Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-09-07

He wires" them. And he doesn't explain
To the operator what he wants to do with
the blank. Presumably he wants TO write
message. And as for the matters referred
to 10 that 'msg" and the party for whom it
is intended. the operator will know all that
he wishes TO know-and sometimes much
more than you want him to know-soon
enough.
SO | watched this passenger write his
photographic dispatch" First he asked the
operator What day of the month is
tins ?" There was nothing unusual IN that.
All men ask that Ii is the opening line in
the regular formula Of sending "msg." You
may know what date it is before entering
the office, you may even have it impressed
upon your mind by having a note fall due
on that day, but the moment you poIse your
pencil over the blank, that date flies from
your mind like the toothache from a den
tlst's stairway. So when the man asked
What day Of the month is this ?" | was
not surprised. | oUurteously answered him.
a. cover TO approaching his position but
he did not believe me. lie repeated his
question, and made the operator answer.
Then knew he was very new at il. He
spoiled three blanks before he got a "tele-
even that ls not very uncommon. \ man
always uses stationery more eNtrayagantly
IN another mans office than he does At
home. Then he wrote every word IN the
body Of the dispatch very carefully and dis
tinctly. but scrambled hurrIcdly over the ad.
dress, As though everybody knew that As
well he did. and dashed Of his owu Sig-
nature in blind letter style. as though his
name was A. familiar to the operator as 1t
was 10 his own family. man will write
cunningham" so that no expert under the
skies will tell whether it was joylngton
or Caring, or Cummagen. or Carrenton,
and when the operator points to Il and asks,
What u this p the writer will stare at hlm
IN blank amaIement for a moment, and
then answer why, that's my name r.
We'll yes, know that" the operator will
say but what Is your name ?" Then the
man s.ll gasp for breath and catch hold Of
the desk to keep himself from falling. and
finally shout "Why. Cunningham Of
course r and look pityiugly upon The opcr-
atur. and then glance about the room nth a
PANIED, shocked expression. as on~ Who
should say "Geutiemen, YOU may not
believe Il, and | do no, blame YOU, but
heaven 1, my wI,uess-hcrc is man who
does not know that my name j. Cunning
ham hgN l. not unusual ANY operator
vi. tell YOU that he Ha. met Cunning CHAM
scores of tines and hA, moTtally offended
nm ',,rS time hy asking hts name.
Wei my tall man a.,h tie tain neck got
Aloue q .I'tlc better ihau that Shen he hand
e, the PcrA'or the following explicit mes
sage
VI. Sarah r. F'olin,1>,, blllas Ccufr,
iYlr.i
VI, dear Wife .rn the city earl, th.,
morning after eating breakfast With Prof
Morton, 1--we man 10 The temperance cause.
! expected 10 eat dinner With YOU At home
but Ne ~rre DELAYED by terrible railroad
accident. and ! narrowly Escaped being
Killed one passenger ~a. terrIhi, maugtcd
and hA. since died but | am aiy- The
conductor ,a,, canno, make connection 40
a, % come To Dallas Centre thu, morning.
but can grt there by O'Clock TIL, even.
lus hate ID ds,appo,ni yuu, hut cannot
help IT. Wnh love to mother and the
ch..aFcn. am ,our loving husband,
KnofR X FuIIIN>RfF.
The operator read il; .mled aud SAID
~ ou cAn save considerable expense and tel,
all that u really nccr,,ary. presume. by
shortening tins message down To ten wur4-
W. have NO wire directly INTO Dallas and
viii have % send this message par, &c the
Say over another line, which add, largely
to the cost of transmission shall shorten
tins for you ~ NO. Oh, no. H.. man with
the shaw replied I'm hI i, self Ten
words. YOU -ay ?" "le, .ir." II ~. a
sumner, for a fact, and the man hea,ri
dc,paIr.ng sigh, as &c prepared % hot. N.
letter down TO ten words lie Sighed
again after reading Il through once or
twice, ani then scratched out "lJa..a,
Centre, Iowa, A. though every body knew
y herr he lived. lten he erased tear, ("
and Dire" BIZ, pen slowly through "brrnkf,,t
With and IN the temperance. Then he
scratched over dinner with" and went on
~ erase land narrowly escaped" And 50
he vent On through the dispatch. Occasion
ally h. would hold It up from MIN At arm I,
length after making an era,ute. 70 get al
the general effect And Al last after much
scratching and era,iuS and with many ,.gh,,
he came 70 the window and said Here i,
TN, telrgraphic dispatch 70 my wi.e have
not been able TO cuuIrnse il into ten words,
and do not see how 1t can be done without
garbiIag the sense OF the dispatch, but #
you can d1 It, you would oblige me greatly
a. | do not SIsh 10 incur any really uu-
necessary expense" And with that he
handed the operator the following expunged
edition Of hls original message:
Mrs. Sarah Il foiiUsbee :
My Dear Wiie-I lrft the city-thls
morning after eating-prof Morton alive
cause expected 10 eat-tou at hOme. But
We were DELAYED by a terrible accident
mn ~ | L Ia,
mangled and since died but the con-
ductor-l cannot-oome 70 Dallas Centre
but cam hate mother and the children
Your loving husband
ROGER X. FoLLINsBEE.
The operator smiled once more, and IN his
quick nervous way that grows out Of all
his familiar association with the lightning
made few quick dashes with his pencil
and without adding or changing letter in
the original message, shrnelled It down 10
its very sinews, like this
Sarah Il. FoAiinsbee Daiias Centre io,cd ::
Lett city 'smonlng DELAYED by accident (;
all right home 'seveulng
There, that is all right" he said in the
CHEEKY magnetic style these operators have
Fifty cents, sir only % cents il We had
our own wire into Dallas, sir; we'll have
one next spring, too; saves YOU several
dollars, sir. That's right, thank YOU"
And the man went and sat down on a chair
by the stove and stared at that operator
until the rescuing train came along, as
though he were a worker of miracles.
And when he got off the tram at the junction
for Dallas heard him whisper softly 10 HIM
self: ''Shfollns nsbee-Clishn smorning
nothin' smatter home saftnoon.' And |
knew that he was practising his lesson, and
had caught on"