Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-06-25
HOW THEY CALLED THE ENGINE

Fred, Sophie, Jack, Teddy, Emma,
and Sally Whitley were cousins, and
lived with their fathers, who were broth
ers, on three separate farms in the val
ley of the Delaware.
Fred and Sophie lived with their
father aud mother on the east side of
the valley, high up on the mountains
Their home was called the Chill
Farm"
From the lawn in front of the house
there was a wide view for miles up and
down the magnificent valley. Directly
opposite, about four miles away, were
the wooded mountains that bounded the
valley on the west.
In little cross valley could be seen a
small white house, so far off that it
looked merely like white speck. This
was called " Beechwood," the home of
Emma and Sally.
Far away to the southwest could be
seen the spires and chimneys of town,
and on hill just above the town could
be seen another white speck. This was
Hazeldell," the home of Jack and
Teddy.
Between these three houses were
miles and miles of woods and fields,
farms and orchards. There was river
flowing down through the valley, a canal
and turnpike, and several country
roads.
Beechwood and Hazeldell could be
seen from the Hill Farm, and, of course,
the boy-couSins near the town, and the
girl cousins in the side valley, could see
the white house high on the mountains to
the east. AT the same time, Beechwood
could not be seen from the town, be-
cause there was a projecting spur on
the mountain range that cut off the view
To get from the Hill Farm to Beech.
wood, Fred and Sophie took the road
down the mountain side toward the
northwest, till they met the valley road
when they turned to the left and went
over the river and canal till they struck
the turnpike, when they turned to the
right and went up the valley beside the
canal for some distance, and then turned
to the left into the lane that led tC
Beechwood Farm.
In all, = vas about four miles and {
half, though in an airline it was les
than four miles. To go to the town anC
to Hazeldell they took the same road til
they struck the turnpike, when they
kept to the left and followed the cana
and the river to the town.
In passing along Main Street they saw
the post-oflice and the steam fire. engin,
house, and Hazeldell was about quar-
ter of mile out of the town. This rid
was over ten miles, and the trip ther
, and back made good days journey.
These things are all very important
if you wish to understand the wonder
full way in which these boys and girl
used, every sunny day, to talk to eacl
l other over this wide. and beautiful
s valley.
They had a telegraph No. Or
telephonep Not at all. These thing
, would need wire from one farm t
a the other, and would cost a great des
| of money.
, Every pleasant day Fred and Sophi
would talk to the girls at Beechwood, @
t the boys at Hazeldell, and they in tur
-. would talk to the cousins in the Hi
Farm.
But if Emma and Sally wished to sa
anything to their boy-cousins at Haze
e dell, they had first to say it to Sophie G
= Fred, and they in turn repeated it to tn
n boys.
The mountain spur rather interfere
r with conversation between Hazeldell an
: Beechwood, and the talk had to 90 wa
round nearly thirteen miles by the wa
: of the Hill Farm.
V 1t all came from something they rea
Il in the newspaper, one morning in Ma,
IS while all the cousins were spending tt
d day at the Hill Farm.
j. Fred thought he could make the mi
1t chimes, and every one said he or 81
q would learn the alphabet. The alph
b betp Yes. The Morse alphabet, ofd
n and dashes. You know it. = meal
IN A, ---- means b, - means c, -
means d, means f, - means F, ct
!. The things Fred said he would NAL
v were certainly very curious.
{, First, there was piece of wood tv
feet long, five inches wide, and one inc
= thick. AT one end was fastened th
piece of pine, nine inches square, al
having in the center round hole, tv
Is inches in diameter. About three inch
Ie from the other end of the long piece
he wood, on the upper side, was bored
y, round hole, and in this was placed
e. wooden pin, that fitted rather tight
Or and vet loose enough to be easily turn,
he round bv the hand. This nin nroiectl