The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-08-17
Army Telegraph Operators Meet.

merry, sreat-hearted crowd which
thronged the decks of Captain Davie
Cochrane's steamer, the John 4. Dir
this afternoon. The representatives oil
two great eras in the history of the
United States had been rendered an ex-
cuFsion on Lake Michigan By the local
association, and it was MT q. all ingp-
propTate that at isst one OF
the organizations present should
take Its outing on coat named after
one who had said thgs instant death
slone could atone for any disrespect for
me American flag. The cowd on this
occasion was composed of the repre-
sentatives of the Old Time Telegraph
Operators and the United States Mill
'ary Telegraph Corps of the civil war,
who for two days have met to-
gethar in joint session for tn
turthersGce Of good fellowship
fhe first of these organizations renre-
Sents the entire telegraph service of the
Union Pacific during the first twenty
years OF iIa existence. II includes in It's
membership the boys who handled
:he first rude instruments in the time
O: their invention by Morse When
| the armies Of the Union swept across
the vast country, some W re in the far
west along the Mississippi; some
marching on the Atlantic and others
fiehtiDg on the bloody field in
Virginia. 1t was NECESSARY to keep IN
secret communication with head
quarters in Washington, this could
only be done by means of the tele-
graph. Each army had it's corps of
telegtaphers with it and their dnties
gre particularly arduous. They |
worked e&rly and late, receiving
and sending dispatches, translatiDg |
clphers, and keeping in constau COM
'nunlcatlon Win detached cops |
and with Headquarters. Sometimes
tee ;. operator was exposed to |
peculiar dangers. O.teu during retreat
OF tbs army, he and his fellows would !
be left IN the rear exposed to the enemy |
until the last moment in order to take |
advantage OF any hope which might be (
sent IN the way OF intelligence shat re-
endorsements were at hand. The
operator climed the telegraph poles,
and connecting MS instruments to
wire would hold communication while
exposed to fire from the rebel sharp
shooters. He slept in swamps
and laid his life down on
the battlefield as hrayely as the n C dest
soldier; but the peculiar responsibility
OF the service lay with the cipher oper-
ators. There were about five Of these
in Washington, and each General had
one with him. The cipher operator re-
ceived and interpreted dispatches of
the most momentous nature. Oft be
b ad the password long in advance of
the time when it was to be used. Nj.
3. Rosewater, editor Of the Omaha
Bee, had the password of the
corps with which he was connected
tor weeks IN advance, when not even
the general Of the army knew it.
During the great civil struggle, over
$1,000 miles of wire were in operation
and over Is 100000 messages were es-
:lmated to have been sent, about 200
operators were employed and nearly
800 were killed, wounded or captured
IN the field of battle. Through
he efforts of General Rosencrans
! bill was introduced in the
House which recognized their ser
ices during the war and mad e
for pensions. This was
eferred ana referred to the committee
# the House, and finally was passed
With the exception of the pension clause,
iore delay resulted, and finally it got =
o the Senate, where now, with the ex-
option OF any pension pr vision, it
avs awaiting passage by that body.
lmong tbs many present in Chicago
ow are the following; r. B. Woolesly,
!. A. Taylor, E. l.. Norcross,
!. W. Dugan, George NJ. Du-
an, ]. Fl. White, r. Mckenzie,
Y. W. Smith, W. H. Cruize, W. II.
Woodruff, Charles Newton, W J. :
'ealey, manager of the New York
ranch of the Western Union, John
rant, 7. B. Fuller, Joseph Knittler,
;. G. Stephenson, l.. Johns, A l..
lives. T. Finnigan, f. NJ. Tomlinson, !
. j. Hutchinson, James D. Kied, G. G,
line, d. K. Smith and other gentle
len from all points of the Union, who
old positions of responsibility and .
ust in the various localities in which -
ley reside. ., :
This morning he "Old Timers" had II
brief session, choosing the following L
ficers: President, Col. Charles Tav- III
r, Frankfort, Kentucky; ycs presi- l.
mt, Day j. Smith, Kansas CITY; sec
tary and treasurer, William j. Dealey,
sW York. The next annual meeting
Ill be held in Louisville, Kentucky. a
lring the third week in September ~
81. After the return from the excur- VI
IN, both organizations sat down to a
rquet at Kinsley's.