The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-07-12


a modestly useful ons, 1t will DO neces-
sary to cite few facts. These facts
stand for themselves. II they preach
anything l cannot help II.
How old memories come crowdiug
upon mo as Irecall a lovely Sunday in
June so far away that instinctively
look in the mirror to see 'if the young
boy is getting to be m old boy" and II
'the hair is growing thin on the old
boys headp Iwas early at tho Office
that morning and was copying. with the
idea of becoming an operator, the
Morse alphabet from "Shaffaor's Man
ual." So cngrosscd was I with my
work, and the difficulty l experienced
in fixing my chubby fingers around
pen so as to come within speaking dis-
tance Of making the characters conform
to those in Shaffaer. that dil not no.
tice that some one had entered. As
was desperately struggling with tho
letter ~" and inwardly bewailing my
lack of cxpertness with the pen. voice
which startled me at first, but which
recognized at once as Finn's, said:
"Hop down of that stool, sonny. and
I'll make you the alphabet" Iquickly
surrendered the task to the more expe.
ricnced fingers of the new conner,
who had been looking over my shoulder,
and I took my place on tho messen-
gers bench. Presently Finn handed
me blank on which the alphabet, MI.
merals and the punctuation points were
given, and below them he had written
in his own beautifully flowing chirogra-
ply: 'James Brady gave me his pretty
black walnut box Of quite small size"
I bashfully expressed my thanks, but
my heart was full enough Of gratitude
to have warranted something better
than 1 said, had I been able to give
uttorauce to my feelings. After an
swcring a call and taking several mes
sages, Finn started me out, saying as
I went to deliver them, "You can
practice on that sentence when you
have learned to make the letters. 1t
contains all tn, characters in the al.
phabst." I nave given that little story
about Brady and the small black wal
nut box to many aspiring youngsters
since then. wonder if any of them
ever priced it as highly as 1 did when it
first became part of my knowledge,
and wonder, too, if among that small
band of youths, some OF whom
became operators while others
failed in that to sue
ceed afterward in other things, there is
one who ever looked upon me as half
human, half divine parsonage, such as l
regarded Finn. Probably not. But if
there be ono I am a much honored man,
for nothing can feel for human be-
ing will ever excel my enthu,iasm for
my old telegraphic hero. Even though
I have seen him often of late years uu-
der circumstancos, which, for the mo-
ment, bereft him of all his old-time
glory, still 60 on remembering him
bright, dashing and handsome, and am
thankful that l can. Old man Finn is
tho stern reality to nearly all who know
him now, but to mo he is an abstraction
mcrely-a reality which goes out Of my
mind, giving place to my hero of yore
the momont he leaves my presence.
Before he had gone far on his down.
ward course had become an operator,
and worked Ly his side. remember
that in ono of hi, exalted moods he took
the color out of my existen ce for
month or mora by casual observation
which can never forget. Like many
young operators, 1 fan cied, long before
had perfected myself in my business,
that had solved the problem. spoke
in his presence to that effect one d,y,
and he said, with that charming blunt
ness which is sometimes the result OF an
indulgence in stimulant:
"You will become a dec,nt operator,
but you are, Of course, frightfu plug
now." 1t cut me like knife, but l
needed tho lesson. Years aiterward,
when 1 had progressed as far in the tel
ecraphic art as nature intended should
ever go, looked back on those earlier
years and felt that Finn was right.
had finally been taught the bitter lesson
which tho great Newton confessed to
have learned, and I felt that the little
knowledge we acquire is valuable chief.
ly as teaching u, the deaslty of our is-
norance.
Finn's character had humorous vein
in it withal. His ability as ere
ceiver" was the talk and wonder of the
whole section in which ho lived and
wrought. He never broke, his work
was accurate, and hi, pen mauship mar
velous. One day an operator who
copied press on the sam, wire, visitel
us, and asked George how he managed
to receive report day after day without
even breaking. Pointing to primitive
contrivancc consisting of two umbering
saunders and quick switch fully four
feet square, situated on shelf four feet
away, and which did duty a, repeater
for Worcester Finn replied dryly: IL
do sometimes lose word, but have
to watch that rat trap over there for
Worcester's break, and il q word slips
me l can always spot it before it wig
giles through that aged threshing ma
chine"
The tim, came when Finn could
longer hold the responsible position OF
night report operator and he went
West.
From that time out. until recently, he
has returned to mo at intervals varvino