Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-08-26
INTELLIGENT TRAMPS.
NoMADlC TELEGRAPHERS WHO WAN
DER OVER THE COUNTRY.

Changes Are Frequent in All Large Teie-
graph Omoes-Eastern Branches Do Not
Suffer In This Respect as Much as Lo-
calities In the West.
One of the most striking features con-
nected with the telegraph business is the
extraordinary propensity of the average
operator for changing about from office to
office, and roaming from town to town all
over the country. Among the operators
In the big Western Union office are men
who have worked in nearly every state and
territory in the Union, and there is scarcely
a man who has been in the service any con-
siderable length of time but is more or less
travelled.
A few days ago the city papers chronicled
the fact that "Skate Donohue had struck
town." a most interesting item of news to
telegraph operators, but one that needed
some explanation to the general public.
Donohue is an extreme type of the
tramp" operator. He has worked in
every large telegraph Office and in multi
tude of the smaller ones in every part of
the United States, in Canada, and in Old
Mexico, and he is known either personally
or by reputation to almost every operator
in the three countries.
His reputation as a tramp is perhaps
only equaled by that of W. Bogardus, or
"Old Bogie," as he is Familiarity known to
the boys, but Bogardus is getting quite an
old man, and he does not change his base
OF operations oftener than every second or
third week now, while Donohue is as active
as ever. Although the latter possesses this
wandering propensity in an abnormal de
gree he may yet be taken as a type of
very large class of operators.
TRAMPs GROWING LESS.
"A few years ago the Geographic profess
sion was almost entirely composed of per-
sons having no fixed abode" and who
came, quite properly, under the classified
ton of tramps, although perhaps only in
the sense of being nomadic in their habits
They shared the rowing habit about equally
with the printers, and though matters have
changed somewhat of late, they could even
now challenge comparison In this respect
with any class outside the regular gypsy
tribes. IL used to he altogether exceptional
for an operator to settle permanently in one
Office or one town, and changes occurred
almost daily in every office in the country.
The telegraph business was perhaps not
quite so large, so uniform or steady then
as now and operators were subject to the
law of supply and demand, the workings
Of which undoubtedly gave considerable
cause for frequent changes, but this could
only account in "A slight degree for the in
Vulnerable changes that took place every
pay day. But in the eastern states these
conditions have been considerably modified
in the last few years. Managers have dis
countenanced and discouraged the practice,
and operators in this part of the country
are now fairly staid and settled citizens.
There are always a number of arrivals and
departures every month at large offices,
such as New York, Boston and Philadel-
phia, but as "A rule operators in the east
have settled down to become solid citizens.
WESTERN EXPERIENCES.
But in the states and territories west of
the Ohio, and particularly In those west Of
the Mississippi, the operator has altered
but very little in character and habits, aud
is still tramp, ever on the move from
place to place, with varying fortunes and
more varied experiences He usually sam
Piles all localities and will on the shortest
notice, and as often with no notice at all,
pack his grip, should he be so fortunate as
to possess one or have any effects to neces-
state his possessing one, and depart for
parts unknown and uncared. 1t has been
said that many of them believe or used to
believe in the old saying that it is much
cheaper TO move than TO pay board.
1t Is not an uncommon thing for the per-
sonnet of the staff of such Offices as Omaha,
Ogden, Galveston, Deming and other large
telegraph points in the west and south to
be completely changed in the course of a
few weeks. The work in some of these
offices is constant roast" and few oper-
ators will remain there long. St. Louis,
Chicago, New Orleans an cther large
offices have a dozen changes very month
or So while on the western railroads it
would be almost impossible g. ;eep a COM
plete record of the changes that occur in
year.
Usually great deal of the train dis
patcher's time and attention is taken up in
keeping track of the different operators
who come and go at the stations on his d.
vision, and in seeing that all the positions
are properly filled.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A TRAMP.
To be Successful tramp man must
combine exp rience in the two entirely diff
ferent depari .nents Of the business, rail
road and commercial telegraphy, and he
equal to any emergency, and the average
western tourist usually does possess a suf-
nClcut ktllfIdi huoN icuEt W tudbic niul W
hold down anything that comes along, at
least temporarily and until he can get out
Of town ere, 1ably. The tramp's expert
ences cover tie entire field, and one week
he will be filling place as ''owl" might
OPERATOR at some prairie side track, and
the next cop ing Associated Press reports
for city pa r.
At the sma Her railroad stations his skill
in handling toe harnessed thunderbolts Of
Jove is usually secondary consideration
to his ability as express agent, ticket seller,
station agent and baggage smasher. and
he occasionally has to perform such mental
duties as cleaning switch lamps, handling
miscellaneous freight and acting as general
utility man. But places of this kind,
though quite numerous, are not often ac-
cepted by the average tourist, but are filled
by novices and struggling plugs"
Today he will make the forty-first opera
tor who in the course of the year has been
appointed permanently" at a water tank
or side track in western Texas or Arizona;
next week he will be holding down place
as night report man in Colorado or Cali
fornia or Louisiana.-New York Tribune.