Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-16
A GREAT SCOOP. -
A Telegraph Messenger Boys Reminis-
cence of the Lincoln Assassination

''The assassination of Lincoln" read
Henry n. Garland passenger agent of
the Wabash, as he spread out a copy of
a newspaper dated April Is, 1905, and
which contained an account of the muir
der of the president.
81 remember that event most wildly"
said Mr.. Garland, land it is imprinted
on my memory through part | played
the next morning in connection with it. |
was boy living in Oswego, n. Y, at
that time, and was the messenger boy for
what was known as the United States
Branch Telegraph company 1t was a
Canadian line and we were fighting the
Western Union Cor all we were worth. In
Oswego the Western Union office and our
office was separated only by partition.
The rivalry and jealousy was bitter, and
messenger boys followed the example of
our superlors IN working up business.
Whenever we'd deliver a message we'd
ask for an answer, and if the fellow
would say there was none, we'd wait
until he read the message and then ask
him if he was sure there was nothing to go
back
at was my business to open the Office
in the mornings. and the day after Lincoln
was shot | was down at the office at 1870
getting ready for the day IS work. There
were no night Offices then and no one in
Oswego had heard of the assassination
As | opened the door | heard the instru-
ment ticking our Office call. | was Just
learning then and knew nothing beyond
the office call, 0. K, and the alphabet,
which could figure out. | wondered why
the thing was going so early and let it 20
for while. The call was kept up for so
long | became convinced that it was some
thing big. We used the old wheels and
all the paper in those days, something like
bucket shop ticker, and walked over to
the inst lment two or threee times unde-
cided what to do. There would be no one
around for an hour or two and at last
| went to the key and broke in with i i,
the signal that all was ready for the mes
sage and turned on the wheel. The in
slant | did so my hair began to raise as
the the thing went off like an engine, as
the operator at the end, believing the
regular man was on, began to send in a
big message. was frightened half to
death and hardly knew what to do. The
blamed tick kept going though, and
after | had pranced around the office
awhile, it began giving the office call
again. surmised what the operator
"duIcu IElS GuIle anu gave MIN ". n.
and signed. This was all he wanted and
he let me alone. took the strip of paper
and pencil and sat down to figure out the
message. 1t was pretty cold, but | was
wet with perspiration and so nervous |
could hardly hold the pencil In my fin
gers.
Finally | managed to find out what it
meant Abe Lincoln was shot and our Of
fee got it first. Irushed out to the door
and saw that the Western Union had no
bulletin out and then l began to work.
got big sheet of paper and with plenty
of ink managed to fix up bulletin that
drew crowd. About $50 the manager
came rushing in and asked me what I
meant. | told him what had done and
he nearly had ft 1t was great scoop
On the Western Union and a big 'ad for
our company and the boss predicted that |
would be the biggest operator and tele-
gra oh man in the country-but guess |
let it down too soon.