The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-02-20
A TELEGRAM's STORY.

Its Rapid Journey, and the Glad Message
it Conveyed at Its Destination.
l am called "a telegram, " and I wish
TO relate my experience. The man who
originated me was Gilbert Hardman, an
old bachlor, who through meanness
had made himself rich. Half Of the
money he had when he started in the
world did not belong to him but to his
only sister, who was widow with three
children, the eldest of whom was Rob
ert, at this time a lad of fourteen years.
Mr. Hardman had defrauded his sis
ter of her portion of their father's estate
by means best known to himself, and
the money he thus basely obtained
placed him in a profitable business, and
he became rich, while his poor sister
and her children often suffered for food.
Of this he was well aware, but his
aYarielous nature would not allow him
to do what his conscience knew to be
right in the matter.
But one evening friend gave him
ticket to lecture the subject of which
was Justice. /" In some way the words
Of the speaker found their way to what
little heart he possessed, and as result
the next moring was born "a tele-
gram and read as follows:
"NEw YORK, July Is, 1884,
ITO Mrs. HENRY MARTIN, Denver, Colo
rado-I have placed to your credit in the
Seventh Ward National Bank, twenty thou
sand dollars. Draw at sight.
GILBERT HARDMAN."
/ had LAIN on Mr.. Hardman's desk
but short time when little fellow in
uniform and with the letters "a. D.T.n
on his cap presented himself at Mr.
Hardman's office. was handed to the
boy, who rushed to the Western Union
office with me, and there [ was given to
q pretty young lady, who acted as if
she was very glad to see me, for she
counted me over twice, and seemed
very careful of me.
But soon found out that she had no
angelic temper, for she turned me on
my face aud hit me a rap on my back
with rubber stamp that nearly broke
it. Not satisfied with this cruelty, she
rolled me up and put me into little
box, which she dropped into hole,
where was bloWn-yes, actually
blown-thrnngh a tube up to the seventh
story of the building into a room where
thought by the noise and racket that
there must be million little imps with
tack-hammers, pounding on tin pans
Before | had recovered from my
fright, L was taken out of the box and
carried to a table marked s.First Chi
cago Quad" where | was treated to
still furtherindignity by being impaled
on hook, after which ,think / must
have lost my senses, for a kind of
dreamy sensation seized me, and I
found myself being sent in sections, as
it were. on a slender wire What
sensation it was!
From the high roof of that building
went flying over the tops of houses
till came to the North River, where
plunged under the dark waters, to the
Jersey side; then / went hurrying
along the line of the Erie Railway
outstripping the trains, over mount
aims, through valleys and towns, rain
and sunshine, till I reached Buffalo,
where passed through such an ir.tri-
cate machine that, if / had been pos
sessed of any will of my own, | should
certainly have lost my way.
/ heard the machine called s're-
peater,n and / certainly did turn
more corners than an illegal voter on
election day; but I got through some
how, and soon arrived at Chicago,
where came to consciousness by being
written out by an operator, whom they
called "Jake" I heard him remark
as he finished me:
''Wish / could catch on to luck of |
that kind. I'd quit work, and open a
bank" Bf
was then passed to another opera
tor, who looked like a gentleman, and
Iheard him say, as he placed the fig
ures 245 on my face:
~ hope that will make some poor
woman happy"
Ibid not hear the name, but Z felt |
there must be difference in operators.
Then came the half-unconscious sersa-
ton again, as | was Whirled along the |
slender wire, across prairies, under
rivers, over the plains of Kansas and
Colorado, where the wild antelopes,
herds of buffaloes, and an occasional
OdANL 4Au1dlO UClG passing uuQCI
me, until reached Denver.
Again 1came to my full senses, as l |
was copied from the sounder on a |
blank. Whew! what a ride that was!
Eight minutes ago was in New York.
Nearly twenty-five hundred miles in less |
than eight minutes, for five of the eight |
minutes were used for rest in Chicago! |
felt actually dizzy as I realized it;
but my reflections were cut short by |
piece of damp paper being placed over
my face, and | was first squeezed terri |
bly,, then folded and put in an envelope. |
heard the clerk call out:
Next boy out!''
And was seized by little fellow. |
who glanced at the address on the en-
velope and turned pale He trembling
ly went back to the clerk, and, with |
quivering chin, said:
please, sir, this telegram is for my
mother. Is there any bad news?"
1t seemed almost too strange to be
true. Here ] was, by wonderful good |
fortune, placed at once in the hands of |
those most interested in me. It was
little Robert Martin, who was a mes
senger, and almost the only support of |
his mother and two little sisters.
No wonder he dreaded the reply of |
the clerk, for the only telegram his
mother had ever before received con-
veyed the sad news of his father having |
been killed in mine near Leadville |
four years ago.
"For yoar motherr' shouted the
clerk, as he glanced over my damp
copy. Il guess you're of your belt |
sonny This message reads - He
suddenly stopped, and looking sharply
at the lad, asked: s.Have you any rela-
tiYes in New York;
Eyes, sir, said Robert. Il have an
uncle there. Is he dead?"
"What's his name?'' asked the
clerk.
.Gilbert Hardman. replied Robert.
lis he a rich man?' again queried /
the clerk.