Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-05-05
The Telegraph Folks.

When the news came Of the revolution
in Turkey and the disposition of Abdul
AziZ, Queen Victoria, it is said, lost no
time IN intervening in his behalf by tele-
graphing to COnstanunople and expressing
aer hope that the ex-Sultan would not be
subjected to any violence or ill-treatment.
''Sognes lie bien'' (take good care of him)
said hes majesty; bit the cruel telegraph
made her say ''Saignez le bein," bleed him
well; and how they bled him all the world
knows The story is not impossible.
In his last annual report the Postmaster
General owns that poor woman te graph
ing 10 a relative, ''Alary is bad, - had her
message rendered, MARY is dead" and
that pleasure party wishing TO advise their
friends at home of their safety by the as
surance that they had arrived all right"
scandalized the anxious ones with the an
louncement, ave have arrived all tight"
But many jokes are perpetrated by the
wires without official recognition
King John OF Saxony was prone to
dropping in upon officials when they least
expected him. Ole day he appeared at
the telegraph Office of q small station. The
clerk appgised Lis colleague at the next
station OF the unwelcOme visit, and before
an acknowledgement OF the warning came
was called upon to enlighten the inquiring
monarch respecting the business of his Of
fee. Presently message came along the
wire, and his majesty desired to be ac-
quainted with its purpOrt. He was told it
was unimportant; but was not to be put
of, and insisted On the message being re-
peaiel to him; so the stammeriug clerk had
no choice but to regale the royal ears with
the German equivalent for: The King
pokes his nose into everything" If King
John was annoyed bv the inpertinence,
he had to thank himself for it.
Such was hardly the case with the late
Earl Russell. One evening when he was
the Minister in attendance at Balmoral,
a little old man, buried in a great coat,
handed telegram, addressed to one of the
ministers in London, to the telegraph clerk
in one OF the sla.i5ns on the Deeside rail-
way The cerk, af er 2 alcing a. the
messenger, threw it con,emp:uOusly back
with: ''Put your name to It. It's pity
your master does not know how to send a
telegram" The name was added. why
you can't write,H exclaimed the clerk,
after vainly trying to make something of
the signature. whats your name:'
''Aly name.' said the messenger-'smy
name is John Russell.
Tne clerk was transferred TO another Of
fee befo many days passed.
Writing of the difficulty English engi-
neers experienced III making educated Per-
SLAMS understand the working OF the cleo
tric Telegraph, Mr.. M0unsey siys: Much OF
the time of one of our officers was occu-
pied during several weeks in attempting TO
enlighten the mind of provincial COVER
nor, who had got ii into his head that the
wires were hollow tubes, and that mes
sages were transmitted through them as in
a pneumatic post. In VAN was the whole
apparatus shown to his highuess; in VAIN
even all its parts explained and re-explained
he stuck to his idea; and it was only Dy
The suggestion of the following simile that
he was at last induced to relinquish it and
declare himself satisfied: Imagine" said
the officer. "a dog whose tail is here at Te-
heran ana his mdZZle in London; tread on
his tail here and he will bark there"