Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-14
LEARNING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
How Two Farmer Boys Learned tc be
TeleErs9hers-A Miniature Telegraph
Line at Home.
Vdshington 0tdr.

WAoFtefSbSSfe
In cro OF the towns on the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad, from which the
block system is worked, the traveller sees
at night as he is whisked rapidly by the
figure of young man, whose perseVer-
ance and difficulties and acknowledgements
in learning the business of telegraphy en-
t; n him to the most abundant success in
the .ofession be has chosen. A younger
brother, who, with him, shared his tolls
aud trials in learning, only waits for few
days for his majority to enter the service
of the railroad company as an operator.
These two young men are of family of
three boys, who lived with their father, a
plain, Woodworking farmer, residing
about mile from a station ON the rail-
road. When not otherwise engaged, the
boys spent much of their time at the sta
ton, and watched with curious eye the
manipulations of the telegraph keys.
They discussed between themselves the
ACCESSIBILITY of learning the business, and
came to the conclusion that it would be
far better for them to follow this business
than that Of working corn and tobacco.
There were, however, many difficulties
in the way, the gravest being lack OF
knowledge and want of time to devote to
learning as well as the necessary instru-
ments for practice. They were non
plused, knowing that it would be tedious
and almost impossible to learn by picking
up sound now and then at the station.
After a few days, however, they had
reason to rejoice, for chance threw into
their way the very thing they wanted.
This was fragment Of book containing
a few pages on telegraphy, including the
Morse alphabet, found in rubbish barrel
bought by their father. Then they COM
menced a regular course Of study, and
arranging some nails in two pieces
of wood so as to strike the heads to-
gether to initiate the ticking of the
instrument they went into practice. AS
soon as they had learned how to manipu-
late this rude sounding key another SINH
lar instrument was made, and during the
long winter evenings In separate rooms
they would communicate with each other.
Sometimes they used their school lessons
and transmitted from one to the other in
the course Of their practice the whole of
the Sixth Reader. The father did not,
however, take much stock in their pro-
ceedings, hardly realizing that they
would become expert operators without a
practical teacher; but the tapping of nail
heads continued. AS they seemed deter
mined, and withal did not neglect the
work on the farm, he interposed no objec-
tion. One fall the father proposed to his
three boys that il they would cut and load
eight carloads of wood he would give
each of them the proceeds OF one carload.
The offer they accepted, and in due time
had the cars loaded and the wood sold,
each netting $25 or $50. This was given
them to do with as they pleased, and it
was thought that most of it would be
spent in clothing, in which they stood in
some need. When, however, they re-
turned from Baltimore, each with a cheap
suit of clothes, they brought home with
them batteries, instruments and wires.
TWAS apparent that not anly had the two
disciples of art laid out most of their
money to further prosecute their studies,
but that the third brother had helped
them. With their plant a line was
erected, with about mile of wire running
round the place, one instrument
being placed In the courthouse and the
other in the kitchen, and the practice
went on. During the Guiteau trial in
this city, on receiving a paper one would
go to the courthouse, and calling the
brother up at the kitchen end OF the line,
would telegraph the whole report. Thus
the whole family would learn the news.
This practice was kept up until a few
months ago, when the elder boy received
an appointment on the Baltimore aud Po-
tOmac Railroad, and, as stated before,
may be seen every night in his tower as
he signals that his block is clear by rails
ing the red (danger) signal out OF sight
and showing the white (safety) signal.