The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-01-16
THE MUTE OPERATOR.
STORY IN THE LIFE OF A DEAF
AND DUMB TELEeRAPHER.

:. e ~e"rneu 10 receive Messages Through
: the Sense Of Toucl,--Waylaid ans
+ Robbed of $1,000, Which Was After
Q wards Recovered by a Twin Brother.
r ibid you ever hear OF deaf and dumb
o telegraph operatori Don't believe itf WHY
5 man, taught deaf and dumb boy his frs
: 1ots. Believe itl Come, let me give you the
+ iacts and little story with 1t, Off hand like
d and you can work it over to suit yourself and
, readers"
Ihereupon this foyer with lightning reeled
D on tne following yarn: ''The deaf and dumb
l operator was my twin brother, so alike IN
. FORM and feature, and indeed all save the one
: great distinguishing mark Of speech. as 70 h
Z often mistaken for myself. At IL wears Of
, age, bright, noble boy, that great scourpe
OF childhood, scarlet fever, robbed him 81
l those two most precious faculties, speech and
nearing. When had secured the position Of
messenger at our local telegraph Office. with
: .he promise OF opportunity to perfect myself
/ In the art telegraphic, IL was he who pro.
posed and carried out his purpose To
, commence the study at the same time
and SO diligently did he pursue his
labor that manned as he was. he ac-
CURED by constant practice what would seem
an mpossibility. He read the fast recurring
clicks OF the Morse instruments, not by sound.
as is the rule with telegraphers, but from the
sense OF touch as he placed his fingers lightly
upon the moving armature His had been
al home practice from lessons delivered by
myself after other duties were over.
- applied for and secured the management
Oh tne ONCE at G--, goodly town on the
Kennebec. Here the summer found ne NV
brother and /, busily employed with ofTics
duties. The deaf and dumb operator at
tended strictly to this branch Of the business.
sitting with fingers lightly resting upon the
Instruments intent upon calls, or COPYING
with pen the words as they flowed from the
quick puisations of the little brass armature
beneath his sensitive touch.
III was we'll along into the ice harvest Of
winter that one day Col. Tracy, agent In the
Town Tor one OF the larger ice companies. the
chief industry of the town, entered the Office
and after CHEEKY greeting, announced the
iact that $1,000 in greenbacks was expected
on the evening express, to be used by him In
paying tho hands on the morrow. And.
boys he added, as suppose you don't care
10 Keep that amount over night, perhaps
you'd better deliver 1t to me at the house:
tnen III lock II In my safe and be ready with
the pay roll In the morning, for the man win
DC anxious for their scrip We were willing
to please the colonel, and readily consented
to do as he wished. During that afternoon a
furious storm Of snow set in. Trains were
delayed, and, in consequence, 1t was after o
IN the evening when the express parcels, and
among them the precious bundle Of cash, ar
rived at the Office. Ours was small office.
supporting no delivery team, and as one
OF us must act as messenger my brother
proposed doing SO while / settled up. the
days business Had there been a Thought of
danger In the errand to disturb US never
should have consented to his going alone:
being none, gave gesture Of thanks as he
Duttoned tightly his coat about him, seized
inc parcel and stepped out into the storm
Alone In tho office, the days bushes was soon
put to order and the few express parcels
cneosed FROM the way bin. Then, seated in
the courage Of the poor boy who sat there,
day after day, deaf to all save the busy In
strtIments-until aroused by an unusual stir
at tho Office door. They were bringing him
In, my poor boy; his clothes In disorder and
stained by the storm and, yes, blood. What
could have happenedg His poor right hand.
which could have told In place Of speech,
hung useless at his side, the arm disabled by
blow.
"What is it, mani" No answer, save that
they had found him struggling through the
storp, and, recognizing him, had brought
him here While plying the questions had
clasped the wounded boy In my arms and
supported him to his accustomed seat beside
the instrument we have need of doctor
here greatly raising the injured arm. One
of the men Immediately started in search Of a
physician
"'What is 1t, dear boyT asked aloud
For answer he grasped quickly my right
hand with his uninjured left, and with his
fingers spelled out the words In the familiar
Morse alphabet, which read from the SIM
pie strokes of his fingers Robbed Robbed
Two MuGfed figures Struck me down.
Chung to money package to the last-till-tin
they broke my arm. Oh, cruel, cruel-two
poor boys, to rob them of SO much
"a severe scalp wound the result OF a blow
from some blunt instrument, and arm not
broken, but badly hurt. Such was the YER
dict of the physician after an examination.
''The long winter season at last grew into
spring, then summer, and the sun danced
again on the waves Of the Kennebec. My
brother was back once moro In his old time
| scat fully recovered from his injuries and
busily working the wire as before. Yet no
| trace of the stolen money nor the robbers.
at was noon, and our telegraph messen-
| GERS dinner hour, when one eventful day
there came a message of special Importance,
requiring immediate delivery. Our estab-
lished reputation for promptness must not
| suffer this to wait the messengers return, 60
thrusting the telegram into the pocket OF my
coat, rushed off on delivery duty. have
said that my brothers appearance so closely
resembled my own as to cause uncertainty
even among our friends in distinguishing one
from another.
snow, as my course lay down toward the
river Anong the ice houses, noticed two
oilers of vagabond appearance sitting cooling
their heels upon one of the long shutes which
project out into the river, used In hauling the
ice from its bed up the great incline plane to
, the entrance of the house. As came oppo-
4 site and almost within arms length OF the
4 two worthless, one turning to the other OK
i claimed, Here comes the dummy, Bill. He'
1 cot our mark on himp In an instant 1t hashet
upon me, now was the time for action. X
! denounce them later as the robbers would b
a hazardous
. "'At last I've got you, and with the words
4 followed by cry for help, turned, ane
!. sprang directly at the throat OF the mrs
q speaker. There was an answering cry o.
, surprise from the villain ere my fingers en-
y circled his throat, and the next moment w
! were rolling over and over, each Struggling
< for the mastery The other, evidently
walker spirit, took to his heels anu ANA a cria
brought help and the robber was secured
Then. after directing some to follow the fugt
tive, l denounced them both as the expires
robbers. That night hoth-the runaway cah
Is tured-were safe within the waiis Oh tne va
o lage lookup.
r. spirit quailed, and, 10 secure the clcmency Q
20 the court, made full confession, hkewis
. disclosing the hiking place OF the stole
and secured to the express company. The n
ward OF $500 for the arrest and conviction 9
~ the robbers enabled Us to make good tn
!. whole amount, Lewiston Mel journal
: Accounted For.
y, Grimes-How do you account for fro
- so early in the season as that one we had 10