Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-23
LEARNING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
How Two Farmer Boys Learned to be
Telegraphers-A Miniature TELEGRAPH
Line at HOme-An Illustration OF
What Persistent Effort Can Accom-.
pliSh.

In one Of the towers on tine 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 q young man.
whose perseverance amid difficulties and dis
couragements in learning the business of teleg-
raphy entitle him to the most abundant success
In the profession he has chosen. A Younger
brother, who, with him, shared his tolls and
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. plain, hard
working farmer residing about mile from sta
ton on the railroad. When not otherwise en-
gagged the boys spent much of their time at the
station. and watched with curious eyes the ma
nipulation of the telegraph KEYS They dis
cussed between themselves the ACCESSIBILITY of
learning the business. and came to the conclu-
sion that it would be far better for them to fol-
low 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 instruments for practice. They were
non-plussed, knowing that it would be tedious
and almost impossible to learn by picking up
sound now and then at the station, After few
days. however. they had reason to rejoice, for
chance threw into their way the very thing they
wanted. This was fragment of q book con-
tanning few pages on telegraphy, including the
Morse alphabet foundin rubbish barrel bought
by their father. Then they commenced a regu-
lar 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 manipulate this rude sounding
key another similar 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 proceedings, hardly realizing that they
would become expert operators without prac-
tical teacher; but the tapping of nail heads con-
tinued. AS they seemed determined and withal
did not neglect the work on the farm, he inter-
posed no objection. One fall the father pro-
posed to his three boys that If they would cut
and load for him eight car loads of wood he
would give each Of them the proceeds Of one
car load. This offer they accepted, and in due
time had the cars loaded and the wood sold,
each netting S25 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, how
ever, they returned from Baltimore each with a
cheap suit Of clothes, they brought home with
them batteries, instruments, and wires. 1t was
apparent that not only had the two disciples of
the 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 run
ming 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 paper,
one would 60 to the courthouse and, calling the
brother up at the kitchen end Of the line, he
would telegraph the whole report. Thus the
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
and Potomac railroad, and, as stated before,
may be seen every nightin his tower as he signals
that his block is clear by raising the red ldan-
ger) signal out OF sight and showing the white
lsafetyl signal.