News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-27
PHOTOGRAPHERS STRIKE.
THE SIGNAL, "GRANT Is DEAD
The False Alarm that Stirred a Little In
diana Town about Two Years Ago.

The story of the message, "Gen. Grant
is dead, sent over the wires as a signal
for the strike of the Brotherhood of
Telegraph Operators a little over two
years ago, is a matter of common lnfor-
nation, and pretty generally revived at
1,resent. but tIaSFv Is u sing uIar PIeCe
Of history connected with it that has
never found its way into print. Its
scene was at Corwin, little place about
twelve miles south of Lafayette, Ind.
Corwin is typical country town. with
about $50 inhabitants. 1t has one long,
struggling street, with a few general
stores" where are supplied the simple
wants of its people and the scattered
population of the broad vista of farming
land that forms its background. At the
end of the street is the sole link with
the outside world-a telegraph Office,
presided over by an old man named
Samuel Owens. He has been in the en-
ploy of the Western Union ever since its
origin, and his duties are light, for moth
ing ever happens at Corwin, and its
buster neighbors generally overlook its
existence. Owens learned telegraphy
before the modern system of reading by
sound was in vogue, and the instrument
he uses is the old-fashioned ''Morse
register" very few of which still re-
mains on the Western Union lines in
out-of-the-way places.
On the morning of July 10, 1888,
Owens was droning over his instrument
when it suddenly called. To save the
paper ribbon on which the brass points
of the register recorded its message, he
always kept it closed until he heard his
call. 1t was the letter D-two dots, a
dash and a dot-and it ratified out its
staccato warning with an energy this
time that made him open it with IN
wonted suddenness.
Out rolled the ribbon bearing on its
surface the words, 'EGen. Grant is dead"
Owens was not brotherhood man. Liv-
ing in the isolated village he did not
know that his profession was on the eve
of a great strike, and the message to
him had no import save that of its
face. He had been Ia soldier in the army
of the Tennessee, had laid down his
arms at Appomattox, and he regarded
Gen. Grant with that solemn reverence
that is found among his followers alone.
He seized the tape with trembling fin
gers, and, bursting into sobs, rushed out
to spread the news.
Corwin is settled largely by soldiers of
the late war, who have taken farm land
in the vicinity. No news to them could
have been more startling, more deeply
moving than this. Instantly the village
was in such stir as it never sawlbefore
and will probably never see again, All
crowded around the old telegfapher,
anxious to hear him read and reread the
message. They were eager to learn
more, but the instrument had stopped
after those four words, and was silent.
Some one suggested to toll the school
bell, and a dozen men ran to put the
idea into effect. Grant at that time was
81 years old, and for an hour and one
minute the slow notes of the bell echoed
through the town. This tolling was
heard for a long distance through the
Silly air, and it, together with the
farmers who happened to be in Corwin
at the time, and left Immediately on
their wagons, sufficed to rapidly spread
the news.
Had stranger passed through the
village at about noon he would have
been surprised to see every store and
house draped in mourning. There was
little Grape to be had, but the black
calico at the store was pressed into ser
vice at the suggestion that every one
display some mark of grief Meantime
the farmers from the surrounding coun-
try had hurried into town, and a strange
ly unwonted crowd filed the street.
Giv1ns had suddenly assumed import
ance, and the ribbon, with its cabalistic
dots and dashes translated into English
with pencil, was eagerly passed from
hand to hand until its message was OBJ
liberated. Every one, however, had the
few words by heart, and many were the
surmises as to the details of the old
end.
In the early afternoon it was thought
well that there should be some formal
of the sentiment of the town,
and meeting was accordingly held in
the largest store, owned by man
named Wright 1t was not, however,
nearly large enough to hold the crowd,
and throng was clustered about the
the door. An old farmer, who had been
a sergeant in an Indiana regiment, and
whose name, l believe, was Andrews,
was chairman of the meeting, and it
was opened by prayer and song. Lin
coins favorite, ''Why Should the Spirit
IF Mortal be Proud2" was chosen.
Many was the speech made and many
he Renaissance told by those who had
,arried musket in the great Captains
egions. The people of Corwin will |
never forget that meeting, because all |
in it. At its close a series
If resolutions were adopted, expressing |
orrow and agreeing that no more labor |
'e done for that day. copy of these |
resolutions were written in pencil on
heet of legal cap, and are still at the
tore where the meeting was held.
1t was not until next morning that the
title town learned of its strange mistake. |
few copies of the indianapolis papers |
cached it then, containing news of the
trike and the story of the signal, and |
Teat was the rejoicing thereat Old
iivens was still at his obsolete instru-
nent recently, when for the second time I
he ribbon bore the message of death.
Musical Edison.