The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-10-12
TALKING BY TICKS.
DETAILS OF THE WORK DONE
IN TELEGRAPH OFFICES.
Great Accuracy and ciearness Re
guired OF reiegraphers-Their
Wonderful Sign Language
Sending Cable Messages


More than 1000 telegraph operators ere
employed in this city, says the New
York C0niEseTcial Adoerfiser. Their
work Is essentially skilled labor, they
themselves style it profession. The
z greatest degree Of accuracy and clearness
i required IN their work. The omission
Of q single letter in trsnscribing, the
addition Of letter too many, may some
times involve 4 suit for damages, and
cost more than a year s salary. Oper-
zfOrs must, therefore, be thoroughly
expert, they must be steady. sober and
reliable, in order TO retain their positions,
Though less than century old. the
principles At least Of the electric tele-
graph are known by every schOolboy. II
Is IL The detail Of the business that the
publicls ignorant.
There are several classes IN the pro-
fession. Ordinary line hands. cable oper-
tors. those who know more than one code
u communication, those competent to
keep books aud take charge Of branch
Office. possessing more than the ordinary
requirements. are competent for more
than ordinary positions. 1t is not essential
for al operator 10 be a walking dictionary.
or 20 know anything about the spelling.
or other matter Of telegram. His only
duty Is 70 send Aad receive messages
letter for letter as they come 10 him.
In CIPHER messages this is especially es-
seufiaL In receiving this must be done
By sound, by listening attentively to the
little instrument As il clicks out in loag
OF short ticks. dots and dashes, as they
are called. the VARIOUS combinations that
represent letters and figures. The sense
Of bearing in this way is developed to an
almost Abnormal quickness.
The receiving operator, by the very
tone Of the instrument, can tell whether
il il q familiar or unfamiliar hand that is
On the other end CT the wire, and can
even recognize a fiiend's touch elmost
the minute be grasps the key.
Good teiegrAphers eau read or send
their sign language by almost any means.
Il Is employed in army service for sig
mailing on the field by means Of sunlight
flashes reflected By a mirror. in which
the sight, instead Of the ear, is employed.
The same idea is used in transmitting
across an ocean cable, the length Of
which does not permit Of sufficient cleo
tEieal power 10 work a ''soundern instru-
meut, but mercy gives a little electric
fash Of eKactlJ the same character as the
most miniature fash of lightning, the
series Of which are read by observation
il 3 dark room, the duration Of the flashes
corresponding 10 the dots or dashes that
constitute the letters on the 'sOunder."
All cable messages must be repeated by
more t1an one operator; they are always
handled By al ordinary operator first aud
sent 70 & special cable Office for trans
mission across the sea This is essential
Is 4 rule, for while the Morse code OF
feiegTaphy is used almost invariably
through America, the Continental system
Is prevalent in England and Europe
generally. and is used now on most OF the
cables The chief difference between
these systems is that the Merse plan
utiiizes space, or brief intervals between
certain dots or daEnes 10 constitute
cerfsi1 letters, while the continental
system has no spaced letters and is,
therefore, little longer and more cum
5ersume. The letter c, for instance, in
the Morse system, is represented by two
dots, space and dot, and the letter X
b. dot space and two dots, the letter Y
b. fEo dots, 4 space and two dots, the
letter o by dot, space and dot, etc.
While IN the continental system these
letters are represented By greater num-
Ter Of dots or dashes combined without
space.
Il is said that : person with a natural
ear FOR music can most quickly become
Al expert teiegrspher. MEMBER of the
profession can communicate with each
other by a simple pressure Of the fingers
Of one upon the hand Of the other &C
cosding 10 the intervals Of dots and
dashes, which, together with other ways
that naturally suggest themselves to an
ingenious mind, constitute systems OF
communication readily disable in church
or anywhere else within seeing or hear
iBg. 4 not Of feeling distance.
The motions Of fan can convey the
language as distinctly as writing. In
sending messages, every letter con-
tanned in them must be faithfully re-
pasted For an hour or more at time
the receiving operator will have 10
write message after message. interrupted
only BY the signal abr" something
this way;
800 -. signifying another
message" This is continued until the
l0ag series is ended by a full point.
Then the receiver is obliged TO make
sure that he has made no errors, and
sends the acknowledgement 80. K,
sounding:
This signifies ''all
right" 10 which he adds his signature
of one or two distinguishing letters
which are also put on each message
under the space on the blank ''sent by
aud received by so that each message
can be traced. No two operators in the
same Office can have the same signature.
The average pay Of an operator is about
SIS month for men and $50 month for
women. This can be frequently aug
Iaenfed by extra work time. Cable
operators and those in exposed positions
IN the West get higher salaries.