The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-04-30
Select STORY.
A Telegrapher's Experience,

A Telegrapher's Experience
A few years ago, as was riding on an
out-of-the way railroad in one Of the old
second cars of more prosperous road,
was very much annoyed by the ineessani
rafting of the car windows. It's said
that misery loves company, aud l at last
shouted my feelings on the subject to the
passenger beside me-a middle-aged, bust,
ness looking man-who shouted back:
ayes, it is pretty noisy, but it don't
mean anything, aud amt dangerous
"What!" | shouted, thinking he had
not caught my meaning,
Il say it is perfectly meaningless, aud
don't mean any mischief he shouted,
smiling.
'What the mischief do you mean?' l
shouted.
''You probably never heard window
talk nationally, not 10 say intelligentiy?
( be said.
pNot that can remember, said l, lit
tie ironically. ibid your
Il have, said he, "and as soou as we
stop / will not only make window talk,
but possibly getan answer from some other
window.
began to think that had let the man
cod me long enough; and became very
much interested in the scenery along the
road.
"Centreville! Twenty minutes for din
nerls shouted the brakeman opening the
door after screwiug up the old-fasbiOnsd
brake
When we had stopped, my neighbor
touched me on the shoulder and said,
Nov just let me sit by that window, and
| viii show you something amusing, and
aflerward tell you a story-for thereby
hangs the tale.
Ichanged seats with him. and he, taking
hold of the window, began to rattle it at
lively rate, pausing every few seconds to
listen. Pretty soon | was surprised to
hear a window at the other end Of the ear
behind Us rattle 10 the same manner.
"Now," said the Stranger, task me
question about the back Of some special
person sitting behind US without either of
US looking behind,
"WeI, said 1, describe to me the ap-
pearance Of the back of the head Of, say
the outside passenger in the third seat be-
hind US
He ratified the window and then listen.
ed to the answering window. Then he
said:
There is no person Just sitting there.
Try again.
looked aud sure enough be was right
So | made il the fifth seat
'Short blaek hair, parted behind, one
side grey, high shirt collar and coat collar /
turned up Railroad ticket in the back Of
his hat, said my companion at the win
dow.
Stepping back | found that the deserip- /
ton was correct, one side Of the maa S ,
hair being turned white, probably from I
disease.
"HoW did You do it?a asked as | took
my seat again.
"By telegraphy,' he said 81 at first
sounded the single word 'Firel' over and
over till it caught the trained ear Of an
operator in the other eDd Of the car
about one-fourth Of the men and women
understand telegraphy now-a-days-and
he telegraphed what wanted to know
So you see that window may rattle intel
ligibly.'
eyes" said l, "and now about the tale
which hangs thereby"
"Ten years ago | was telegraph ope-
rator at a small town in New Jersey, but
my health was failing, | gave up the stu
alton, and taking an agency, travelled west
ward until | reached San Francisco.
While there | took fancy to visit a min
ing region, so selecting suitable goods to
sell to miners, went and satisfied my Gu
riosity, made little money ara was re-
turning in stage-eoach, when the Incl
dent | am about to relate occurred, or at
east began to occur.
"There were besides myself three inside
passengers; an old gentleman of sixty, and
.wo roughly dressed men, apparently mi
lers. These two men sat at opposite ends
IF the coach, not appearing to know each
'ther, while the old gentleman and nay
'elf sat close together. | noticed that the
I'D gentleman had a tin or iron box be-
ween his legs which he seemed anxious
o keep out of sight.
CATER short conversation with him |
IN all subjects l allowed myself to DRIFT
gently into doze, and while 10 that COZ ,
lition my car, trained as it was to the in !
elligent sound of the telegraph instru-
nent, caught faint tic, tic, which resoly-
ID itself into the following words !
"Bill, the young one is going to sleep ,
md | will tend to him while you pitch !
he old one out over the precipice, when,
make the signal, and secure the box"
81 was now vide awake as if had been /
called BY an operator to receive a mes 9
age; but / pretended to be still doing, 8
while listened intently Then | heard
he window rattle, and it read S
GAN right, Rob. We viii be to the {
Big Jump in twenty minutes and then
1--WE the word and out he goes" /
Taking a curious look from between t
ny eyelids | saw that one of the villains !
vas telegraphing by vibrating knife a
'lade between his teeth; Ehild the other 5
sed the window for that purpose, neither f
f them appearing to notice the other. @
II knew the pFeeipiOe to which ho re-
erred, terrible place where a miner had t
nee jumped of in fit Of despair at his c
ad luck, from which it was known as the f
BIG Jump. How to communicate to the a