The Dickinson press., 1889-10-19

Something About the Heroic Telegraph
Operator WHO Died ut Her Post.
Every enc knows of the noble and tragic
death of IIcttv Oylc, but few have watched
the consistent and well ordered course Of hci.
life.
ITetty Earl WAS bornin the beautiful noun.
tain village of Somerset, Pa, and there she
grew TO le Il cheerful, helpful, happy, pleas.
ant faced young woman.
Her father WAS for many years recorder Of
the courts there. He died a poor man. There
were few educational advantages in Somcr.
set, and though llctty had Il strong, well
balanced mind, it had little school training.
After her fathers death she married Charles
Oglc, IL younger member of the family 50
distinguished in Pennsylvania politics. He
WIS one of the first to enlist as Il soldier in
the civil war, and was killed in the Wilder.
ness at the battle of Gaines Mill His bolv
was never recovered.
Mrs. Oelc was left with three little chill
drrn to support, and she went to work calm
ly and bravclv TO do 1t. The telegraph office
in Somerset was in Il room also occupied as a
store, and where the rough men of the town
c"ngregatel to gossip and quarrel; but she
undertook to learn that business, ard she lid
it thoroughly, never getting n diSrcSlpcttul
word from amy one, the hardest part of her
task being that she left her babies at nome to
take care of each other as best they could.
She soon became wonderfully proficient, and
was given an office of her own in Somerset
From that she gained the confidence of the
telegraph company So entirely that at the
time Of her death She had charge of three
telegraph lines in Jolnstown. Her two boys
grew to be fine fellows, shaped by her strong
will and good example.
Her daughter was always frail i'm health.
and was only kept alive by the tender care Of
her mother. Their home was the most per.
fcctly ordered that can be imagined. 1t was
seldom invaded by n servant, but was kept
exquisitclyn at 10y the skillful and deft hands
of the mistress. Everything that came upon
her table was of the daintiest, and she shared
what She had with rich and poor. Her friends
always said lIetty's coffee pot was inexEausti-
bic. She taught scores of boys and girls te-
Biography for nothing and helped them to find
situations. AT the time of her death two
young girls We're gratuitously sharing her
home and earning good wages in telegraph
offices from the benefit of her instruction.
They died with their bencfactress. SHE even
found time to do beautiful fancy work with
her wonderful quick fingers. She was one of
the sort of whom people say, GLOW does she
find time to accomplish all that She doess"
She was IL member of the Christian church.
Her religion was certainly most practical.
She embodied the golden rule.
She had ut one time to endure n terrible
surgical operation. After it was over. and
she was just rcgaining consciousness, she saw
her son, to whom she had taught geography,
standing by her side. He saw her fingers
move, although she could not speak, and he
understood that she was t~elcgraphing OH the
bed spread, sit is over; | am safe" to u dis.
tant and anxious friend. She was entirely
unseliish during every conscious moment of
her useful life. While this illness was pro
crossing, the telegraph company to whom
She was so faithful Il servant sent II man, ut
their own expense, to take her place in
their offices. All the mill whistles in the re-
gion were hushed by II positive order from
the owners while she was in u critical condi-
ton, and bulletins were regularly issued to
the anxious town, where she commanded
general love and respect.
The company which she served had lust re.
paired and put in perfect order tho house
which she occupied, and the world never
looked brighter nor faircr to Hctty Ocle
than upon the morning Of the day that she
gave up her life in the effort to save her fcl.
low creatures.
Not a trace of her drowned, burned,
manned, scattered body has been discovered
by agoniZed searchers, but we, who believe
in the reward of the faithful servant, are
confident that Hetty Oglc has heard from
the master, "Iycll done; enter into the ioy
of thy ord."-Mary Black Clayton in Har.
perts Bnzar.