Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-03-19

has been botched. wrote no such
stuff as that What did you write,
them she demanded Then ! told her
that what had really written was
shall dine with Billy Smith, an cid
pal of mine, who has just returned
from Europe, win be late. Don't
wait for me- Those Internal operators
had butchered it. I've got the original
message. In view of the circumstances
the manager of the telegraph otHce
consented to lend it to me. My wife
was pretty we'll satisfied, but wanted
TO convince her absolutely. After this
shall endeavor to write palmer and
shall certainly avoid the use of slang
words"
The explanation in this case is that
the Il in "Billy" and the p in pal"
were probably badly written. But the
substitution of ''itty" for "illy" and of
an for in "wait" was undoubtedly
the fault of the operators. There is
n similarity between the Morse char
acters which stand for the letters ! and
t, and they are frequently confused by
young operators. l. is represented by
u long dash and by short one, and
double I or double |, when sent too
close together, make the letter m, so
that it was quite possible for the law
yer's wife to have been informed, or,
rather misinformed, that her husband
intended to dine with an individual of
the peculiar name of "Bimy" Smith or
"Kimy" Smith, or even ''Bitty" Smith or
"Killy"Smith, instead of kitty" Smith.
Such palpablc errors are, of course,
only made by very green operators.
An experienced man, unless his wits
were off wool-gathering, would make
some inquiries of the sender, which
would probably result in a correction.
Two callow young operators made an
explanation necessary from a New
York newspaper man recently. He was
to be married in the West. Before
leaving town he devoted several days to
searching over Brooklyn for a fat, be-
ing assisted in the search by a young
married woman, the friend of his be-
trothed. Upon leaving his office one
morning about two o'clock he sent the
Brooklyn lady telegram, which he
expected would be delivered to her
about $50 or nine o'clock in the morn
ing. The dispatch was worded apollo
getically: "Will be over to worry you
this afternoon.
The message was "bulled" on its way
across the East river and meaning of
so much Importance was given to it
that the Brooklyn operator rushed it
out, the message boy arriving at the
house at about four a. m. The hus-
band Of the lady got out of bed to an
swer the bell. BY further mistake OF
the delivery department the envelope
was addressed to the husband. lie
opened it and was astonished to read;
"Mrs. --: Will be over to marry
you this afternoon"
When man is awakened from a
sound sleep and informed that his wife
is to be married to a young man who,
he has had every reason to believe, was
to be married to a young lady in the
West, he is apt to conclude that he isn't
awake after all. No one who has not
experienced it can realize how very
startling it is. 1t was the first his wife
had heard of it. They racked Their
brains for solution Of the puzzle. II
wasn't solved, however, until the young
newspaper man arrived.
A lynching was nearly precipitatet
by the error of a Kansas operator some
time ago. 1t was only averted by the
discovery that there was no one tt
lynch. A young farmer was called
away from home for few days. His
wife went to visit her brother in towr
near by during his absence. The thirt
day her husband telegraphed her: "Bif
ball, meet me at Wichita tonight.
There was to be dance and he wanted
his wife to attend. This was a splen
did opportunity for the imp of mischie
who causes Geographic bulls" He tam
pered with the message so that wher
the farmers wife read it, it said Big
Bill got me at Wichita tonight"
Her instant and very natural con
clusion was that her husband hat
either been captured or shot, or both
by desperate named "Big Bill" He,
brothers agreed with her, and the who'll
family and number of neighbors, al
heavily armed, took the first train TO
Wichita to rescue the husband ant
hang big Bill" The husband wa
waiting calmly at the station for hi
wife. The vigilance committee de
manded big Bill" and were not at al
satisfied with the husband for standing
there free and uninjured. The brother
criticised him severely because h
wasn't kidnapped, and announced tina
in their opinion he was guilty of ranl
deception. A fight was prevented b,
his wife's Intervention and an explana
ton.
| A gentleman in San Francisco learne
that an estimable lady in Los Angelo
had suddenly lost all her property an
was in condition of actual want. II
telegraphed to friend, lawyer O
Los Angeles; assist Mrs. immcd
ately." The word "assist" was changes
to arrest" and the poor woman
misery was increased by night in
prison cell.
"Send me tenderloins," said a mes
sage received by New York sporting
man from friend in Phila delphia. ]
should have read: 'Send me ten do
lars" The New York man replied
What do you mean?' and the Phila
delphia man was SO indignant at such
response to his request that the FRIEND
ship was severed for nearly year.
A gentleman with the dignified nam
of Cyrus T. Nixon was shocked to hav
message handed to him addresse
"Circus 7. Nixon" A wholesale produc
merchant received message from re
tail customer, saying: "Your 1890 ar
No. 900 D." 1t should have been: "Yor
eggs are no good" The delivery do
department of the New Orleans Yves