Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-19

used to be so commonly heard on similar occasions. Those who have eyes for any, thing more than mere superficial aspects will not finger long over the mere outward circum- stances of thework which is to be taken in hand. EARLK OVERLAND PELEGRAPHY. Rough Experiences and Interesting
 Episodes in she Lives of Pioneer Op.
 orators.
 From the San Francisco Examiner1
 The callow operator of to-day can lean back in his chair and indulge in a mocking laugh over the troubles which interrupted business between important centers in the early days of the telegraph. About 1865 the best talent of the Pacific coast was non- plussed over a break in the line between Virginia City and San Francisco. The wire carried the stock quotations and the market was prostrated by the failure to hear from the mines. Stations were long way apart, seventy miles frequently intervening between operators. Frank Bell was superintendent of the mountain division, where grades were so heavy that 1inemen had to chamber up the hills by hand over hand process. An in- speotion did not disclose the break. Anoth. CT lineman was sent, and he returned with the news that the wire was all right. Three days had elapsed without message between the two feverish markets of Nevada and Cal- ifornis, and spectators surmised that some one was playing crooked. Then Frank Bell got mad. He swore that he would go over the line himself and examine every inch of
 wire, Then he sailed forth with blood in
 his eye and couple of six shooters in his
 belt. He fared no better than his predeces. sors, although he stuck to his resolution to
 inspect every inch of that wire. Once only
 did he falter. The wire was stretched across
 the top of high hill where it passed behind
 tree. He could see both ends held taut,
 but not satisfied he scaled the cliff, climbed
 in behind the tree and found the break. The
 wire, which had parted, had been joined by some one who used piece of hay rope, thus
 efectually breaking the circuit. The air
 was sulphurous about this time and the su-
 perintendent wore himself out apostrophi- zing the man who had done the job. Nothing was heard of the break until one day during the following summer, when
 Frank Bell was out making certain repairs. A teamster pulled up his mules on the road below and shouted to Bell:
 "Say, you telegraph feller," he yelled, 'I guess you owe me drink"
 ''Not by - sight," was the positive rejoinder.
 "Yes you de," came back from the mule whacker. ''I found your old line down here last winter and tied it up for you"
 s'Then you are the blasted fool I've been looking for" replied Bell, who began to get hot over the recollection as he started down the bluff.
 The teamster saw there was something he could not understand and lit out without de- lay.
 The Los Angeles circuit of the Southern Overland became interrupted in '65. Line men who were sent out returned, stating that they could not repair the break without lot of supplies. About a mile of wire and poles had as completely disappeared as though they had been swallowed up by tho earth. No trace coald be found of the miss ing material and the line was reconstructed. Afterwards detective was engaged to solve the mystery. He worked for three weeks on the case, exploring @ country that was 8 mere desert. He was Respondent and about to abandon all further search when he ran across the material in question. He was stopping over night at small ranch which was surrounded by a neat wire fence. Barbed wire was unknown and the ranch man was taxed with stealing the Overland \ line. The old settler, who had built I first class corral at little cost, admitted the \ impeachment.
 @Yes," he said, "Ive been living here ! nigh onto three years, and have watched ! that durned old line. I never saw any ! thing go over and thought no one was ! using it."
 The settler was honest, and after reading | him lecture the invisible nature of ! electricity the detective reported. No pros | ecution followed.
 On the San Joaquin trail the daring en- ! gineers who had climbed crsg and preei- | pice to stretch their wires were outwitted | by the long horned Spanish cattle that ! graKed in the valley. No timber graced l the country and flies were troublesome. I The cattle were tormented by these winged pests, and to get rid of them crowded to 3 \ the poles and paw the earth away from the ! base. Heavy poles would be worn out in 8 { few months, causing frequent interruptions. ! The line could not be fenced in and It would not pay to hire vaqueros to drive away the ! stock. One of those brilliant ideas that ] change the fate of nations suggested cure ! for the evil. Spikes were driven in the poles { and the ends sharpened SO as to tickle the ! thick hides of the steers and keep them away ! from their daily pleasure. The theory was ! good, but 1t failed in practice. The cattle ! actually appreciated the change and brought all their horned companions from twenty miles to enjoy the prickly sensation produced E by the invention. After this twice as maBy poles were needed and the spike feature was { abandoned.
 Dave Williams was the smartest telegraph ! CT of the day. Quick witted and fertile in expedients, he ran up to Virginia City in 1865, when the mining world was lying l awake nights expecting to hear the decision I in the famous Chollar and Wide West claims. Whichever way the judgment went meant fortune for the first man who got the news. Williams boldly entered the office at Virginia City and openly engaged the three wires run ming to San Francisco by filing 8 copy of newspaper for transmission. The court was tardy and the newspaper was exhausted be- fore the decision was announced. Williams I then passed Bible over the counter, telling the office staff to grind out on that on their \ G1-- ,-N.< I,,1 been sent to Virginia City the same mis- { sion, tumbled to the deal to shut them out, ! and induced the manager to. wire to head quarters for special instructions. The ques- \ ton of priority on three wires was raised, \ and the president wired back that priority could only be claimed on single wire and t not over the whole system. Williams was ! knocked ont, but fortune favored him by de E laying the decision for several days. Hastt- ! ly collecting camping outfit and hiring a | wagon, the plucky operator started for the I brush, where he concealed himself at spot | convenient to the telegraph line.
 | The wire was tapped and receiver and \ transmitter cut into the circuit In this way 1 Williams learned everything that passed over \ the wires Nothing interested him until one I day the electric spark flashed the news of the decision. A weeks vigil had almost sx-
 hausted the patience Of the desperate | schooner. His acute ear detected the first announcement, and instantly grounding the ! wire he broke the circuit, and then, cutting in, he took up ahe story and sent an oppo- I site decision through. A cipher was to ap- prise his confederates in San Francisco what ] way to buy. The ingenious swindle fortu- nately was frustrated by Mr. Yountz, who ! was chief operator in this city. He detected ! Williams characteristic style in the sending, and knowing that Williams was not sup posed to be handling key in Virginia City, he ordered the bogus and cipher dispatches to be detained. His suspicious further con- firnaed by Virginia City messages beginning to arrive from the regular operator. The facts, embracing the language of both dis patches, were compared over the wire and the fraud exposed. This ended Williams
 connection with the telegraph system of the Pacific slope. His talents were diverted to
 stock jobbing, in which he realized and dis sipated several fortunes.
 l The Eagles Mistake.
 | From Harper's Young Peeple.l
 | The common eagle is a bird of wonderful
 keen sight. At height of eighty yards il