Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-01


United States. All the circumstances war
ranted the newspapers in having rs full and
good accounts Of that occasion ss possible. but
the telegraph men, v no keep IN touch with pub
lie events equally with the newspaper men,
never thought that the total would run up a.
the figure il did That total was COO. 900, which
breathes in an epitome the vast progress Of the
telegraphic service.
The next press step in the Transmission OF
matter by wire after il came into general use
was the leasing Of special wires from the tele-
graph companies for the use Of newspapers.
The first wire leased. exclusive OF the Asso-
ciated Press was to the New York Tribune. The
hrst wire leased to the west 10 the
Cincinnati Gazette. in July, 1850. Gen.
Boynton. correspondent Of this paper.
took personal supervision Of its work
ing. Over this wire some remarkable
speed has been made. Willis Cook, known
among telegraphers as "Bif." fired over 20
the Gazette office. Cincinnati, address dehy-
cred by Roscoe Conkling which made $1,000
words This vas transmitted in five hours. the
code known as the Phillips code being used
COMBINATIONS TOR SIZED.
This, by the way, constitutes another inter
estinG feature in telegraphy-the use OF 4 code.
which is in fact sending matter by stenogrsphic
combinations. Gen. Boy nton sfterward made
upa phonetic code. which used on the
Gazette wire for years. BY this method Of
transmission r. J. Wynne sent 5000 words In
an hour. 1t was no unusual thing for that
WIRE TO carry 10000 TO $4,000 words nightly.
I'D Stewart, who is considered the fast
est anu most perfect sender. alternated
WIN Nynne on the wire nightly until Wynne
oroke down with telegraphers paralysis OF the
wrist. D. A. Hutchinson worked this wire from
January. 1882, 20 September. lss6. During this
period the wire was used by both the CoD,nser-
c'dt- Gdstte and the Comier-JOtundl. Hutch
lson Is pioneer in a certain class of work.
.he neia OF which is rapidly enlarging.
lie Is . shorthand writer and takes
matter from dictaton, sending il directly
from notes over the wire in code.
BY this continuation il will be seen that the
correspondent OF the ST. Louis Republic, with
whom Hutchinson now is. dictates TO his opera
tor and II Is sent without the delay of tran
seription Few operators can do this now but
the time saving 10 those Hho can is almost in
calculable. The combination of shorthand and
telegraphy gives marvellous speed 10 the prep
eratlon and transmission of press DISPATCHES
10 the letter writers OF years ago. who had to
labor by hand 10 produce and use the mails 70
transmit the work done in this way would ap-
pear almost supernatural
A combination of telegraphy and stcnog-
raphy at the senders' end and telegrauhy and
tlewrlting at the other end produces aston
ishing results. When the force bill hight was
Oh last winter Hutchinson sent without a break
300 words in three hours. This was received
IL fuIl ON typewriter by J. y. Sharpnackle.
the st. Louis operator. by the same combEa-
ion the operator at the Chicago convention
sent l4OOO IN one night
The work OF the operators in Washington
VINO handle press matter is of an especially
valuable kind, and so expert are they that
When there Is temporary shifting of the ne VS.
center, like national convention, for in stance
they are taken from Washington and put IN the
offce OF the city where thai convention is
held.
Paul Wolf, correspondent of the New York
Sddts Zettusg, files all his matter in German.
1t Is sent by an old-timer. James Hahn who
says he does not know word of German. but
the dispatches come out all right at the other
end. When, however, Hahn takes a night of
there is a kick in the Office against the Dutch"
special
MEN WHO WERE OPERATORS.
A number Of men now prominent in other
walks OF life started out telegraph opera
tors. Here are some instances: Geo. {. May
nard of this city is the president OF the ',Old
Timers" and Col. ". X. Plum of Chicago is the
president of the military society. A pleasure
that the association anticipates is the
presence of Anna Ellsworth, vino is now
the wife OF Mr.. Roswell Smith. presi-
dent of the Century Company. Miss Els
worth II was who sent the first message over
Morse's line between Washington and Balti-
more. Among others in this connection may
be mentioned Public Printer Palmer. Sixth
Auditor Coulter, Rev. Jabez Fox, Andrew
Carnegie, Robert Pitcairn, Thomas A. Edison
George kennan, Elisha Gray. James ID. Reid
lnitso States consul TO Dumterliae. Scot
land; Thomas Sherman, consul to Li.er-
pool, England; Judge j. J. Wickhsm
Bullock or Georgia. Walter Z. Phillips,
manager of the United Press; James Elyerson,
publisher of the Philapelrhia Inquirer; Edward
Rosewater, proprietor Of the Omaha Be and
J. l.. Waite of the Burlington HdUkey,. Ar
drew Carnegie to this day uses as a paper
,f,,ks ~.l. Il
II his mascot.
Matters of the most important and secret
character are in the keeping % telegraph oper-
ators. There have been thousands of cases
where those men could have used the informa-
tion which they had TO their great monetary
benefit. The temptation 10 do so has doubtless
been great In many instances. but eases where
faith has been violated are extremely rare
" hen an operator once breaks faith he might
as well go out OF the business. He will be known
Tor 1t In every office III the country and IL
would be almost impossible for him to secure
employment Even If he should do so his life
would be no pleasant ore. for the faithful men
would have nothing to do with him. So marked
Is this trait that Gen. Grant. as sdHn as he
began to use the cipher in Lis dis patches
during the war, confided the keeping OF the
keys OF his cipher TO the telegraph operator
He took this step after finding out that ia the
use of a cipher on certain occasions his oper-
ator, Beckwlth, was right. while he was wrong
Telegraph operators have been known 10
burn message rather than expose il even if a
court o. justice. Others have been known TO
go to Jail rather than reveal the secrets of their
profession. There are innumera5le instances
of this fidelity. The operators are trusted and
they are faithful to their trust. 1t has been
well said OF them that their business is an eau-
cation in honor.
THE WIRE N WAR.
One Of the thrilling incidents Of the war
which people did not hear about was connected
with the appearance Of the dreaded Merrimac
in Hampton Roads and her work of destruc-
ton there before the Monitor appeared
on the scene. This was the transmission
by wire from Newport News TO Fortress
Monroe. and thence to Washington OF the
details of the Merrimacs progress On
that day John . Brien, boy not over sixteen
years of age, was at the key at Fortress Mon
roe, while George ID. Cowlan was at Newport
News, just across the river. The officers al
Fortress Monroe, who were out of the light
gathered around o Brien and asked him 10 sig
nal over the wire for Cowlan. This was done
Cowlan promptly answered. Soon thereafter
the firing commenced. Cowlans posi-
tioE made him a mark for the fire
o. the confederates, but he stayed
az bis instrument. Shells few abou.
his quarters Two of them tore through his
Office within few feet of him, but he kept a
steady hand at the key and licked of an ac-
count OF how things were going. A few sem
fences OF his will show how graphically he told
the tale of his work: ''She is steering straight
for the Cumberland- The Cumberland gives