The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-12-16
Observation-Disclosures
ouEER EXPERIENCES OF TBEE-
G&APH OPERATORS.

Telegraph operators have queer eA-
perieuccs, said veteran in the employ
of the Western Union company. MANY
strange things and good deal of private
information come to their knowledge"
o'They profit by information sent be-
tween brokers and dealers, do they
not9n
''Very seldom. You see, such mes
sages are usually in cipher, and the ope-
rator is ignorant OF their meaning. I
remember young man who was at Oil
City during the Pennsylvania oil excite
ment BY studying the ciphers
of certain heavy spectators he
was at last able to translate them.
He gave the information to
friend, who used it to their joint profit.
He was finally detected and discharged,
but not until he had made quite for
tune, which was afterward increased
until be became very wealthy. This
man is still alive, and has served more
than one term in the Pennsylvania legis
latue. l know of another case some
what different. was one of the first
operators on the Morse instrument sent
to Philadelphia when the telegraph
reached there. The instrument marked
the characters on a slip of paper. OF
course the instrument licked, but this
was long before there was any thought
of taking by ear. Among the visitors
were brokers and members of the ex-
change, and they we're much interested
in what had already become very va'ua-
BILE to them. One of them, "Bull"
Bridges, spent so much time in the Office
L., Ho0l
of information and explained the
workings of the instruments.
About this time we began to re
ceive complaints that the contents OF
messages sent from New York to Phila-
delphia, were known to outside persons.
In the office we began to look upon each
other with suspicion, and finally de-
termined to do some detective work. !
kept watch of our visitors and finally
discovered that complaints only reached
US while our friend "Bull" was in the
office. / therefore determined to have
all visitors excluded and an order was
posted to that effect. Our trouble
ceased at once, and my suspicious were
confirmed.
~ knew Bridges ha2 not seen any
mGbSdRtSt anu L MOuAGiGO lOW lO NOhid
have known their contents. When
accused him he burst out laughing and
admitted the whole thing. He had the
tick of the recorder down so fine that
ne could take message by ear and he
was the first man that ever did it. Not
ong afterward the sounder was intro
iuced, and since then almost all tele-
graphing in this country has been taken
Oy ear"
"Was there any system of rapid COM
munication before the invention of the
electric telegraph9"
''Yes, indeed, quite number. The
system most generally used was the in
Vention of the Chappe brothers, two
French BOYS. who first utilized it in 1894
1t school, where they saw each other at
a distance. They used pivoted beam,
which, being placed in different posi-
tons, indicated different characters.
Afterward the French government
adopted this system, and one of the in
Ventors was made telegraphic engineer
and placed in charge. Lines were es-
tablished all along the coast from Paris
TO the frontier"
''How were these signals SEEM"
"By the use of powerful glasses. The
stations were only about ten miles apart.
and with good telescopes the signals
could readily be distinguished, and the
receiving station would then commuri-
cate with the next station
"Could this be done rapidlyw
"Yes. | remember a line, that was
worked from the top of the old Custom
House here to Sandy Hook. The oper-
ltors used blocks of wood with large
letters on them, and could telegraph at
the rate of about one hundred letters In
i've minutes between stations ten miles
apart.
''Beacons were first used. Long be-
fore the Christian era. Roman generals
were able to communicate with each
other by means of flames in different
positions, and of various numbers. Some
Of the Indian mounds in the West are
supposed to have been constructed for
signal purposes, fire and smoke being
used. The fiery cross of the Highland
chief quickly summoned the faithful to
war. In later times drums, trumpets,
and flags were used for signal purposes
particularly by armies. Most barbarous
people have methods Of telegraphing.
Among the negroes in the Cameroons
country, on the west coast of Africa, they
communicate by means of sound, fol-
great distances. The instrument they
use is a sort of drum. and the words are
represented by various beats upon it,
will tell you an incident connected with
telegraphing by sound.
''After came to New York lived in {
quiet street, which is now a noisy thor
oughlare. l spent most of my time wher
away from the Office in my room. Ont
evening, while sitting at my window
happened to look across to the opposite
house, where saw pretty girl at one
of the windows. She was leaning
against the easement tapping on the glass
with a pencil. After this / saw her a
me same place many times. We had go
IS far as nodding acquaintance, but
mad no opportunity of speaking to her
One afternoon, having come home some
what early, l was at my window thinking
of nv pretty friend OpnOsite i almOs