Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-06-09

o the UUlDltaltd ne most ddli 5t4VH1
spot during n thunderstorm Is a ieie-
graph office, but statistics will substaE-
siatr the fact bat ~ place Is safer.
Alsny and varied are tie stories told Of
the freaks performed hy heavenly cur
rents bat seldom is there fatality
attached Ia the tale Between tie
manufactured and natural electricity
there appears, from closo observation,
to be a sort Of affection. and under
cover of the slightest storm mutual
exchanges OF coutideuces are usually
INDUCED il by them. Modern devices,
Of course, have brought about this state
Of affairs. but the most persistent
assurances cannot convince the timid
IF this fscl. Seldom indeed will the
veteran teegrapher 3ft his hand from
the key upon which ~ is spelling out
the mystic signs Of yne Morse diphabet
upon the approach or progress Of the
heaviest storms, wine the Young aspi-
rant for Geographic fame will sit
through a storm with beating heart
rather than show the white feather to
his companions by deserving bis post.
It frt auentll occurs that the dense
humidity prevail NJ ia { previous % a
storm. coupled with ii eavy downfall
of ram. Will entice the sire INCEST eicctrl-
cal currents from the wires and Tor the
time being kills" their usefulness. IL
is during one Of these storms that the
electric waves are felt, coming and
going. aud what danger there is is then
most imminent 1t was during one Of
these luis in business, up in the big
operating room of The Western Union
telegraph Office recently, that several
expert teleoraphers and 2 Washington
STIR reporter thered around one OF
the quad taO,es and began eXchang
inc experiences with tbunderbOlis, lire
balls and other electro phenomena too
numerous to mention
''BoGY" HAD HIS HAIR CIT
One 81 the humorous stories told had
for its central figure a telegrapher
named Bogardus. Boy as be IS
called for short, is known in the teIe-
graph profession from Boston to San
Francisco and from New Orleans to
Toronto, Canada He possessed a row
ing disposition, a love for good Bourbon
whisky and mind that was blank rs
to the value of money. The following
occurred in the days when "Bogy" was
in his prime. He had recently been
fired from the New York offices aud
for bread and butter had drifted out on
to a railroad centering in Piltsburg to
sober up and get new start. He was
always careful of his personal appear
ance, and, while he could shave himself,
the cutting of his own hair was an
impossibility Pittsburg. some thirty
,ailes from the little station be was at,
was the nearest place wherein he could
have the tonsolal feat performed. TO
90 to the city meant smother spree aud
consequent discharge, and "Bogy'
knew this too we'll Bot his hair grew.
the weather became hot and he fretted
and tuned The comments of the rail-
road men didut aid 70 bis comfort.
Late one afternoon after very hot
day thunderstorm Of remarkable IN
lemsity came up and the lightning
played hide and seek among the relays,
saunders and switchboard in "Bogl s.
little 10 by 10 Office Every minnie the
storm increased III intensity and he
electrical display was grandly sublime.
board became more frequent and the
flashes more luminous "Bogy," got
bit frightened, concluded 10 put the
cut-out plug III the switchboard and
thereby save his instruments from
burning up in case the lightning became
too strong.
On the inst1n he applied the plub
bolt of lightning struck telegraph pole
about fifty feet from the office and the
surplus electricity came in the switch
board over The wire aud Boys head
was wrapped in flame. The shock
threw him on the floor and for a mo
meut stunned him. Shaking himself
together he got upon has feet, and
feeling no pains he congratulated him
self upon his lucky escape. There was
peculiar odor IN the l1tle room that
.'Bogy" could not clearly account for.
but concluded il came from the burned
silk and wax that ma ie up the covering
for the office wires.
He mad just succeeded in putting his
Office to rights and had returned 10 IT,.
after making a temporary connection
where the holt had struck. when train
drew up fer orders.
e-rusalem, shouted the couduc-
tor as he caught sight Of "Bogg.
Where your heir2
"Bogy in alright oiapped his hands
TO his head and with = startled ejacula
ton rushed for the little mirror hanging
in the rear corner q me office. One
look was enough "Hnoy' hadn' NJ
much hair as a month-old baby. and
strange 10 relate the electric flame had
not feazed his scalp in the slightest.
The knock-down old Jupiter had given
him had driven the thought of his ham
for the moment out Of his mind, AMI
mill the conductor surprised cry had
reached him he thought his hair still
needed cutting.
"DEXTERo THOROUGHLY SCARED.
Another good story was told. the
local surroundings being ut the lHtlt
telegraph station at Beuning, just out.
side of Washington At the time Of the
occurrence an operator named Brady
was on duty nights. and none loved !
practical joke better than he. A con.
slant ounger around the office was M
old darky by the name If PoindeNtel
rOI a mo lQy,- rom riiaYa nal,1pd .Il1irS