The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-04-29
AN ODD KIND or CLUB.
.T RESEMBLES A FULL gIEpcER
TELEGRAPH COMPANY

An Amateur Organization, ths Memheas
u whici. Have Fhelr Housos coanees
cd By wires, So That Thsy MAY Cess
H.nnieate with Each other bz TeievFapla.
One 81 the most novel or unique or-
ganizations IN Brooklyn Is 0ne that has
recently gailad rev lease Of life
through the Infusion of new and vig-
otoua blood and by thorough reorgan-
ization. II is called the Phenix Morse
Telegraph club, and is perhaps the only
ona Of It's kind Ia the United States.
The old organization was formed il
1879 and started in life under the name
Of the Phenix club Itwas inaugprated
by a nulnbar af young people, some Ct
whom were engaged IN oecapstion as
telegraphers, and others Of different vo=
oations, who took pleasure In studying
the mysterious language Of dots and
daahea. A private telegraph line was
established and connected with the rear
idenees Of the members, IA busy wire
It was too. The hum of conversation,
If 1t can be termed such, was constant
throughout the evening Stories were
passed ever ths electrical current, iests
and jokes banded, chess and checkers
played by individuals who liked this
sort q recreation, ana in fact as good
q time was usually passed as II themem-
bers @ere brought in contact with each
other by person ia one room,
Jokes OF an innocent character were
also carried on over the circuit which
had the advantage ia 50 far as to ailow
the paEpetEatar To remain unknown or
making II unnecessary to flee from the
wrath Of the person upon whom il was
inflicted. Quite number Of these are
stock property among the old members,
who relate them to friends with as much
gusto and enjoyment as If they had oo-
CURED only yesterday, One of these Is
to the effect that two members after
practicing with another in the early
evening, during which the sender trans-
mitted the Morse characters as fast as
he conld, 0T as telegraphers would say
''rusheda the receiver, notwithstanding
the protests Of this unfortunate disciple
of Americas noted inventor Ihe latter
promised himself that speedy revenge
would follow, and sought to find some
means whereby he could make the
arushern ag uncomfortable as he had
been previously
THE practieing finally came % an end,
and the receiver waited until an UNI
earthly hour of the morning, when he
/ supposed his victim had gone to bed and
| when the click Of a sounder would strike
| the gloom and quiet with the distinct.
moss Of a blow from trip hammer, Az
about o'clock ia the morning he went
to the instrument and began 20 call his
victim in manner which would indi-
| cate that a tire had perhaps broken out
/ OF that the transInitter had sefi0us need
Of aid in some dire calamity He called
IN this furious style until he had awak-
ened the sleeper, who jumped up out Of
bed and went to the instrument, ex7
pecti ig to hear that something dreadful
had happened, He answered the call
quail ngly. His indignation can be inn
agin when the query came slowly and
distinctly:
"Will you please toll me the time my
/ clock has run down,
4 His answer is not recorded, but it is
safe to assume that the immediate yicin-
ity became as warm as o hot box of an
| overheated wheel
Tho Organization went on in the even
tenor Of its way until two or three years
ago, when II began to languish, partly
on account Of detection Of members
| who moved away from the city or be-
cause Che remaining persons would moi
shoulder in the proper or necessary man.
ner tine worry and expense of conduct.
ing such aud organization. Then came
another club which was purely social
4 ia its character and which was alst
called the Phenix club. 1t may have
been that the similarity Of naInss caused
q bond Of friendship to be established
or that some o. the members of thii
body were capable Of handling key
and working the electrical current
However this may be, the two organ
izations were anlalgamated and a ne7
order of affairs brought about thereby
The nane was changed To the presen
one, and under which it started out witl
bright and prosperous auspices,
u dat, corner Of Marcy avenue anl
Fulton street, has been made the head
quarters Of the club, aud which may bl
termed tho nlain office o. this alnataa
Telegraph company Here are iocatei
the battery room, which furnishes til
powerful fluid by which the wire j
worked, and another which " ralledt th
operating room, in which ore placed fou
acts Of instruments and double practic
ing outfit, a galVonometar wherahl
tle wire ii measured, eo that The where
abouts of any trouble ca the line can b
, detected, is also included n this space
Meetings ana social gatherings ara hels
IN d larger room rginning otf FROM tha
j one Eighty cella d battery work ia
circnit which covers a distaaea ~ near
7 iY eighteen uiles IA this citT, mainly y
! tie nppef raaidepce section.
Tho old stirring was oYerhapled 3
J M experienced linenan reeentsy ans
J puf 81 sufficiently substantial shape =
. order b enable it to more readily resia
the wear ard teal os 2 lipe in lars
aud busy city Ihs circuit "a place.
along thA hoiisetops on the tpufe aa
5 trouble 81 any kind eT, aa ah operate
wonid NY, bugs ate rarely Ret WIZ
81 e&pariRaEea WeafY threa * caile
'oiEc sre al tie eitei0f all W wills
haYe their calla iil the same manneE z
So tha sfatiQna 94 4 ksHegtapii company
Aaang the pyasf iaNlaRaIa w sh
clnR aIe praetieal tesesrRplers "a sls
and Feecrds ior endanE fna rece if
Gcn ernbie MgalrF ssi RaeE
sham, ana pr0r at ~ iNla
tine % bfpa tepihan anf fef iasl tfa
Z 4nitf5ao aiia alfn TIA ai NUd eNitF