The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-04
The Talking Wire How the Indians
Regard the Telegraph.

must be kept up at any cost. Such was
the imperative order of Gen. Patrick Con-
nor, the noted California Indian fighter, to
veteran patrol upon the old California
trail ON the North Platte during the last
year of the civil war. Men were scarce
and the Indians were more numerous than
ever before. Connor was organizing the
largest military expedition that was ever
sent into the hostile Indian country. He
had determined upon road from Fort
Laramie through the Big Horn, Tongue
river and Upper Yellowstone country to
Bannock and the Montana mining regions,
and to obtain force large enough to insure
success, nearly every military fort or stock
ade on the telegraph line was depleted of
fighting men, 1t was in the summer of
1865, and times were very exciting in the
East kilograms were eagerl y sought for
in California, but the difficulty in keeping
open an uninterrupted electric line through
five hundred miles of hostile Indian country
was only realized by the brave but scattered
military patrol engaged in that duty.
Wherever the redskins crossed the line they
tore down the wire, burned down the poles,
and in many instances carried away the
wire, and, after coiling it up, would throw
it into the nearest creek or river. The
three hundred miles of line between Fort
Laramie and South Pass were intrusted to
the care of thirty young men of the Eley-
enth Ohio Cavalry, under command of the
late Edward Creighton, of Omaha, the
superintendent of the overland telegraph
line. 1t was to him and his small band Of
cavalry that General Connor issued the
above terse and emphatic order ON their de-
parture on their perilous three months trip.
The small number of Creighton's patrol
rendered an open campaign against the In
dian marauders impossible, All repairs to
the lines were done Ia the night, and all
breaks in them were made in the day time
The mode of destruction was as follows A
party of young Cheyennes or Sioux would
gallop up to the telegraph line and throw a
RATA or rope over the wire, and then start
off on full gallop, tearing down the wire,
which was usually coiled up and carried
away to be concealed. The mischievous
redskins would then deploy up and down
the line, each buck squatting himself down
at the base of telegraph pole, where he
kindled fire of sage brush or grease-wood,
and after lighting his pipe would sit and
wait patiently until the tall pole burned
through and fell. The labor of cutting
down 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 patrol, safe within its
impregnable corral of wagons loaded with
telegraph poles, could see the work of de-
struction going on up and down the line,
but dared not move out of camp until night
concealed their movements.
IMPREssING THE GREAT CHIEFS.
The Sioux and the Cheyennes have al
ways been very superstitious about the
talking WIRE" as they call it, and for sew
eral years after the Indian war broke out,
refrained from meddling with the overland
line, In order to impress the minds of
these wild beings with the mysterious power
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 Chimney
Rock and Scott Bluff, and each sent mes
sages through telegraph operators, which
were 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
to the wire the result astounded them !;
they could not explain it, nor has it ever
been understood by them, and to this day
a telegraph operator, or man engaged in the
repair or management of the talking wire
is regarded as medicine man" and man
to be let alone 1t was to this superstition
that Creightons men owed their lives and
exemption from attack.
PERILOUS WORK.
With the approach of night the telegraph
destroyers usually disappeared, and the re-
pairers would start forward upon their
thrilling and exciting trips. The horses
hoofs were mufied with blanket pads to
prevent noise. No saddles were used, so as
to render the horses lighter in case of re-
treat or pursuit by the Indians. The in
structions were, in case of interruption by
the Indians, to scatter into the brush and
each man to silently escape as best he could
to the camp, One party would dig holes
and insert the burning telegraph pole, after
driving in large nail upon which to hang
the wire. The hammers used were thickly
padded, so as to muffle the sound of the
knocking. No talking was allowed, and
only whispering when unavoidable Creigh-
tons work was usually the most dangerous.
His task was to unreel thin, thread-l like
wire covered with green silk, and stretch it
from one end of the break to the other, sus-
pending the frail wire upon the top of sage
brush or weeds. By this slight, delicate
wire the people of California received some
times whole days news But woe to the
wire if jack-rabbits were thick, or bear or
stray pony crossed it, as they often did.
The frail thread would break, and Califor-
MIA got no more news for that night or day.
PLUCKY OPERATOR.
Sometimes the Indians eamped ON the
line. In that event Superintendent Creigh-
ton would start out alone in the darkness,
make circuit of the Indian camp, reach
the line beyond the break and attach his
pocket instrument, and commence to talk
to Omaha or San Francisco, send messages
to operators on the line, and then return to
camp in time to escape capture. The In
dians never move about at night, hence
there was little danger of meeting them in
the darkness. When moving from place
to place the ten wagons loaded with long
telegraph poles proceeded in two lines, the
men in the centre When the Indians ap-
peared corral was formed by the telegraph
poles But while this little patrol was pur-
suing its daring and solitary work, lively
times were being enacted not far from
them, and many brave men were dying by
bullet, arrow, tomahawk and Indian tor
ture-,San Francisco E.caminer.
The Kind of Husband.
If you cannot find a gentleman to marry,
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