Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-11-09
SIGNALS FOR THE FARn.
Simple Means of Communication Over an
Area of "a Mile or So.

Area OF IA Mile SO.
A code of signals for use on the farr
, may be made very useful for communi
cation between persons out of speaking
, distance. The writer has long used
loud whistle for making signals to hi
hired men and others about the farm
which have been found quite intelligibl
and useful after a little training. Tn,
common mile whistles sold under tn,
claim that they can be heard mile OF
are frauds and tit only for children
playthings; but loud whistle can bt
made OF brass tube half an inch in III
ameter, plugged and cut with file il
the required manner. The best whistle
however, is made of the half shell of d
common filbert or Barcelona nut sawr
lcngthwise or across the middle. This
Is placed between the third and fourth
fingers inside the hand, at the space BIZ
tween the knuckle and the next Joint
with the opening in the shell between
the fingers. The hand is then closed SO
that an orilice is left between the fingers
opening into the nutshell. Then by
placing the bent joints of the fingers
between the lips and blowing forciblv
into the nutshell, very shrill and loud
whistle may be given that can be heard
half mile with ease, and further when
gentle wind is blowing in the direction.
the sound is to be sent
1t seems that this system of whistle
signals or language is by no means a
novelty, for regular vocabulary, so to
speak, of whistling sounds has been in
use in AN Island of the Canary group.
The inhabitants of this island (Gomera,
which consists mostly of precipitous
rocks and deep ravines through which
rivers flow,) make use of this code OF
whistle signals to communicate with
each other across the rough country.
which can only be traversed
by long, circuitous routes, on &C
count of the deep ravines. These peo-
pie use both fingers and lips when
whistling, and can carry on CONVEX
sation with neighbors mile distant by
the use of this peculiar language.
This useful addition to the faculty of
speech may be made available in many
ways by adopting similar code or key
of sounds to that which is used in tele-
graphy. Thus in our system three
short, sharp whistles blown quickly
mean that the man or men at work in a
distant place are to come to the house
or to quit work. One long whistle,
gradually tapering off to finish means
that the foreman must send man to
the barn; one short, sharp whistle, fol-
lowed by the long, tapering one, calls
the team home; two short whistles and
the long one from the foreman calls
the employer to the field to settle some
difficulty three short whistles and the
long one call the foreman and announce
meal times. Thus by the use of long
and short sounds differently disposed
all sorts of directions may be given and
information conveyed. Each man en-
ployed is provided with whistle, if he
can not use his fingers in the usual
way, which makes a loud, piercing
sound, and a card of signals; but this is
not of much use except at rare inter-
walls.
Flags are usefully employed as sig
nails when the house or barn can be seen
from all parts of the farm. A pole with
arms such as make up the old-fashioned
'semaphore" telegraph may also be
used when it can be seen or the persons
are too far apart to hear a sound. A
triangle made of steel bar bent with
the ends free, and struck with another
piece of steel, can be heard more than
a mile away. But this and the bell are
not sufficiently various in sound for or
binary use. The whistle, on the other
hand may be made to vary quite suf1i-
GENTLY to afford all necessary means of
communication over the area of an or
binary farm, and the signals may be so
coditied as to give intelligent meanings,
as in the case of the islanders above re-
ferred to.
But it will be most convenient to con-
dense as much as possible the code of
signals. Thus the signal come to the |
house or barn when repeated quickly
will mean there is something wrong |
and haste is required. This will answer |
for all emergencies. Each man, too,
should have his signal, to which he
only will answer in person when the
men are together or scattered. Some |
such method of communication will be
found very useful, and, as it will tend to
save time in the work of the farm, and |
as time is money, it will be found a
means of economy, and therefore
worthy of adoption. Y. Times.