Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-07-26
MEN WHO USE THE TELEGRAPH As
A MEANS OF EDUCATION.

tors never have fat places thrust
upon them. This Is because they
never come in contact with leader
in the business world. - II they
ever expect to sc; anything better
they must reach for IL. Most Of
the Operators who desiIe II change
are men Cf families, consequently
they have 10 move di-creeuy and
do cUnsiieTablee economical Juggling.
Being without any capital except
their own energy and ambition they
choose I profession. The two most
in favor are medicine anu law.
The next thing a. De done is 10 az
quire it. Butrhis fact isn't such an
easy matter.
FAVORABLE HOURS OF WORK.
The only thing in their favor is
their hours OF duty. These are
regular. Telegraph offices have
three separate forces. The day
force reports for duty at 5 am. and
i oil ut $50 pm; the regular night
force relieves the day force nj tnct
hour; the all night force relieves
the night force at I:3D am, AMI i
in turn relieved al 5 by the day
force again. The regular night fOrce
Is the most available, and the small
army Of aspirants for greatness IN
other ranks struggle upon Il. They
are given mo extra privileges by the
I companies, but are subjected 10 the
same stringent rules and regulation,
that govern the rect Of the men, In
fact, they have a harder time Of il
than the majority Of the operators,
because they are ordinarily strictly
first class, aud are consequently
compelled 10 40 the hardest work.
All these men who are striving 10
shake loose from telegraphy WrIe
originally country toys. The vii
lagos where they went 10 schOsl and
where they afterward learned teleg-
raphy grew too small for them, and
they came 10 New York, where they
could do better. Many cOuntrymeu.
after spending several years in this
city, enter colleges and graduate
with hDnOrs. During the summer
vacations they return 10 the city
and work day and night. In this
way they make enough money 10
run them through the college year.
Dozens Of such men flock to the city
every summer after commencement
ana remain until ;he college OPEN
in tie fall again. ~ the summer
season is the time when the tele-
graph companies do their biggest
business, they DON'T have any
trouble in getting all the work they
want.
Inc uumUsr Of telc-rayhers who
drift into newspaper work j. also
large. There i scarcely paper Of
any importance in this country that
doesn't number several eN-tele
grapngrS upon its siafE. In New
York there are "A sCufe or more.
these men were usually employee!
10y the various pres associations anu
newspapers as Operators.
Probably the Duly man engaged
iu the telegraph business who
Doesn't care tD get 0ut o. il j. John
BEaut, an OVeI-tsrat laj broadway.
He j. a banker on quite an extensive
-rale. For twenty years he has
worked FOR the Western Union H.
Ibis city AMI loaned money 10 H.,
boys. The majority Of operators
have a way Of spending their money
long before pay days. which occur
Oh the 18th and j.. o; every month.
Brint l. their hvuufIrt0r and his
own. He loans them 4 certain
-unI, depending entirely upon who
lie person J., for iTO weeks at ) per
'ent, without security. X j. e-ii-
mated that lac loans S.HHl in this
way month, ana lr j., -f't. 90 have
accumulated q C0I-iicEtbl, fortune.
ATTITUDE or - cpN"ASIES.
Tie higher officials OF tsc various
-oml ante nTr EIiG iu view tie eve
iuisuusTy movement, SiLM dIs.av0r.
This is rot strange. for the men who
ar. working yut 81 the business are
usually the conf aniI-' best men.
The companies do not Vut any Cl
>tAClts in the mems way, neither 30
they give them n helping hand.
They consider that the men aTe using
the telegraph a. stepping stone 70
something better, and they sprinkle
just enough cOngea!ed water upon
the STEPS to make them slippery. IL
the men mount them in safety they
take il good nstgredly; IL the men
slide 10 the bottom they are satisfied.
One official, when asked what the
cOmpanits gave their men who Dc
sired 10 better their worldly cOndi-
ton. saii:
eve give them no aid. because il I
wouldn't 10. We look upon all our
men alike and treat them all alike.
The students are governed by the
same rules that govern the other
men. They have 10 privileges over
anyone else. II they want 10 get or
before their time j. up they have 10 I
put their names in the early book /
and take their chances with the rest
Of the men. II We can spare them /
we let them 20; If We can't they ,
have to work, no matter how tired |
or sleepy they may be. We hire |
them as operators, and all that we /
require OF them j. that they will 10 /
the work ior Whch they were en-
plOyeL. II they want 10 attend co.,
lege during the day time they
can. That's none Of cur hus.-
ness. But because they DO
isn't any reason why we
-mUuld show any Partially. After
they have secured their diploma.
however, We usually arrange their
hours in s1th way that they can
have the day 10 devote 10 working
UP practice. But until then no
concessions are made, and they are
not even allowed to study in the
rfiice. even if they did have the
time.1
Notwithstanding the last state
ment the men DO studyin the Office.
But they 10 i. Clandesiinely. They
larry a little volume about in their
pockets. and whenever there is n
lull ia business they take il out and
r sad its pages, which they screen
" ith messages. The chiefs Of the
various divisions in which the men
work know it, tut never interfere.
They are in sympathy with the
men, and have a disposition TO give
them a lift whenever they can
ATTsF. Y Fl San