New-York tribune., 1890-07-13
IN THE BIG OPERATING-ROO1N.
TELEGRAPHERS GROW REMINISCENT.
N oLDTIMER VISITS HIS FORMER HAUNTs
AND FINDS he is NOT FORGOTTEN.


AND FINDS HE is NOT FORGOTTEN.
The morning light was stealing in gray streaKs
through the toll windows of the big operatingroom
Of 'he Western Union Telegraph Companys main once
at Broadawr and Dey-st. The ncandescent lights
wcre growing m0mcniarily yelowcr and more sicky
loohGe. ard the clicking OF the saunders became
gradually more scattered the business OF the nlgho
on yarioas wires brought to close. Here ana
there uEhOut the operators stu seated
at their table, and wearily forming on theif Keys
the dots and dashcs with which distance is ahhhiiaed
By ntcIcence. Occasionally an operator whose
work was done but who must remain on duty In case
Of emergency bowed his tile1 head upon hi, arms and
slept The clicking ar last became confined to Soiated
wires, and he idle operators it so disposed couia
listen from their stations to the messages OF JOY OF
Of they flashed from point TO poiht uironBh
the metal bands. At this hour the onN "rcS Wor"in5
wcrc those leading 10 the fa: West, and they were
burdcncd either with late press dispatches sui IN
,ca,on for the distant papers, owing 10 the difference
in time or with "Iod," or half rate messages whlch
been held back until the more urgent business had
been disposed Of.
In "a lar corner Of the room half a dozen operators
had gathered for chat. something possible at no
other borr Of the day night in 50 busy a place.
While they talking man, still young evidently,
but whose hair wa, plenlifully strcaked with white,
,trollcd into the room and walked up to the group
If operators. The men stared at the newcomer for
moment whom of them jumped to his feet,
cAcaimng Well, 10y all that's good, shoot me II
it amt Ivy Johnson"' - The stranger was an old
operator, who many years had been engaged IN
another vocation and the one who recognized hlm
va, Leslie rradley. another export Of generation
gone by, but >till pounding brass After intro
GUcii)ns all arouud, Bradley said Ivy, old man.
where have yoi been a these years - The stranger
seated himself AID replied:
Il see Yen have not forgotten the old nickname
that wd, gwen TO me because Of my 'sicn' on the
wuo IT., been many year since I've heard it-been
oGt Of the business dozen years, y0u know Lets
see, the last | saw you in New orleans. wasn't
il, where nearly al tie boys were sick or died Win
yellow fever Yes, | thought It's hard TO for
get such trials. I've been an eXOpcIator since
then-in all ild, OF business, and mad" little money
/ couldn't sleep tonight. somehow | got 10 think
ius the Old times. and after tossing for hours on
ny bed. unable to sleep, determined 10 come down
town and sec If some Of nay old friends were not
,tl on duty I'm glad | found you. especially
just at TIN, time. You remember we were together
WcriIns duplex when this building was erectedi
Wen, seems good to be back IN the room again.
/ remember when were Oh the allnght uIcN'
from until a. M. how We used to Ill and watch
the ilgnt Of day OvC:WAclm the gaslleht ot tHo
room. I've stood ly the windows many ume
watching tlc gh steal from the horizon mp over the
Bay, first mere clmmcr Of dawn then on mp
over the hGH-ctop' and into oar room, MAKING
!
way this morning. only sou have electricity now ih-
stead Of ga, uut the eject !, the same
-The oM oiicc look, much the same, too only you
have automatic distributors tor messages now, see'
and the room i, badly ccoUdcd, tJo. In the Old tlmes
We u,cl to have lot Of empty desks, ana
Nttle eIrl, distributed the messages. Ihnhns
duplicated by others ioday maze me N2ideI Ter HOW now
ID Wo:h AT ngnt aaI -.eeP bF dal. IL a. a. IN IN
rules %; LIE. don't t: remember W. n'cd u CAV cas
sumner When the, syc. a, braa:tl-t Steep came 70
~ Inilc ire r,,l %. the world was at WoFh anl VIC
On u.,.p.r, ~ t.r .-h their WORK before the ngnb
j, -onr. bt operator "or@iHE on tne alil-1 u.1n &
Most oi hose WHO haven't died are I'M at The Aey'
.aid liaa,.y and thcu ne went On: " DO you rehcm-
I.r w. now tie boys in Omaha hicrl years d-p
owned the town! l thought You could scarcely
yyftt j. it. tell u,.~ cried OF To" listeners.
Tor bradley Wa famed in the cail a. "a a s story tl.T tt ",
had OMAHA, force oi the 6est opsat,rs e'cr
ir. and ,I,r, man va- capable OF doing phenomenal
wo K cti.r -. dix g iins. At that me 1mah,
tr faf Fs,i Al tc press dispatches aud teIegIaMi'
tat To- be re vel there nt sent away ag'L Naturally
GiIr.d Uuurtuuatcy mo Of tie me- drank ,, any,
a. T' c Wc,r 'i" The ,aars, o'G then ny we're tIS@e
tine, what ,hey now are. and a, oman "HaIs
at at me "S cr 9,rcd p, ,fttS'n onS IF the a uSSS
,l-~ customers n the conimunliy IhtS an ] u',1
anu great hcdt oI li'tty
- ri, i.uni i'm Fourteen n I. \ Douglas 81 lluor
dealer was aI.Nou> tn Oo-u their custom ana one '"F
! he ai,r~ arh.d a WetuoNn operator WIN propo>t-
.,Y INN; If ;hc operators would pdtulLe nm regularly
u. v.lld -lyc them O.nlt from moatl 10 month eA
,s,,Il- ptmcnt only days when salaries were pad
i, the company. Ia proposition nearly Wicc"sd tto
f,r.. wa, accepted and t' boy talsltr.ru t'lr
custom I'm DJu-laSs OF course they drank harcF
tlr before and the result va, that tAel ran up &C,
count, tncv were unab' To- pay. Most oi trh WCuIt
pty about 10 per cent account each month"; lcltns
~. balance sand ~ the end oi eight monttS mo
r.~rrtor va stranded for want 0i money. lie cano
io fnc o'lce and offered 10 give bis rumshop com?eo
T., .t operator, 4. they would pay up. Ih\ cohldn5
d. in and he bu,f,d.' shortly after mat the force DG-
came scattered over The country ana some ol te ne"
I nlrc never seen since" . ,...,
,l,uy wrr, the rcIlniarcn: tale, told in that fla
,iIp l,for. TIE -ln EaG risen nigh above the horzol
IL wa~ sill early m1rnin- when ihr cinei operator
,Ii,.,d mn 80 the idle operators. cHchilnlnG III.
,hcre Bradley ard All of Won. come over mere ana
work of ihc~, market d,~r1sheS!' u the Old inner
lod~ cod O., to hi- oii ard Row friends AID Walkcf
,v.,v he thou1ht how little tho times hil cimnteh
Hardly had the work of one dli cen nhl~"d "lois
,l.t 81 another had begun with The messages 10 ana
from rhe ma"kr'~. II is always 80 IN tAat hlVe oi
industry, tho operating room.