The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1888-03-20
THE CHRISTOPHER TELEGRAPH.
Making Messages Jump from Moving
Trains to the wires Alongside.

A reporter was comfortably seated in
the smoking car Of an afternoon train on
the Lehigh Valley road. when his attcn-
ton was attracted by a peculiar sound
proceeding from one corner of the ear.
1t was Interrupted at irregular short
intervals, and had the sound been metal
lie it would undoubtedly have been recog-
nized as the click of a telegraph instru-
lnent. But it was not metallic; it was
more like mosquitoes ping" empha-
sized and cut up into short fragments.
Upon looking around for the origin Of
this peculiar sound the reporter noticed a
young man occupying back seat.
Around his head passed a broad band
which fastened a peculiar black affair
against his ear. a moment later the re-
porter was seated beside him and learning
about "tclegraphing by induction.
The operator held ON his lap a board
about three feet long and two and half
feet wide At one end of it was pad of
message blanks. Near the center of the
board was the key. and on the right was
the "induction COLI with steel case.
When the reporter sat down, the opera
tor was sending a message, and the vi
brations of the armature We're what
caused the sound that had first attracted
attention
why does your instrument sound so
different from other ones;' the reporter
asked when the message was ended.
"Oh, we make it sound that way so
that the Office operator can distinguish it
from tho regular line. We can, by
changing the sounder make it any note
that we please, but this is found very
satisfactory
"Where is your liner Under the cars?"
ooh no. That's it, out on those poles,
beside the track.
But how do you make connections"
eve don't That is, no direct con-
nection. We telegraph by induction.
This, y placing his hand on box about
the size of an ordinary valise, 'is our bat
terry. We send current through the tin
roof of the car, and down to the ground
through the axle box and wheels. Now,
there is also "a current passing along the
line on tho poles. The presence Of one
of these currents affects the other, and
when, by using the key, | break and
again make the current through the car
roof, it produces a corresponding effect
upon the line current, and that effect is
felt in the office. Now, some people
can't understand why this should work
at such a great distance from the line
when the currents through the wires on
the same pole do not affect each other
in the same way. But, | reply, they do
or,oa '',, ,;.
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| tbo hrot from If min Won, l,nL ,,nln,
| ,I,,,,.t j.; ,,t',o, ,,.;L :. ..'.l
uot co,,,,i,. II MN. Loot ,,ooc ,f
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.What il tbo affair stro,,,od 10 ,.,,,,.
eo,,sn
| ,,vhot j. INV +o,o,boro Wa horo ia
uso the tcIenGone to rocoivo tbn mos,
| coca ,rd I hova u et.o,,,oJ j., ,looo l.,
| ,bot both borde will Iva lof+ frna Al
tbouoh our svster, has haen yorl,;no,
| beautifully unop tb;s road a,ar si,co
last October the comnanv is constantlv
Iovner;nen,;ry in orlar to ;,,nroyo
o.