Milford chronicle., 1891-08-28
URGENT DISPATCHES
TWO TELgeRAPHlc MESSAGES THAT
MEANT LIFE OR DEATH.


MEANT LIFE OR DEATH.
An Old Telegraph Operator Tells How
He Was the Means OF Uniting Two
Young Lovers Just rs One Was about
70 sail Away 70 Foreign Shore.
Telegraph operators who have sent dis
patches Of ali kinds for yeatH might be ex-
cused II they were to show no surprise at
any message that could be sent. II Is only
natural that there should be dreary
routine in the work which banishes all de-
gree Of excitement in anything. The writer
onee met telegraph superintendent who
had handled an electric key In all parts OF
tbis country. He had stored In his mind
fund Of "reminiscences, and as the time
dragged heavily he ratified of story after
story.
"it was q good many years ago" he said,
"vyhen / was not 30 old as am now, and
perhaps more sentimental, that / won q
husband for q girl. was an operator then
a a town out in Ohio. hadn't much TO
do, and used to sit 10 the window a good
deal to watch the people on the station
platform Of the railroad.
zone day caught sight Of young man
and young woman who were IN earnest
conversation. lie was dressed for travel
Ing. and was evidently waiting for the next
train. As the time for the arrival Of the
train drew near the young man seemed TO
become desperate. for he paced up and
down the platform nervously, talking very
rapidly.
''Then the train came gliding In. saw
the girl shake her head and he said some
thing which made her turn pale. The
train had again started, and he climbed up
the car steps without turning to look back.
She gave q little cry, but he did not hear
g; his train was gone.
A MARROW MARGIN.
"It was two days after this that the
Young woman came into the telegraph Of
Zee, with a white face and red tinged eye
IDS. She came to me and spoke rapidly In
q frightened whisper.
al want you TO send telegram she
said. You must send it right away. It's
% New York, and it must be delivered be-
fore o'clock this afternoon
"She was trying to write, but her fingers
trembled 90 that she could not guide the
pencil.
Let me write it. said
H'Oh, thank YOU she answered, and
then she gave me the address There were
Just two words in the message, Come
back
"'Can you get It there before o'clockP
she asked breathlessly. You must. He
will leave his hotel then to catch steam
, err Her voice faltered here.
HT'm afraid not said. The difference
In time, you know, makes It hard work to
do that
H'oh,' she cried, I forgot about the diff
ference in time. What shall dor
Send two said, all the while work
ing on my key to get my wire. Send one
20 the hotel and one to the steamer
"She was crying now so that could not
hear her answer, but ! knew what she
wanted. never worked so hard before or
57fiFiaeaaTt6 get messages through. And all
tha while that poor girl watched my I'M
gers with look In her eyes that made me
swear I'd get them through If quick work
could do It.
JUST IN TDlR.
"Whsn turned around finally she drew
q long breath.
"'Well,i / said, they are gone and
looked at the clock. This made her shiver.
"she would not leave the office, and as
the minutes slipped away began to feel
che dread that was reflected IN her eyes
knew that the steamer must have started
now. felt as II had committed murder,
bus she was silent and pale. Only her
look was reprOachful, as II had failed her.
"Finally It came There was a click and
a fash OF color was in her cheek.
"'What is itP she said. Quick What
Is itf'
"Its for your / shouted, like the boy
that ] was; 'hurrahl he's coming for
was so excited that forgot to give her the
message.
'Then l wrote it out for her: Pm com
ing, God bless you. was on the steamer.
She cried over that bit Of yellow paper, and
I think that the hulking country boy who
gave It to her had a choking In the throat
too.
"Wsll, there was wedding short while
after that The only one ! knew in the
marty was the bride. You know how met
her But the country operator was at that
wedding, and when the bridegroom grasped
my hand be shook it In a way that hurt
He sent me a letter from the east after
ward asking me to come on to 70 into
big telegraph Office where he had secured
place for me"
II had another experience In sending In
my younger days In which got greatly in
teFested. Il was after ! went east part
II broke down and got transferred for one
summer to a watering place.
CIPHER TELEGRAMs.
"One day dignihed, well dressed man
Of middle age came hurriedly into the Of
Zee.
(" Send this at once, he said in strained
tone
~ reached for my key, and as clicked
away to get New York watched him. His
teeth were ground together, and his fingers
elenched the rail so iiereely that they were
absolutely bloodless.
Get It. he said between his teeth Get
Il there or am ruined
"TRen ! saw that his dispatch was In
cipher, and / remembered that that morn
ing had received one in cipher.
"When I had sent the last word he be-
came deathly white and leaned against the
wall family, fanaifag himself with his hat
have never seen such an intense look OF
agony on a mans face as was on his. He
seemed to have strength enough only to
look az his watch every minute or two.
"His answer came back 10 cipher. BE
braced himself before reading It.
THANK Godr he said in low voice,
and the next thing / knew l felt bill In
my hand Before ! could cry out to him
that would not take his money, he was
gone.
81 afterward learned that he was also an
operatof-one Of the heaviest operators in
Wall street. often think about my hav-
ing saved millionaire from ruin. New
York Tribune. p
The supply o. whaisbOne.
About 10000 pounds Of Whalebone were