Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-19


Morse, Henry, Vail, Kendall and others, whose
labors brought the telegraph from a doubtful
experiment to great practical success. And
here you will meet some Of the men who took
part in building and operating the line which
was the forerunner Of the vast systems now in
existence.
This is the governments house-cleaning sea-
| son and it is not very well prepared for COM
| pany. but your welcome will be none the less
cordial The President and all the members of
his cabinet are absent. but there is an old-time
| telegrapher in the place Of every one of them,
and the business of the government is going
along much more smoothly than when all the
executive officials were here attending to it and
had the Congress and great crowd of politi-
clans and office seekers to tell them how to do
it.
We are assembled today to greet old friends
| and to find new ones; to revive memories and
| recount experiences of days gone by and to
strengthen the bonds Of fraternal sympathy
and good will. We are to hear tidings from
the absent and we shall send them our warm
est greetings. We hail with pride and satisfac-
ton ths men who have worked their way from
some humble place in our ranks to positions of
distinction and honor; Carnegie, Bullock,
Green, Edison, Davis, Wickham. Reid; George
KEENAN,, that man who disciplined in the
telegraph to become one of the worlds heroes;
and scores of others no less distinguished. But
we shall not forget that host of others I'M
known to fame, who have long been standing
discomfort and deprivation, whose yearly
records of duties done have always been
closed with the word faithful" and, at our
hands, no man shall receive higher honor than
they.
THE WOMEN OF THE CRAFT.
Another class of our associates should have
our high consideration. No man can say that
Morse's appeal to Congress for aid in conduct
ing his experiments would have been success
full had not Anna Ellsworth induced her father
to give it his powerful support. Morse recog-
niZed her valuable assistance and gave her the
place of honor when his line was inaugurated.
From the very first women began to learn the
| business, and were employed on the lines of
nearly every company tina: was established
On the old Erie and Michigan line. with thirteen
offices, not less than six women were employed.
They we're true women and efficient operators.
Today there are thousands of them holding
| Important positions, doing efficient service,
| cAmoring for no rights" exerting an infu-
ence for good that cannot be expressed in
words. an honor to themselves and the frater-
nifty. Our association would be stronger and
better if they were numbered among our men,
bership.
While we remember the living we may not
forget our dead. Since our last meeting David
Brooks. Col l.. NJ. DAYTON, Thomas Finnegan
| and other valued members Of our association
have gone away. But, accustomed as We are to
penetrate the mystery of distance and to recog-
LlZS Tie btTOuS pGIsOudlltN VI lONeu ones WHO'LL
| We cannot see, our faith will not stop at this
greater mystery, and SO whether our comrades
! sit with US today, whether they stand at their
various distant posts of duty, or whether they
have gone beyond the reach of our call, we
count them all as our friends and hold them as
our own.
ATTACHMENT OF THE PROFESSION.
Our profession is one that peculiarly binds
its members together. Some men engage in
L,,,, 20 e 6
thing new and soon forget the old occupation;
but a man who is once telegraph operator is
always operator. The fascination of the
work, the habit of secrecy which isolates him
from all the rest of the world, holds him in
close fellowship with his brethren and creates
lasting spirit of comaraderie which no con-
ventionalities or difference in position can
destroy. The swifest sender who ever touched
key would never pass Andy Carnegie without
recognition, because he was once a messenger;
there is not lineman in the land
who would refuse to shake hands with
Senator Cush Davis, because he used
to climb poles without spurs, and the old-timer
who holds the chief Office in the greatest rail-
way corporation will never reach position SO
exalted that the boys will feel the slightest en-
barrassment in asking him for pass over his
road. And our amiable and efficient legal
brother, Mr.. Stafford, with the interstate COM
merce commission and all the power of the
government behind him, cannot keep the boys
from getting their passes. And they get them
because the man of exalted position never for
gets his more humble comrade and is always
glad to meet him and to lend him hand.
The functions of our association are not
only to enlarge acquaintances and foster
spirit Of good will among its members, but it
is to preserve the history of tho telegraph and
of the men who have taken part in its mar
velous development.
GROWTH OF THE cIRcUITs-
az IL, La
solitary way out Of this city and halted forty
every direction. They encircle the world and
encompass humanity. The world knows this
q great achievement OF science full of
mystery. We know it as the result of the
honest, faithful labors of our associates living
and dead, whose memories we are to cherish
and whose deeds we are to put on record. No
body Of men can have q higher purpose than
this.
The watchword Of the world is progress In
the march Of civilization the telegraph must
continue to lead the procession, not merely in
maintaining high state of science and art to
meet the constantly increasing demands for
better facilities for carrying on the great en-
terprise, but in the intelligence, integrity and
high character Of the men and women who are
engaged in it.
One Of the strongest reasons for this require
ment is the fact that the telegraph is one Of the
best schools for educating men for practical
business, and its teaching and its influence
should always be on the side of right.
When the hand of one Anna Ellsworth
touched that magic wire stretching across the
great distance which separated the country's
capital from the neighboring city, joining
them in . unicn never more to be broken, it
sounded q note in true harmony with the one
keynote Of the universe to which some chord
in every human heart, II rightly tuned, will
vibrste. 1t il the keynote of the universal
song Of peace and good will to all men," That
note still rings ON and all the world hears it.
We are here today to set ourselves in tune and
prepare to Join the song. With this prepare
ton We shall be ready for the business before
rs.
Mr.. 7. p. Sculley moved the thanks of the
association to the president for his address and
that the address be put on file of the records,
which motion was carried unanimously amid
applause.
NEW MHMBKRs ELKCrED.
The following new members were elected:
Thomas ID. Lockwood, Boston; P. J. McKeever,
Fttsburg; James d. Hoge. GAINESVILLE, Ohio;
W. N. Ash. G. L. Diven, Jesse II. Sarvis, W. b.
Clarke, ]. b. Austin. J. A. Hutchinson, J. ID.
Thurston, G. n. Heaton, 81, @. N. Heaton, r., |
Of Warrington, D. G.; Ralph ". Pope, New