The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-21
DIED FOR THE PEOPLE.

The story of the Death of Mrs. OgIe al
JohnstoWn.
New York sun: "This is my last mes
sage"
That is the telegram which Mrs. II. VI.
ogle. manager of tue Johnstown telegraph
Office, sent jast before she was swallowed
up in the fiOoo. Long after the danger was
imminent, and longer after death was al
most certain, Mrs. Ogle sat in the Johns
town telegraph Office, over which she had
presided for nearly quarter of a century.
and sent warning kilograms down the fated
valley 20 the towns and villages below.
The warnings were little noticed, but Mrs.
Ogle did her duty TO the last
Mrs. Ogle was the widow of a soldier
who wss killed in the war Of the rebellion.
She had three children 70 support. and she
learned telegraphy- She was qnick, and
after acting as operator for year or two
in Pennsylvania town, she was put in
charge OF the then insignificant station at
JOhnstOwn. The town grew rapidly, and
Mrs. Ogle was provided with an assistant
With the increase in manufacturing inter
ests the office gradually assumed import
aDce ia the telegraph system. But Mrs
Ogle had grown with II, and In spite of nu-
merous propositions % put man in charge
of the office she WAS retained as more than
satisfactory by the highest authorities OF
the telegraph system Indeed as new
officials arose in power Mrs. Ogle's sex
was lost sight of TO some extent.
She always In her reports left OF the pre-
hx Mrs" signing herself II. NJ Ogle; and
a round masculine penmanship, added 70 q
thoroughly business management of the
affairs OF the office, made a general impres-
sion among the officials that the JOhnSJown
Office was managed by man, and an un-
usually efficient man at that few years
after she became manager she was intrust-
ed with the sending of the Associated Press
dispatches Her dealings with she AssO
ciated Press, as reported TO the Western
Union officials, led 20 her appointment by
them as the telegraph cOmpsny's agent in
that business. She has handled this bust
ness for nearly twenty years
or her three children, Mrs. Ogle chose
her daughter Minnie a. her assistant in the
Office. Minnie proved nearly as apt as her
mother and became an expert telegrspher.
Later on, Mrs Ogle increased her staff un-
I'll she had four regular operators and three
messengers. The whole STAFF was In the
office when the final disaster overlook the
town. Mrs Ogle's last message, 50 far as
was known, was one Of warning to those
lower down in the valley She could have
escaped with her daughter and her assist
auts had she selhshly minded the first
warnings that came over the wire, but she
ordered that no one leave The until the val
ley was warned.
She did not report directly TO this city,
hut 20 Pittsburg. 70 Manager Charles o.
from her was sent from JOhnstOwn al 3
O'Clock Friday afternoon. 1t Indicated
that the great disaster was at hand. but
had not yet struck the town. Mrs. Ozle
telegrapbed that the wafer had swept the
town She said that the flood had driven
them all from their office on the ground
floor and that she had removed the instru-
ments 70 the top door Of the building. The
four operators and the three messengers
were with her. This was the last authentic
word received from Mrs Ogle. B-fore her
dispatch was fairly received in Pittsburg
il ia thought the telegraph Office went on
the crest of the food. Mrs. Ogle's daugh-
ter perished with her.
The Western Union officials in this city
spoke of Mrs. Ogle in the highest terms. A
representative OF Assistant Manager j. w.
Merrihew said of her.
'-She was one of the best and most CON-
petent managers this company has ever
had She had had charge OF that Office for
twenty-five years II is an important Office.
She had managed not only the routine but
the larger business in q way no one could
have bettered- There were, in fact, very
few who handled her reports or her busi-
ness who did not think the manager OF the
Johnstown ONCE was man, and capable
man AZ that