The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-02
HAIR CUT BY LIGHTNING.
How Jove Came to the Rescue of . Suffer
ing TeIesrauh Operaror.

| How Jove Came to the Rescue OF . Suffer.
ing Telegraph Operator.
The central figure of this tale was
| telegrapher named Bogardus. 'sBogy,"
as he is called for short, is known in
the telegraph profession from Boston
to San Francisco and New Orleans to
Toronto. He possessed a rowing dis
/ position, love for good old bourbon
whisky, and mind that was blank as
to the value of money. The following
occurred in the days when 'Bogy" was
in his prime.
He had recently been 'ired" from
the New York Offices, and for bread
| and butter had drifted out onto rail-
road centering in Pittsburgh to sober
up and get a new start He was al
ways careful of his personal appear
ance, and, while he could shave him.
self, the cutting of his own hair was an
impossibility. Pittsburgh, some thirty
miles from the little station he was at,
was the nearest place where he could
have the tonsorial feat performed. To
60 to the city meant another spree and
| consequent discharge, and ''Bogy"
knew this too well. But his hair grew,
the weather became hot, and he fretted
and fumed. The comments of the rail-
road men didn't add to his comfort
Late one afternoon, after very hot
day, thunder storm of remarka bic in
tensity came up, the lightning played
hide and seek among the relays, sound
ers and switch board in ''Bogy's" little
lox10 Office. Every minute the storm
increased in intensity, and the cleo
trical display was grandly sublime. As
the cracks of the bolts on the switch
board became more frequent and the
flashes more luminous, "Bogy," not
bit frightened, concluded to put the cut
out plug in the switchboard and there
by save his instruments from burning
up in case the lightning became too
strong.
On the instant he applied the plug
bolt of lightning struck telegraph
pole about fifty feet from the Office and
the surplus electricity came in the
switchboa and over the wire, and
''Begy's" head was wrapped in fame
The shock threw him on the floor, and
for a moment stunned him. Shaking
himself together he got upon his feet,
and feeling no pain, he congratulated
himself upon his lucky escape. There
was a peculiar odor in the room that
''Bogy' could not readily account for,
but concluded It came from the burned
silk and wax that made up the covering
of the Office wires.
He had just succeeded in putting his
Office to rights and had returned TO IL,
after making temporary connection
where the bolt had struck, when train
drew up for orders.
"Je-e-rusaleml" shouted the con-
ductor, as he saw "Bogy." where's
your hair?"
"Bogy." in alright, clapped his hands
to his head, and, with a startled ejacu-
lation, rushed for the little mirror hang
ing in a rear corner of the office One
look was enough. 'Bogy" hadn't as
much hair rs a month-old baby, and,
strange to relate, the electric flame had
not scared his scalp IN the slightest
The Touchdown blow old Jupiter had
given him had driven the thought of his
hair for the moment out of his mind.
and until the conductors surprised cry
had reached him he thought his hair
still needed cutting Chicago Blade