The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-01-14
A GREAT SCOOP"
A Telegraph Messenger Boys Reminis-
cence of the Lincoln Assassination.

s.The assassination of Lincoln" read
Henry n. Garland, passenger agent of |
the Wabash, as he spread out copy |
of a newspaper dated April 10. 1868,
and which contained an account Of the |
murder of the president. |
Il remember that event most vivid |
lv,'' said Mr.. Garland, land it is i'm
printed on my memory through part
I played the next morning IN connec-
ton with it. l was a boy living III
Oswego, n. Y, at that time and was a
messenger boy for what was known as
the United States Branch Telegraph
Company 1t was a Canadian line
and we were fighting the Western
Union for all we were worth. In
Oswero the Western Union office and
our office was separated only by par
tition. The rivalry and jealousy was
bitter, and messenger boys followed
the example of our superlors in work
ing up business. Whenever we'd de-
livered message we'd ask for an au-
swer, and if the fellow would say there
was none we'd wait until he read the
message and then ask him If he was
sure there was nothing to 60 back.
1T was my business to open the
office in the mornings, and the day
after Lincoln was shot l was down at
the office at 1880 getting ready for the
davis work. There were no night
offices then and no one in Oswego had
| heard of the assassination. AS L open
ed the door l heard the instrument
ticking our Office call. | was just
learning then and knew nothing be-
yond the office call, O. S., and the
alphabet, which ! could figure out. L
| wondered why the thing was going so
| early and let it 90 for While. Inc
call was kept up for so long l became
| convinced that it was something big.
| We used the old wheels and all the
paper in those days, something like a
bucket shop ticker, and l walked over
10 the instrument two or three times,
undecided what to do. There would
be no one around for an hour or two
and at last l went to the key and broke
in with i j. the signal that all was
ready for the message and turned on
the wheel. The. instant l did so my
hair began to raise as the thing went
off like an engine, as the operator at
the end, believing the regular man
was on, began to send in big mes
sage. was frightened half to death
ana nafdly kneW Wndt W uo' 1He
blamed ticker kept a going though,
and after I had pranced around the
Office awhile, it began giving the Office
call again. | surmised what the op
orator wanted this time and [ gave
F him o. K and signed. This was al
he wanted and he let me alone. l tool
the strip of paper and pencil and sa
down to figure out the message. L
was pretty cold, but l was wet will
f perspiration and so nervous L coul(
hardly hold the PENCIL in my fingers.
Il finally managed to find out wha
1t meant. Abe Lincoln was shot ant
our office had got it first. | rushe'
ont to the door and saw that the West
|; ern Union had no bulletin out an'
e then l began to work. | got a bl'
!: sheet of paper and with plenty of in
$ managed to fix up bulletin that dre'
-. a crowd. About $50 the manage
n came rushing in ard asked me what
d meant. l told him what l had don
" and he nearly had a tit. 1t was q gre?
o scoop on the Western Union and a bi
e i.ad' for our company and the boss prt
e dicted that 1 would be the biggest OF
orator and telegraph man in the coul
try-but 1 guess let down too soon