Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-06-14


why the copy remained OF the ia
bile; # il had been sent ; why he
could not see it 60, and all that
sort of thing. Finally he told the
operator that he had been In the
business himself; that it would not
do simgly to rattle the key. and
That If he did not brace up aud
send that dispatch pretty quick he
would see whether he had any ill.,
nuence with the district manager.
That settled it.
A couple of girls, whom | do
not know, but have only heard OF,
went TO a summer resort one morn
ing bright aud cherry to spend the
da, in such social eDjoymenis as
they could hud for $l.5O. They
happened to sit about noon time
at "A table in u cafe. II was very
crowded place, and before long
two young men, rather good look
ing and bright and cherry also,
who could find no seat elsewhere,
sat down at the same table in the
same cafe. The girls began to talk
to each other by certain mysterious
drumming signs, which they with
their fore6ngers on the top OF the
table. They, il seems, we're tele'
graph operators, and the converse
ton you can imagine was very in
teresting.
Probably they talked about the
personal appearance aud manners
OF every gentleman in the large
room. Particularly were their OBJ.
servations direc ted to an analy.
teal considerable II 1.-THE make up OF
the two Young men who happened
To be at the same table with them.
They had great fun, l tell you. But
pretty soon the forefngers of the
two young men found their way TO
the top OF the table. They began
to make mysterious drumming
sounds and TO carry on q cOnversa'
ton quite as animated az the other
was. They were telegraph opera
tors, too.
The girls were a. 6Ist perfectly
chagriued, but of course the two
Young men, if they were gentlemen
and | will wager they were, did
what they could to relieve the poor
creatures OF their embarrassment.
The great blizzard of a year ago,
as you rememb /, stopped all tele'
graphic communication the country
over Tor "A day or two at least. IL
was customary even for New York
papers to get Boston news by cable
by way OF London, aud also for the
Boston papers TO get New York
news similarly by cable from the
other side. This was q tremendous
expense, but thele Was no overland
communication at all, not even by
gravel tram, and it was enterprise
and business to do that.
One Boston paper that know at
had a regular correspondent sta
tIored IN New York who knsv not
only how to thump the telegrsphers
key, but was acquainted a good
deal with the details Of telegraph
managem ent. He knew, that ~ TO
say, where this wire aud that wire
ran to; what companies owned 1t
or leased II, how connections be-
tween different wires or sets OF
wires were made and all that. II
occurred To him one OF the terrible
blizzard mornings that If he could
90 outside of New York a few
miles, pi X up the right dead wires,
as they call them when they are
fallen into disuse, 10 could make
connections and possibly get some
news through to Boston. He put
on his big cap aud his big collared
ulster, his seven league boots and
all his garments of pluck aud per-
slstence.
lie did just what he planned to
do. 1t was above Harlem river
somewhere that he succeeded in
making the proper connections and
tn It he felt the Joy Of newspaper
mau who thinks that perhaps he
has beaten rival by some legiti.
mate means Of ingenuity or cOur.
age. He went back to the city
aud that night was able 10 send all
the news he wanted to his Boston
paper. II his rivals in New England
had the same news they had to get
it b, cable by way OF London. lie
beat them all day, beat them all
hollow by that device, 80 far as any
overland telegraph went.
i ~