Omaha daily bee., 1881-07-21

phatic order on their departure on
their perilous three months trip. The
small number of Creighton's patrol
rendered an open campaign against
the Indian marrauders impossible. All
repairs to the line were done in the
night, and all breaks on il were made
in the day time The mode of
destruction was as follows: A
party of young Cheyennes or
Sioux would gallop up to a
telegraph line and throw a RATA or
rope over the wire, and then start off
at full gallop, tearing down the wire,
which was usually coiled up and car
ried away to be concealed. The mis-
chievous redskins would then deploy
up and down the line, each buck
squatting himself down at the base of
a telegraph pole, where he kindled a
fire of sage brush or grease wood, and
after lighting his pipe would sit and
wait patiently untilthe tall pole burn
ed through and fell. The labor of cut
ting or digging up the poles was too
much for the lazy savages; and as time
was no object to them, they waited
until the poles fell. The military pa.
troll, safe within its impregnable cor
rail- of wagons loaded with telegraph
poles, could see the work of destruo-
ton going on up and down the line,
but dared not move out of camp until
night concealed their movements.
The Sioux and Cheyennes have al
ways been very superstitious about
the talking wire," as they call 1t,
and for several years after the In
dian war broke out refrained from
meddling with the overland line. In
order to impress the minds of these
wild beings with the mysterious pow.
er of the telegraph, a great council
was called at Scott Bluffs, when the
line was first built; two of the great
chiefs were stationed at posts in the
open plain, between the Chimney
rock and Scott Bluffs, and each sent
messages through telegraph operators,
which promptly delivered. Then
the chiefs mounted their fastest
horses and galloped to meet each
other, and asked what the message
was or the words he had spoken tc
the wire; the result astounded them
they could not explain it, nor has il
ever been understood by them, and tc
this day a telegraph operator or mar
engaged in the repair or management
of the "talkative-w wire is regarded as
a medicine man" and a person to BIZ
let alone. 1t was to this superstition
that Creighton's men owed their lives
and exemption from attack.
With the appr'ach of night tele.
graph destroyers usually disappeared,
and the repairers would start forward
upon their thrilling and exciting trips.
The horses hoofs were muf1ed with
blanket pads to prevent noise. Nc
saddles were used, 80 as to render the
horses lighter in case of retreat OF
pursuit by the Indians. The instruc,
tions were, in Ease of interruption by
the Indians, to scatter into the brush
and each to silently escape as best he
could to the camp. One party would
dig holes and insert the burning tele.
graph pole, after driving a large mai
upon which to hang the wire. The
hammers used were thickly padded sc
as to muff1e the sound of the knock,
ing. No talk was allowed, and only
whispers when unavoidable. Creigh,
toms work was usually the most dan,
gerous. His task was to unreel a thin
thread like wire covered with green
silk, and stretch it from one end o.
the break to the other, suspending the
frail wire upon the top of sage brush
or weeds. ~ this slight, delicate
Wire the people Of California received
sometimes a whole days news. Blu
woe to the wire if jack-rabbits were
thick, or a bear or stray poney crossed
it, as they often did. The frail thread
would break, and the people of Cali
or night.
Sometimes the Indians camped or
the line. In that event Superinten
dent Creighton would start out alone
IN the darkess, make a circuit of the
Indian camp, reach the line beyond
Cuc DICdh duu dtCdCii lid pOChCU III
strument, and commence to talk t.
Omaha or San Francisco, send mes
sages to operators on the line, ant
then return to camp IN time to escape
capture. The Indians never move
about at night, hence there was little
danger of meeting them in the dark.
ness. When moving from place tc
place the ten wagons loaded with tele
graph poles proceeded in two lines
the men in the center. When the In
dams appeared a corral was formed
instantly, stock in the center and mer
at the breastworks formed by the tel,
egraph poles. But while this little
patrol was pursuing its daring and sol
itary work, lively times were being
enacted not far from them, and many
brave men we're dying by bullet, ar
row, tomahawk and Indian torture.
A JOTTINGS.