The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-15
80 qasILL ALONG rHE WIRE.
singular Statement of an TX
1Ne .-ianced Telegraph Operator.

Ehe Singular statement % on
nerienced Telegraph Operator
r,i,.,rsph Operator W. B. Seabrook
- n the New York sun as follows: l
"''' 80 scientific man. l have never
- physiology. I know little of the
',.I-r..ical science of electricity. Notwith-
the last confession ! am telegraph
stal. and have been one for the last
| eigbteen years
lie a plain, unvarnished statement OF
Ian facts growing out OF my knowledge
- TACTICAL biography wnlco appear 20 me
| reTsr ksble-almosS lhcr'9olUle--anu u ask
srnlanation of them
an r--l,- in nv experience as telegrapher
- n notice that, at certain periods.
,.o,,Iiar aad unaccountable delight accom-
l'ee e--i-- he performance of my work; while,
laa.+-s-allv speaking, it was lrksome enough
= no a Young operator. SO frequently
sn5 so suddenly did these remarka-
a. ar -ra1sitions from labor to de-
- teke place that l began to ask
i,5--slf far an explanation of the mys-
ny ~! rbe most plausible theory appeared
.oi 81 either that I was feeling particularly
~ ,yIau found nv work a source of 50
- Measure, ard the contrary whom it
lame irksome, or that all depended upon
.5e efficiency or deficiency of the operator
"a
crsf hvpothesis was proven to be false, and
- Inc afterward the falsity of the second
vas also established.
O,a dav I lev on a cot in my office, i'll
u.,-, cou1,try fever Hearing the office call,
et-qgerad 10 the instrument and answered.
he effort almost caused me to faint. My
alsa bonded aud my head throobed with
scrta nam. But, to my utter astonlshment
fa't wonderfully better the instant began
he
med after taking the train order to send
A half q dozen messages, accumulated
,inca morning. and which had not been trans
..ittad because of my illness: but again, to
~ amazement, [ had no sooner touched
he kew than i became utterly lncapacitated.
Nv head throbbed worse than ever, and
lain felt myself about to faint. Thus
Inished my first theory.
Not long after the incident just related |
ss,overed these facts: First, 1t invariably
eiad me- with delight to receive from that
~ '+,c,,lar onerator whose morse" had tenn
Iorsrily cured me of the fever; but to send
d MIN or to any other operator was to ex-
ra-ience only a uniform amount OF labor,
diminished or increased by ordinary circum-
aances .-.
secondly, the operator in question was by
m means 2 good one. In fact, he was quite
raw TO the business, and was what is known
ga plug As compared with older and
Eatrer telegraphers on the same circuit, his
writing was abominable. He sent viciously
fast. did no spacing, formed his letters
bsdly, and lacked that tirmness and steadi-
ness of stroke so essential In careful and
intelligent work. Thus |, in common with
m who worked with him, was obliged to
euess at much that he sent, while it never
failed to put me TO my trumps to keep up
With his lightning speed.
And vet. there invariably came over me
that sense of dreamy pleasure, so delight
full, so range, so opposed to every at
tendant condition or circumstance, when
ever it became my fortune to receive from
him And 50 vanished my second theory.
One day said to him, over the wire, cit
always makes me glad to take you"
DO YOU mean lt9' said he.
answered affiTmatively.
''The more am l pleased" he replied,
"since all the others curse me. And do you
know" be continued, that / find a peculiar
and unaccountable pleasure In taking from
YOU / have been on the point OF telling
you so more than once"
That night wrote to him, describing my
feeling when receiving from him, and asking
an exchange Of confidence In mis- reply,
which was promptly received, he said:
when you are sending tingle all over. IL
is as if | were electrified"
Some fifteen years have passed since then,
and have during that time worked in many
Offices and with hundreds of operators
have learned that my early friend ''the
plug" is not the only man, by many, whom
it has made me glad to take" Whenever
experience that subtle sensation of pleas
IRE ard stirnuous it is while receiving,
never while sending, and from an operator
who invariably feels corresponding sensa-
ton while receiving from me.
l began by confessing that 1 had no
n IN of -rr@lo fiOx, of
the facts stated above, but may be per-
mltted 20 ask of better informed physiolo-
glsts ard psychologists two questions: Is
mat affinity which attracts people to each
other and simultaneously makes
friends Of them, causing them
70 thrill with pleasure when
ever their hands clasp and they look each
other In the eye. due in any degree to the
presence of an abnormal quantity of cleo
trlclty in their respective bodies! Is is
possible under these circumstances for one
INDIVIDUAL to communicate to another all of
those influences which his presence and
contact with him would inspire, over q
telegraph wire any distance in length. by
means of key whose handle or knob is
llSulated, ana while the person absorbing
those mysterious influences is removed
from contact with the wire transmitting
theme
1t Is evident to those who have tubs far
followed me that /, at least, would answer
Tue lat er interrogatory in the affirmative
10 do otherwise would be to doubt the evil
oence Of my own senses.
II the editor of the Sun should desire it,
Will, without loss of time furnish him with
any reasonable number of affidavits tend
ing 10 prove the absolute truthfulness of
every statement above made, and these
dlndaVlts shall be collected from old expert
enceq, truthworthy, and well-known tele-
Charleston, Oct. 10. W. B. SEABRooK.