Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-07-20

tarlo - !" c'me within speaking di,-
.lDg' o. making tho char ,ctor, canfa,r,
.s% % 'nI'' in Sh1G,cr that di mot no,
~ ''' some one htd entered. AL
"aS desperately struggling with tbo
,0k' ~ and inwardIy 5ewaiJin, NV NV
whAS 'Apertness with the pen, voice
"trI "4'u at once as Flnu's, said:
IOWA oil that stool, sonny. and
= ~'A' you the alphabet l quickly
~ S'ls'ea the task to the more expe.
ri'ne'a fingers of the new conner
w ~ Oeen looking over my shoulder
'' LOOK my place on tho messen-
gers bench. Presently Finn handed
mt : Uaak on which the alphabet nu-
m'Fals and the punctuation points were
glven, and below them he had written
Ia MS own beautifully flowing chiropra.
Pny: james Brady gave me his pretty
Da'A Ta'nut box of quite small size"
Oa.auIly expressed my thanks, but
ny - 9lsaFt was lull oaough of gratitude
% h'Ye warranted something better
'nal ! said, had l been able to give
u''erance to my feelings. After an
sWerlng call and taking several mes
'agea, Finn started me out, saying as
went to deliver them, "You can
practice on that sentence when YOU
nave learned to make the letters. 1t
contains all thu characters in the al
phaolt' nave given that little story
about Brady and the small black wal
nut bsx 70 many aspiring youngsters
since then wonder if any Of them
ever prizid it as hi yhly as l did when it
hrt 5ccame part of my knowlcd ge,
and | Toader, too, if among thit small
0ani Of youths, some OF whom
9SNe operators, whilo others
il that to sue
a ID in other things, there is
II div.a~st,orsonage, sucn a. <
& Finn. Probably not. But if
ther} be one l am a much honored man,
fOr dothiag l can feel for a human be-
Ing Ni ever excel my enthusiasm for
my I'd tclegraphic hero. Even though
| bay 4 seen him often of late years ua-
der circumstances, which, for the mo-
mcnS bcrft him of all his od-time
glory still go on remembering him
br-A dashins and handsome, and am
than ktul that l can. Old man Fine is
the stern reality to nearly all who know
him now but to me he is an abstraction
mcrely-a reality which goes out of my
mind, giving place to my hero Of yore
tho moment he leaves my presence.
Before he had gone far on his down
ward course had become an operator,
and$Qrked ly his side. l remember
tbatlin one Of his exalted moods he took
the color out of my existence for a
month or mor3 by a casual obsel vation
which ! can never forget. Like many
youi operators, l fancied, long before
| had perfected myself in my business,
that had solved the problem. l spoke
in his presence to that effect one dly,
and be sail, with that charming blunt
nc''lwhlch Is sometimes the result of an
indulgence in stimulant:
you will become dec,nt operator,
but sou are, of course, a frightfu plug
now. 1t cut me like a knife, but
needed the lesson YeArs afterward,
Whai had progressed as far in th3 tel
esraphlc art as nature intended l should
ever 60 | looked back on those earlier
years and felt that Finn was right.
had h1ally been taught the bitter lesson
wing the great Newton confessed to
have learned, and l felt that the little
kno~'case we acquire is valuable chief
y a' 'eachiag u' the de lslty of our il.
noraDce,
tun se9aracter had humorous vein
IL 'lthal. His ability as a "re.
ceif was the talk and wonder Of the
"h1' section IN which ho lived and
wrought. He never broke, his work
wa1'ecuFate, and hii mauship mar,
V'lq@ oac day an operator, whc
c0Pi'u press on the SAM wire, vi,ito
US p'u asked George how he managed
y fV'iVe report day after day without
e'VI O'eaSlng, Pointing to primitiv,
eO- a''nce consisting of two mberi7s
s0uY''fs and quick switch fully foul
:" quaf'' situated on shelf four feer
asl and which did duty as repeater
iU' ~ noI'e'ter' Finn replied dryly: "
~ lr'lnes lose worl, but l hav,
70 a'n that rat trap over there 70
VI listers break, and if a word sir.
MI can always spot it before it wig
FL, srii Trough that aged threshing ma
Hn' came when Finn could n
lofs hold tho re ponsiblo position .
2l MT, report operator and he wen
II u that time out, until recently, h
ha su'ned to mo at intervals varyin.
LaS months to two years. H
T,sl w N '9.o Of the Friend of m,
val.s. lie has invariably appeare,
~ warning and u .iformly in
MI. mp curiosity. Sometimes h
nom New England tow
MI = had secure mouths Sub
vIls 's''a he cam from somi ob,s ur
,.he, ~ branch of the Erie railroa,