The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1891-04-25
Boys TELEGRAPH!
[Cor. of Youths Comranion l

The present generation is so accus-
toned to the electro magnetic telegraph
that 1t is hardly remembered that there
were various forms of telegraphing, that
IS, of communicating messages instantly
to distance, before the Morse telegraph |
was invented. Perhaps it will interest
the readers of The Companion to be told
how two boys reinvented one of these
forms OF telegraphing when they could
not put up a wire to be worked by a
battery.
These boys, Tom and Eugene, were
sons Of physician, and lived in the
backwoods of North Carolina, far from
railroads and towns. Eugene attended
school ir the neighborhood, while
Tom was older, and clerk in a country
store near by. There was often a need
Of a means of communication between
the store and the doctors residence, es.
pecially after dark, and as the distance
was nearly mile these boys con-
ceived the idea of constructing
telegraph line between the two places
As preliminary to this work, they
learned to write in the telegraphic
alphabet, which, as every boy knows, is
composed of dots and dashes, thus:
THIS is called the Morse code, because
1t was invented by Prof S. F. B. Morse,
and they soon became quite expert in
writing it and in spelling sentences to
each other by the sound of rapping on
table with key or pocket knife.
They were now ready for the wires and
instruments, but were astonished to
find that the necessary outfit, at that
time, would cost them upward Of twenty
five dollars, sum for beyond their
means.
Since their leisure time was mainly
after dark, they concluded to try some
means of signalling to each other by
using lamp. The apparatus they finally
made was SO simple a. d effective that
any boy, handy with jackknife, can
easily make one
1t consists of lamp inside small
box, with hole on the side at the height
of the flame, and means of opening or
closing the hole easily and rapidly. The
box was an ordinary cigar box, and the
lamp small one burning kerosene oil.
Several small holes were made in the
bottom of the box to admit air, and a
large one in the top just over the lamp
chimney.
When closed the light was entirely
concealed, except when the cover to the
opening on the side was pushed buck
This cover was shaped as seen in the
cut, and made of thin cigar. box wood
also. It had a sinele screw to the bot
tom, and small knob to push by. The
movement OF the cover or shutter was
from side to Sjdea ea IKE aatpn aatp ipyetttfed man,
one to keep the shutter from going too
| far one way aud the other to stop 1t
exactly ever the hole, when closed. A
small spring of whalebone OR rubber
band served to hold the shutter in its
closed position.
When this box and lamp were used al
night, the opening and closing of the
shutter served to show the light as sue
cession Of quick or long flashes, which
look at distance exactly like firefy
To open and close the shutter very
quickly makes spark to represent do
and TO make dash the shutter is hel(
open about half second. For Ions
dash. representing an L, the shutter i
simply kept open trifle longer than TO
the regular dash.
! A little practice will soon enable on
to make the short and long fasaes cor
, responding to the character Of the Mors
code, and the signals are easily read
{ even at distance of several miles. .
course the operations must take plac
! | between stations visible from each Othe
! and the box must be turned in the diret
ton of the distant observer. For YER
3 long distances a larger lamp and refee
tor Will be better.
With such box under his arm, Will
out Of doors, or at table near wlndo
looking in the proper direction, Tol
would telegraph long conversation
Eugene, and read his replies in tt
distant, sparks. On cold, dark or rain
nights the boys were able to talk Wit
9 each other, and were sometimes able
IS send messages of Importance, whic
Is saved them many steps.
I. The main drawback to the system W
"a the want of means of attracting tt
Others attention, or to ''call," as tt
r. telegraph men say. This was done
"a setting the box open, and showing t
10 light till noticed at the other static
q The" cali would soon be seen by the 9th
al boy, because he would occasional
20 glance in that direction.
q, They also agreed upon system
signals, meaning "Repeat," Do not
derstand your last word,' "All righ
''Go ahead" etc.
Many boy or girl may thus find
means of amusement in communicate
es with friends, even across wide rivers,
at long distances in hilly or mounta
Gus country, with such home ms
telegraph. There are situations wh
or a couple of enterpri ing boys mi
in make considerable money out of it.