate the carelessness of some
mems writing is the story of that Eng
lish nobleman who wrote to friend in
India to "plaase send at once two
monkeys;" but he wrote the two with
out crossing the t, and otherwise SO
blindly that his friend mistook it for
1000, and on the first boat came thirty
five monkeys, with q note saying the
balance would follow as soon as so large
an order could be filled.
The members of the press are not ex-
empt from this careleSsness of untrans-
latable handwriting. l remember q
special sent by metropolitan reporter
from small town, describing an execu-
tion. The sending operator complained
of the writing, and stumbled along
slowly and grumblingly, finally Gaping
the climax by saying the "doomed man
then arose, partook of hearty break
fast, and went out and buried himself
with his fife" The city operator re-
quested a halt, and after a long silence
and evidently much study, was told by
the sender to change the last five words
to "busied himself with his pipe"
Mentioning newspapers, recalls mes
sage sent by an energetic Cincinnati edi
tor who had heard false rumor of a
heavy rain and flood in the country edi.
tors vicinity, to the editor of country
weekly. 1t read:
"Send us particulars of the flood"
The reply was quite prompt:
You will find full account in
Genesis"
An operator gets accustomed to these
messages, and also to such as: Send
me two daughters of an outcast;" or,
"We have no desperate men," for he
rightly concludes that the last-mention-
ed are either to or from some book
dealer.
Why telegraphers, as a class, are SO
seemingly careless and mirthful need not
be discussed here. Perhaps the lively
character of the fluid with which they
are brought into constant contact is
transfused and causes this effervesence
of mental activity. One of their honored
customs in the initiating of an operator
fresh and verdant from some small coun,
try place into his new position in city
office, with its babel of sounds and per.
picking rush and hurry, reminds one O.
college hazing, or the sailors baptize
ment on his first crossing of the line.
: Tile victim is requested to take
Especial" How timidly he sits down
and how nervously he sharpens his pen
, Gil to take for the first time in his lift
/ press for the papers. How the instru
: ment buzzes when he says " go ahead,
, and closes his key. He feels the watch
J full eye of the chief and he must not, h
will not, fail in his first trial. And
Y oh! what dispatch for a newspaper
y 1t begins all right about a railroad acci
= dent, but in some mysterious way thi
: connects itself with a temperance con
vention, which branches into fire cause
i by a walking match, with Congress call
e ing upon Mexico to prevent the duel be
tween the polar expedition and the Pa
J.. ciic railroad which
= He stops matters for an investigation
O AM wonders if it's lie or the correspof
/, dent lat is entirely daft. Then he rub
= his amazed head, and looks cautiousl
: around and discovers that he seem
/ the sole object of interest to the Others
1t and if he takes good naturedly the roal
j. of laughter and the pointed question
d that greet him when he also discover
is that his wonderful dispatch originate
y in the fertile brain, and by clever switcl
n ing of the wires, was sent by the tastes
% operator in the Office from the other en-
d ofthe room to test him, he has take
one long step toward fraternizing.
t. The all night men while away til
= tedious hours after the dropping of bus
ID ness with conversation and stories; an
al the better the story-teller, and Il
is fresher his jokes, the more popular
le is. And how easy to dispose of Dor
;" 1t is said that on one of the circuits b
tween New York and Chicago and il
of termediate cities, the all-night men hi
I'd only to request one of their co-laboreI
n who had no other fault than his lon
t. pointless stories, to relate somethin
le and then, unknown to him - t,
r. they had no desire to offend hi
as would cut him out of the circu
is and have social good time for an ho
n OF Two. On readjusting the wires t.
of honest and solitary story-teller wou
it be rattling along, unconscious of his lo
of auditors, and perfectly happy in the
lie remarkable attention. Perhaps t
)r. reader has in his youth told with mu
x enthusiasm q capital story to a slee
"A bedfellow to find, on nearing the en-
ed that his companion was sound aslee
mt It's rather depressing.
l. A story, first told by San Francis
ult paper, ! will venture to repeat here
ed no better reason than because it
strictly true. 1t often happens that te
zen graphers are called into service at [
are representation of stage play, in whi
M occurs what is known as a telegra
t a scene," such as the one shown in Byro
60 "Across the Continent" or Boucicau,
lily Long Strike" and at such times
/ operator behind the scenes manages
lad amuse himself by talking" to the au
gh ence, unknown of course to only tn
ell of the fraternity who are present.
rk. drama of Across the Continent" W
the several years ago produced at cert
CHI hall, and for the manipulation of
To telegraph instrument which plays an
to portant part in the most exciting SC
for. Of the play, an operator, whom we