Telegram-herald., 1890-09-22
A GREAT SCOOP"
A Telegraph Messenger ReminisoeRce
of the Lincoln Assassiuatlon

A Telegraph Messenger ReminisceRce
OF the Lincoln AssassInation
"The assassination Of Lincoln" read
Henry y. Garland, Passenger Agent of
the Wabash. as ne spread out copy of
a newspaper dated April Is, 1865, and
which contained an account OF the
murder OF the President.
"I remember that event most vivid
"" said Mr.. Garland, land it is i'm
printed on my memory through part
Iplayed thene1t morning IN connection
with il. was a boy living in Oswego,
y. y, at the time and wae messenger
boy for what was known as the United
States Branch Telegraph Company IL
was Canadian line and we were fight
ing the Western Union for 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 supeuors
III working up business. Whenever
we'd delivered 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 Aim II he
was sure there was nothing 20 20 back.
at was my business 70 open the Of
fee IN the mornings. and the day after
Lincoln was shot was down at the Of
ice at 80 getting ready for the days 5
work. There wert no night Offices then
and no one ID Oswego bad heard OF the
ASSASSINATION. As / opened the door I
heard the instrument ticking our Office
call. WAS just learning then and knew
nothing beyond the Office call. .. -,
and the alphabet, which ! could figure
out. I wondered why the thing was go-
ing so early and let 4 60 for while.
The cAli was kept up for so long that
became convinced that q was something
big. We used the old wheels and ail
the paper IN those days, something ike
a bucket shop ticker. and / walked over
10 the instrument two or three timer,
undecided what 10 DO. There would
be no one around for an hour
or two, and AZ last ] went 10 he
key and broke In with . - the
signal that al WAS ready for the mes-
sage and turned on the wheel. The r.
slant ] DID 50 my hair began % ra'se, Sc
the thing went of ike an engine, as
the operator ~ the end. believing the
regular man vas on, began to sena in a
tgg message. ] wa frightened hat ~
death and hardly knew what - do
The blamed ticker kept a gong though.
and sfter ] had prancFd around tnc
office awhile. is began giving the Office
call again. I surmisea what the opef
/ sfor wanted tbis time, and ! gave nm
I 90. X. and sgued. Ihis was ail hf
wanted and be let me alone. ! took to
T strip Of paper and pencil and eat d0vr
+ 70 figure out the nesssg.s. lt wss pfett,
cold. brit Vas set with pcrspTstIon
+ and 40 nervous ] could hardly hoid thf
pencil in my fDgerA
y finally managed ~ find out vi 81
4 lt meant Abe Lincoln V8s shot ard
our ofhoc bad got frsf. 7 rushed ou'
I 70 the door snd s2w fhst taC Nestefr
Unfon had no bulletin ogt and tben
began - work. ] got s. tg shesi q
f paper and with plenty - INK manage
f - iix up . tnl.sfn thst drew crowd
4 About $40 the usnaEeF came rusr p.
( in and asked me What J meant tod
f hira what 7 Rad hone sr6 he nearly asE
att It vac great scoop ou TIE West
4 efn fnion ard fr 'sd foT Cur coTH
4 psny and tns boss pTeo cted ttst
would - the biggest operator sn3 teis
. grspa Hsn ~ ths country g1es
Z ! .ef down too sgcn.