The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-01
Tho First Telegraph.
INTERESTING INCIDENTS RELATED pY THE
OLDEST syRvIvn;G OPERATOR.

ness interests involved with those OF the
telegraph companies, the story Of the a. first
strike" and OF the drst telegraph lines in
the United States, told by one Of the first
telegraph operators, cannot fail TO he OF In
terest 10 the public. "The operator" was
found by a reporter Of the Public Ledger
in the person Of Captain Louis Nj. Chas-
tesu, who now commands the Park Guard,
hut who salso an old journalist. Captain
Chasteau readily consented to give the de-
sired information, and with no mcmoran~
DUN excepting bis appointment as one OF
the operators for the Magnetic Telegraph
Company, he said:
The first telegraph line in this country
was constructed between Baltimore and
Washington about the year 1915, under an
appropriation made by Congress. Profess
sor Samuel +. q. Morse, the inventor OF
the Morse Alphabet was superintendent
Of the line, Alfred Vail was assistant SUI
perintendent In Washington. Henry j..
Rodgers was assistant superintendent at
Baltimore, Lewis Zantzinger was operator
nj Washington. and / was operator at Bal
timore. All OF those have mentioned are
now dead, 20 that I am the oldest operator
In the United States. The line was OF cop
per wire covered or wrapped with cotton.
relay magnet being kept In box three
feet long. which was always Kept care
fully locked, the ~ lstant superintendent
keeping the key. No insulators were
known at that time but scaling-waX, glass,
oiled silk. and very miserable preparation
OF asphaltum. The magnates that covered
the horseshoe iron were covered with seal
ing-wax, and there were no such things rs
fhumb-screws to connect two wires. All
connections were made by glass tubes tilled
with mercury, and the operators in hand
ling these. i'm case OF thunderstorm, held
in their hands large pieces OF oiled silk.
Our hours OF service were from 10 Q a.
NJ, to =. NJ, and from to 6 u. NJ.
al remember the first arrest which the
telegraph enabled the authorities to make
was that OF negro, who was ward
room servant OF naval officer. The fell
low took the train from Baltimore. and
was arrested on alighting from the cars at
Washington by Detective Cook. The Off
Ger placed his hand on the Negroes Shout
der and said Il will take that money and
jewclry you stole from Commodore -
The colored man was badly frightened,
and, with the anxious query, How you
know dat! p handed over the stolen prop
erty.
1.-The congressman would telegraph from
Baltimore to the Washington hotels at which
they had been stopping to know the amount
OF their bills. The answers were considered
TO be wonderful test OF the accuracy OF
the telegraph. In fact, ut first it was little
more than a plaything. Our principal
business consisted in sending the names OF
persons to Washington; the operator there
would write it back and the paper bearing
the indentation would be handed TO the
party, together with card upon which
the Morse alphabet was printed. The ey-
perimentor was then expected to decipher
the writing ut his leisure.'
Captain Chasteau gave an interesting ac-
count OF the FIRST telcgraph-news service,
and continued:
"Aiter the telegraph had proved success
full between Baltimore and Washington
company was organized to operate line
between New York and Washington. /
left the Government employ in 1917 and
went to New York with Samuel Colt, the
inventor Of the revolver, who was then re-
duced in means, but who had been given
the Use OF the Morse patents by Professor
Mcrse. A young man named Elias
Caldwell. from Virginia, and /, con-
stTucted line from Brooklyn to Co.
ney Island. l operated the line from the
latter point, the object being to report
the arrival of shipping 1t was on this
line that cable was first used. Colt in.
cased wire in lead pipe, and this was
sunk in the East river, but it did not work
very well. The anchors of vessels were
constantly dragging it, and / remember
once, when the cable was hauled up by the
anchor OF foreign vessel. the captain
thought he had a prize, and pulled half of
II aboard ship before he knew what it was.
then went to Boston and built line from
that place to Hull, for the same object as
the New York and Coney Island line.
"About that time Henry D. OReilly
took contract to construct a line between
Baltimore and Philadelphia. He had for
In assistant James ID. Reed. IL capable man.
The scientific men at that day said that a
wire between Philadelphia and Baltimore
OF iron, and of the thickest proposea.
would not do at all. 1t must &c OF cop
per- they said. sand all Of the wire, as well
as the poles. must be insulated O'Reilly
commenced at Philadelphia and built to
Wilmington; that section was successful
but for two months no-connection could be
made between the two terminal cities.
One afternoon / received the Next
pany's Office adjoining the Government
office, having in my hand the copy of an
important battle. / went to the instru-
mcnt, when the chief operator. John ID.
Whitman, asked what intended to do.
replied that l proposed TO send the wal
news TO philadelphia. / called Pbiladel.
phia, and, to my great astonishment, re.
ceiyea an answer. i gave the signal i34-
that Is, who is writing?' and the answer
came, Beatty l asked, .Whereg' an(
he replied that he was at the Merchants
Exchange, Philadelphia. then told hin
to take the message, and he did so. Tha
was the first message which passed be
tween Baltimore and Philadelphia. Tha
operator was Joseph f. Beatty, who is still
alive, and Is employed in the Pennsylyani
Railroad Company's Office.
At the commencement - said C,nto;,
Chasteau, "but little business was trans
acted over the line, and the first persons I,
use 1t were the Stockholders. r. r
French was president OF the Magnetic TeIe
graph Company, and II was under his man
sgement that the first thing looking 10
strike Oh the operators occurred. We wer
then paid $50 month. Major French
who. remember, had singing tone O
voice, he having been reading clerk of I'm
House OF Representatives, came to Wash
ington and we appointed committee O
Two TO ask for an increase OF pay. Maio
French went to each operator and inquire,
minutely into his circumstances, &c. III,
appeared very much impressed by what h,
learned about Washington boarding
houses, and our pay was increased. w,
mad resolved to strike II we did not get Il
After the completion OF this line Henr,
~. Vkeilly built another from Philadej
phia TO Pittsburgh. and on that David
BROOKS was engaged, and proved tC
NC Valuable man generally. Other
lines began 70 be hnilt. and the hui