Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-12-03
THE OPERATORS STORY,

One afternoon last September, at the
Glen Mountain House, at Watkins Glen.
New York, telegraphic friend tol me
how he won great success in his profess.
ion, as follows
Almost three years ago visited this
famous watering-placo. 1 had been
working circuit" in various cities, and
stopped off here for little recreation.
One evening, in the dining room, amid
the clatter of dishes an knives and
forks, my trained ear caught q meaning
from the idle drumming on the table Of
knives in the hands of two well l-dressed
men opposite me. To the crowd, if no
tlced at all, those sounds only indicated
lmpatlence at the hurrying, yet delayed
walters.
If it had been commonplace conver a
ton should not have heedei their com.
municatlon, except, perhaps, for sport to
"call' them. They licked of a phrase
or two at intervals during their meal.
Once the head water noticed the clink-
ing OF spoon upon cup, and inquired
II either of them wanted anything. For
an instant they were confused, then one
said he wanted more coffee. A waiter
replenlshed his nearly full cup. After
that the ticks were less frequent. Of
course 1t was none of my business, but I
could not help hearing the tick talk, and
the conversation was so curious it great
ly interested me.
That very evening, while I was read
ing in the ofce, the two conversers in
lightning lingo at the table came in and
lit fresh cigars. Occasionally the hotel
"sounder'' clicked tidings from the
world in the surrounding night. The
death OF man of national prominence
was heralded by the instrument. Be-
fore the hotel operator informed the by
ISLANDERS of that important news one of
the stranger operators aid to the other
"He's dead at last"
"Hush! whispered the other.
Nobody seemed to notice the betray-
ing observation or its re ,oinder,
AS l wondered at the object in view
OF that pair Of mysterious converserers |
did not reveal my identity, but de-
termlned to heed any signs. Whenever
they were in the dining room first |
thought best not sit near them. and
therefore, did not then obtain anv ne
cnliar information. After IA steamboat
ride on heautisul Seneca, visited Ithaca.
to inspect Cornell UNIV ersity. VIXEN
returned to Watkins, the landlord told
me ne was sorry he could not give me
my former room, because of an extra
large excursion party. He could, how
ever, give me one as good, which thank
fully accepted.
That night | was far from being sorry
for the change of room, as | heard mys
terlous raps on the wall. Somebody was
signaling to some one in another room.
II the message had been ordinary I
should have signaled that | was an un-
intentional listener.
1t was the same old jargon of unmean-
ing words and phrases. From the fire
quent repetition of some of them. a few
had become familiar to me. As COM
merclal operator, | had handled MANY
cipher messages. To amuse myself /
tried to solve these II them a.lcading
expression had been: THE soup is late -
Now the raps said: 81 he soup is get
ting hot" was more thll ever con
vinced there was a plot somewhere al out
something Thee conversations, being
disguised, were in themselves suspicious.
thought | had made out some of the
key to the cipher.
AS the night was pleasant went down
stairs and took stroll. A few stars
peep, d out. The wind ghed through
the famous gorge close by. sauntered
along, cautiously however, as the ada
cent chasm would have been convenient
place for footpad to dispose of his vic
tim without exciting alarm.
Suddenly saw light flash out and
disappear above the glen. Almost with
out any reason, turned my head and
saw a light flash from the upper portion
of the hot |. The moonlesI n gh: swal-
lowed up both lights. Perhaps the light
in the hotel was accidental Maybe nv
excited senses were deceived about the
CLEAN over the glen. Nobody of flesh
and blood could flash light one hun
dred and fifty feet above the | tile stream
whose voice was lost in the black depths
below. Perhaps it was tiredy flashing
its tiny lamp out in that emptiness nearly
five hundred feet from bank to bank at
that point
stepped close to large tree, and
thought for some time about the unknown
ingredients of that "soup. l Rugged
the friendly pine-tee as somebody
walked cautiously past going toward the
hotel. A few minutes after determined
to investigate one theory.
Cautiously l sought the track OF the
railway. Carefully l crept along the tiel
and went out over the abyss. estimated
the distance where the light flashed, and
! earnestly groped for something, knew