Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-12-30
EARLY TELEGRAPHY.
ROUGH EXPERIENCES OF THE PIONEER
OPERATORS.
How a Break in the Line Was Repaired By a
Tssmstr-Days Williams Ingenious
But Unsuccessful Scheme.
San Francisco Examiner.

early days of the telegraph. About 1866
the best talent of the Pacific coast was non
plussed over break in the line between
Virginia City and San Francisco. The wire
carried the stock quotations, and the mar
ket wss Frustrated by the failure 10 heal
from the mines. Stations were long way
apart, 20 miles frequently intervening be
| twsen operators. Frank Bill was supsr.
intendent of the mountain division, where
grades were 50 heavy that ltnemen bad tC
Chamber up the hills by hand-oVer-hand
process. an inspection did not disclose the
! break. Another lineman was sent, and he
returned with the news that the wire was
a right.
Three days had elapsed without mes
sage between the two feverish markets OF
Nevada and California, and spectators sur
missed that some one was playing crooked.
| Then Frank Bell got mad. He swOre that
he would 90 over the line himself and ex-
amino every inch OF wire. Then he sellied
forth with blood in his eye and couple OF
six shooters in his belt He Jared no letter
than bis predecessors, although he stuck to
his resolution to irspsct 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. HsCould see
both ends held taut, but not satisfied, he
scaled the cliff climbed in behind the tree
and found tie break. The wire, which
had parted, had been joined by some one
VINO had used a piece Of hay rope, thus
eff.ctually breaking the circuit. The air
was sulphuro1s about this time, and the
SUPERINTENDENT wore himself out apostrO-
pHizing 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
rspairs. A teamst.r pulled up his mules
on the road below and shouted to Ball
"Say, you telegraph feller," he yelled,
81 guess you owe me drink"
met By a. sight" was the positive
rejo nder."
Yes you do" cana back from the
mule.whacker. II found your - old
lire down last winter and tied it up for
you"
Then you are the blasted fool I've been
looking for" replied Bill, who began to
get hot over the recollection as he star ed
down the bluff.
The teamster saw there was something
he could not understand and lit out with
out delay.
The Los Angeles circuit Of the Southern
Overland became interrupted in '65. Linz
men who were ,ent out returned, stating
that they could not repair the break with
out a lot of supplies. About a mile
of wire and poles had as COM
pletely disappeared as though they
had been swallowed up by the
earth. No trace could be found of the
missing material and the line was recon
structed. Afterward detective was en-
gagged to solve the mystery. He worked
! for three weeks on the case, exploring a
country that was mere desert He was
! respondent and about TO abandon all
further search when he ran across the ma
terial in question. He was stopping all
night at small ranch, which was sur
rounded by neat wire fence. Bacbed
wire was unknown, and the ranchman was
taxed with stealing toe Overland line
The old settler, who had made first class
corral at little cost, admitted the impesch-
ment.
YES" he said, "I'ye been living here
nigh onto three years, and have watched
| that durred old line. l never saw any
thing 90 over, and thought no ona was
using it."
The settler was honest, and after reading
him lecture on the invisible nature OF
electricity, the detective reported. No
p-rs:cution followed.
Ga the San joaquin trail the daring en-
gineers who hSd climbed crag and preci-
pice to stretch their wires were outwitted
BY the long-horned Spanish cattle that
grazei in the valley. No timber graced the
cauntry, and flies were troublesome. The
cattle we're bothered by these winged pests,
aud to get rid of them crowded to the tsle.
graph line. They would rub against the
poles aud paw tbs earth away from the
base. Heavy poles would be worn out in 6
! few months, causing freque5t interruptions.
The lima could not be fenced in, and il
would not pay to hirs vaqueros to drive
away the stock.
One ofthose brilliant ideas that change
the fate of nations suggested cure for tha
evil. Spikes were driven in the poles and
the ends shsrpened 50 as to tickle the thick
hide of the steers and keep them away from
their dsily pleasure. The theory was good,
but il failed in practice. The cattle actually
appreciated the change and brought all
their horned companions from 20 miles to
enjoy the prickly sensation produced by the
invention. After this twice as many poles
were needed, and the spike feature vas
abandoned.
Dave Williams was the smsrtest telegra'
pier Of the day. Quick-witted aud fertile
in expsdien:s, he ran up to Virginia City
in 1865, when the mining world was lying
awake aights expecting to hear the de-
cis'on in the famous Chollar and Wild West
claims. Whichever way the judgment
went meant fortune for the first MAJ that
got the news.
! Williams boldly entered the office at
Virginia City and openly engaged the three
wires running to San Francisco by filing a
COPY of a newspaper for transmission. The
court was tsrdy and the newspaper was ex-
haus.ed before the decision was announced.
Williams then passed Bible over the
counte., telling the Office staff to grind out
on that on three wires. Agents and brokers,
who had been se1t to Virginia City on tn:
same mission, tumbled to the deal to shut
them out, and induced the manager 10
wire TO headquarters for special instruc'
tons The question of priority on three
wires was raised, aud the President wired
back that priority could only be claimed
on a single wire and not on the whole sys
tenn. williams was knocked out, but for
tuna favored him by delaying the decision
several days. Hastily collecting camp
ing outfit and hiring a wagon, the plucky
operator started for the brush, where he
concealed himself st spot convenient to
the telegraph line
The wire wa3 tapped and receiver and