The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-02

gold in North Carolina il cost about $40 TO
get 81 back again from these mines. In
stead of the mine yielding him fortune
they swallowed such little property as he
possessed, and perhaps that was s fortun-
ate thing for the telegraph service of this
country. He had lost his money, but he
still had that which nothing but death
could take from him, his brains; and
these were soon at the service of the
Western Union Telegraph Company. and
in that service they have heen ever since.
While this company were thus chatting
about Eckert and reviewing his career, Mr..
Laying, who is now the executive head Of
the West Shore railroad system, drew
from his pocket little bit Of steel about
the size Of small jackknife such as boys
carry, and he said that this little thing
was memorial of the day when Eckert
and Stager were expert electricians on the
line between Pittsburg and Cincinnati.
Somewhere between those two cities an
accident had happened on the railway.
Gen. Stager was passenger. He had In
his pocket a small telegraph instrument.
and he determined to cut the wires and
headquarters. Tapping the wire in those
days was rather clumsy operation. The
pressure of the telegraph wire stretched
between two poles IS very heavy. and
when wire was cut it was the habit
to support the two ends with vises
to which pulley and tackle were at
tached, and which also held the loop
which provided the circuit for the pocket
key. 1t took good deal of time and the
repairs were rather difficult to make. Mr..
Laying watched this operation of tapping
the wire and although not an expert cleo
trician, though he was able to send and re-
ceive messages, he told Stager that he
thought he could do better than that.
BEAT it if you can," said Stager. 81
don't believe it can be beat. There isn't
any other way of cutting a wire and put
ting in the loop when we want to tap it
out IN the country, as do now"
Mr.. Laying went back to his Office and,
as he said, put on his thinking cap. He
took out his jackknife and whitfield. He
made rough drafts of something that was
in his mind. but not 30 clearly that he
could guide pencil so as to trace il per-
fectly upon a sheet of paper. But he stuck
to it and at last made model of some
thing which he called circuit breaker.
Then he sent for an expert telegrapher
that he might get this mans opinion on it.
The expert looked at it for a moment and
then his eyes sparkled.
"Send it to the shop" said he, "and have
one made"
This was done, but it was found to be
faulty, as its weight was too great. It
weighed over two pounds. Another one of
smaller size was made, and then third.
And this. gentlemen. is the third one,"
said Mr.. Laying. 81 have carried it for
more than thirty years. 1t has been used
hundreds of times to break a circuit out in
the fields or woods and tap the wires
When 1t was shown to Gen. Stager and
Gen. Eckert they threw up their hands
with delight, declaring that it was the per-
feet instrument. Eckert has used thou
sands of them in the Western Union ser
vice, and suppose it is one Of the COM
monest implements that telegraphers ham
die"
Ibid you get patent on it, Mr..
Layng?" asked one of the gentlemen.
ooh, no." said the railroad manager,
smiling, II never bothered about that"
The little machine was passed around.
1t was as light as a pocket knife. It was
so arranged that the telegraph wire could
be adjusted to it through circular cleats
In the center was piece wood and over
this little steel bridge or key which was
adjustable. All that was necessary to do
was to put it on wire, which could be
done in an instant. Then the wire was
filed in two, the instrument holding the
two parts as firmly as though it had not
been severed. Wood being non con-
ductor, the circuit was broken. Then by
and turning the adjustable key the circuit
was renewed, passing through the loop.
The operation could be done In two or
three minutes time. Then having sent
the message. the instrument was left upon
the wire until the regular line repairers
came along and repaired it.
Gen. Eckert had forgotten all about the
bantering circumstances which led to the
development of this implement, which is
now so universally used. until a year or
two ago, when he met Mr.. Laying and the
incident was referred to.
Nearly all of the valuable inventions by
which telegraphic service has been i'm
hoov olr
cidentally, SO to speak, as was Mr.. Layng's
circuit breaker. and it is Gen. Eckert's
opinion that with the advance of electric
science there are sure to come others
which will greatly increase the capacity
of service while at the same time decreas-
ing the expense.
The Philadelphia syndicate whose al
legged purchase of the Western Union
occasioned so much comment, has been
doing other things which have occasioned
as much comment in the financial world
almost as the proposed purchase of
the great telegraph companies Some
fnanciers believe that it intends ul-
timately to control the street railway
systems of all the larger cities of the coun-
try, as it does now in some measure con-
troll those of New York, Philadelphia and
Chicago. 1t handles millions, almost
hundreds of millions, as easily as q bank
teller honors draft that is good appar-
that every revolution which is now made
vastly increases it. 1t is said to have
found its property in New York railways
increased in value from 81, 900 600 to $10,-
OO0,0OO by recent manipulation and If
reports are true, similar enormous gains
have been made in Chicago. New York
financiers believe that il aims to get pos
session of the elevated railway system.
and the fact that to do that would cost it
some $50O0,0O seems not to appali it,
but rather the more greatly to stimulate
it. z. 4. b. Widener and William l..
Elkins, who is cousin Of the secretary of
war, are the Phiiadelphians who are at
the head of these vast enterprises. They
are, of course. noted financiers, but to the
general pubic the man of widest repute
who Is with the association is William c.
Whitney. Whitney's business methods
are like theirs, so that to describe William
c. Whitney as a business man is to make
picture of the others In business
affairs Whitney is the same man to all
seeming that he is in politics, never ex-
cited, never anxious, suave, gentle.
courteous, patient, suggesting the man OF
the drawing room rather than the man of
affairs he acknowledgements when talk
ing business his intellectual power. He
has the capacity for saving no. not
brusQueiy as Jay Gould does. not snap-
pishly as Russell Sage is likely to do. not
with the manner which sometimes gives
ottense as Pierpont Morgan has been az
cnsed now and then of doing, but with a
way which iatters. He has sent hum
dreds of men away sorry at the refusal
and happy that they have met Whitney.
HIS mental processes are intuitive. The
drudgery of figuring, making estimates,
getting expert reports and appraisals he
leaves TO others. who are paid well for do