Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-26
FRONTIER TELEGRAPHY.
How the News From Oklahoma Was
Sent to the Press of the Country

How the News From Oklahoma Was
Sent to the Press of the Country.
On April % the largest and most COM
plcte, to say. nothing of being the most
intricate, lot of circuits ever put up IN
the state of Kansas we're arranged at
the Wichita Western Union Office on
the occasion of the fling of $1,000 words
OF Oklahoma press news, says the Elec-
trio Age. A special press re presenta-
tives' train was run from Guthrie,
Oklahoma territory, to Wichita, con-
tanning twenty-seven newspaper men
with their correspondence for the east
ern papers. The train made no stops
between Guthrie and Wichita, and
when it reached Wichita it was discov-
cred that the rival reporters had
adopted all manner OF means to
get their respective copy" to
the telegraph office first, that
it might have the preference in
being sent out. Some two or three of
them had race horses, ridden by ex-
pert jockeys, in waiting at the depot,
and before the train had fairly stopped
the daring reporters sprang from it.
and rushing up to the riders, handed
them an envelope containing their
manuscript, and the word, CO."
was given, when the horses dashed
off on a dead run for the tele-
graph office. Others had secured fast
cabs: and yet others, not to be Outdone.
had secured light buggies and fixed
alarm gongs on the front, that could be
operated from the seat by their feet, in
order to warn the street passengers at
crossings to look out for their mad
flight, and as quickly as possible they
jumped into them and started. The
scene on the route to the office
was indescribable. First came a
large white horse ridden by the cor
respondent of the New York World,
closely followed by another ridden by
the correspondent of the Herald; then
came the buggies with their gongs
changing as they swaved from side to
side in their mad career They were
followed by the slower cabs on the dead
run. The police in vain tried to stop
the headlong fight. So cunningly was
standing at the depot five minutes be-
fore the arrival of the train would
have noticed nothing uncommon.
AT the office each man had a boy
| posted who would catch his horse as he
| dashed up. When the calvacade
reached the space in front OF the office
| great shout went up from the people
on the streets, the various correspon-
dents threw themselves from their
hOrSeS ana DugSleS ana made rush
| for the door, which had been left open
for the purpose, and all tried to hand
their copy to the receiving clerk at the
same time. The World correspondent
(who, by the way, is redheaded and
| rode white horse) was the first to file
his stuff At the operating giroom Chief
| Operator b. G. Elder was in charge
with the assistance of Night Chief
Operator e. S. Bowers. A new quad
had been run to Arkansas City, and was
looped on all four corners of the regular
Wichita-Kansas City circuits. The men
were placed at a table each, and were
all ready, the Kansas City operators
being in waiting, and when the specials
were filed they were quickly distributed
and three minutes after the train pulled
| in at the depot the matter was being
transmitted as rapidly as fifteen first
| class operators could handle it. 1t was
| filed at 10:45 p. M. and at 1890 a. m.
| the last word had been sent. Manager
| Hackett was in attendance at the coun-
ter and distributed the copy" Night
Chief Bowers kept business moving,
while Chief Operator Elder looked after r
the wires. Strange to say, not one Of
fifteen circuits went down during the
spurt and all worked fine. Kansas City
handled the same night 100, 600 words of
press matter from the various Kansas
points