Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-03-20

This recalls to our mind, says the
Washington Post, an experience of q
young friend when we will call Snipkins.
He was about 10 years Old, and undertook
to learn telegraphy because he was fasci-
mated by it. lie Thought that to be tel
egraph operator WAS 10 be the most ell
viable creature on earth. So he obtained
permission to practice in little way
Office where not more than one or two
messages were received IN day. Thomas
Cleveland, who was tie station agent, the
express agent, the operator, and every
thing else, showed the young man how to
make the alphabet. and Snipkins set about
the task OF learning with proud heart.
For an hour or more he pecked away at
the key, mastering one letter after an
other.
''YOu are making fine progress" said
Mr.. Cleveland, encouragingly; sand say,
6nipkins, whenever any body comes In to
send message you just pretend that you
are the operator, take the message and
the pay for it, rattle the key SO as to
make believe You are sending it, and then
hang the message on the hook. When I
get around to it l will send it,
This pleased the young man very
much. 1t was tin. height of his ambi-
ton to be deemed an operator, and he
ratified the key very elOqnently whenever
fny white-eyed villaser happened to be
looking. Pretty soon gentleman came
In with message which lie said must DO
sent right away.
~ will send it at once" said Snipkins,
and with glad heart he sat down and rat
tied away for perhaps two seconds. Then
he hung the message Oh the hook and
leaned back with an air that said: ssWhat
do You think of me 81
"Why don't you send my mcssagef'
asked the man.
~ have; it is gone" said Snipkins,
sorry for the poor, ignorant layman.
''GOne! What do you mean? There
1t Is on that hook
"You don't suppose we send the paper
that the messageiis written on, do you?'
said Snipkins lOftily.
'DOn't you?' - asked the customer.
'Certainly not" and Snipkins laughed
. little at the poor fellows Ignorance.
swell" said the nai,. 'sthat's news to
me. How on earth do YOU send it. then ~
"YOu saw me send it. That's all there
Is to IT.
swell, well,' said the astonished Gus
toner: "And how long before it will be
there p
'.It's there now"
~ mum, is that SO? Well, well, tele-
graphing Is pretty quick business, isn't
"Yes, sir;" said Snipkins, condescend-
ing to be jocular for the moment; s.its as
quick as lightning"
The man came around inside the uailing
and Ia G,,s. h,x IA
please to explain how the thing worked
what made the message go and how it
came to get there so quickly.
What Snipkins didn't know about this
part Of 1t would have made coverlet for
all time with some few square miles
left to to lap over into eternity. He had
NO sort Of an idea how the electric cur
rent was created. He had never been in
PRODUCED to battery and was not ON
speaking terms with even ground wire.
But he had splendid imagination and
with 1t he created scheme Of telegraphy
quite as wonderful Us anything Prof.
Morse hal ever dreamed of. He laid the
whole thing open to the bewildered listen
er and made an explanation as clear -
mud.
swell, SIR" said the customer when
everything had been explained 1t great
length and with lofty condensation,
''that is the most wonderful thing I ever
heard of. My stars, what . revolution
has been made in telegraphy in the last
six months! Now, wien l quit opera
ting, last November. it was all done in
quite another way. When We wanted to
send message We opened the key this
way, called up the other Office this way,
and latter all the other Offices had an.
swered) sent the message this way"
The customer was X. N. Wolcott, ons
Of the oldest telegraph operators in n
Nnois.
When young Snipkins returned 10 COO.
sciousness he saw Tom Cleveland sand
ing behind the freight desk laughing
himself blue in the face. That IL tie way
Old telcsrapners sometimes treat tho cu6s
In their offices. Cleveland bad arranged
the whole thin: with his friend -Wolc0ek