The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-10-07
INTELLIGENT TRAMPS.
NoMADlc TELEGRAPHERs WHO WAN
DER OVER THE COUNTRY.

Changes Are Frequent in All Large TeIe-
graph OBces-Eastern Branches DO Not
Suffer in This Respect as Much as Lo-
calities in the West.
One of the most striking features con-
nected with the telegraph business is the
extraordinary propensity of the average
operator for changing about from Office to
Office, and roaming from town to town all
over the country. Among the operators
in the big Western Union office are men
who have worked in nearly every state and
territory in the Union, and there is scarcely
man who has been in the service any con-
siderable length of time but is more or less
travelled.
A few days ago the city papers chronicled
the fact that 'Skate Donohue had struck
town, most interesting item of news to
telegraph operators but one that needed
some explanation to the general public.
Donohue is an extreme type of the
tramp" operator He has worked in
every large telegraph office and in a multi
tude of the smaller ones in every part of
the United States, in Canada, and in Old
Mexico, and he is known either personally
or by reputation to almost every operator
in the three countries.
His reputation as a tramp is perhaps
only equaled by that of w. Bogardus, or
"Old Bogie," as he is Familiarity known to
the boys, but Bogardus is getting quite an
old man, and he does not change his base
of operations oftener than every second or
third week now, while Donohue is as active
as ever. Although the latter possesses this
wandering propensity in an abnormal de-
gree he may yet be taken as a type of a
very large class of operators
TRAMPs GROWING LESS
A few years ago the Geographic profess
sion was almost entirely composed of per
sons having no fixed abode" and who
came, quite properly, under the classifca-
ton of tramps, although perhaps only in
the sense of being nomadic in their habits.
They shared the rowing habit about equally
with the printers, and though matters have
changed somewhat of late, they could even
now challenge comparison in this respegt
with any class outside the regular gy6sT
tribes. 1t used to be altogether exceptional
for an operator to settle permanently in one
office or one town, and changes occurred
almost daily in every office in the country
The telegraph business was perhaps not
quite so large, so uniform or steady then
as now, and operators were subject to the
law of supply and demand, the workings
of which undoubtedly gave considerable
cause for frequent changes, but this could
only account in a slight degree for the in
Vulnerable changes that took place every
pay day. But in the eastern states these
conditions have been considerably modified
in the last few years. Managers have dis
countenanced and discouraged the practice,
and operators in this part of the country
are now fairly staid and settled citizens.
There are always a number of arrivals and
departures every month at large offices,
such as New York, Boston and Philadel-
phia, but as a rule operators in the east
have settled down to become solid citizens.
WESTERN EXPERIENCES.
But in the states and territories west of
the Ohio, and particularly in those west of
the Mississippi, the operator has altered
but very little in character and habits, and
is still tramp, ever on the move from
place to place, with varying fortunes and
more varied experiences. He usually sam
pies all localities and will on the shortest
notice, and as often with no notice at all
pack his gric, should he be so fortunate as
to possess one or have any effects to neces-
state his possessing one, and depart for
parts unknown and uncared. 1t has been
said that many of them believe or used to
believe in the old saying that it is much
cheaper to move than to pay board.
1t is not an uncommon thing for the per-
sonnet of the staff of such offices as Omaha,
Ogden, Galveston, Deming and other large
telegraph points in the west and south to
be completely changed in the course of a
few weeks. The work in some of these
offices is a constant roast and few oper-
ators will remain there long. St. Louis,
Chicago, New Orleans and other large
offices have a dozen changes every month
or SO, while on the western railroads it
would be almost impossible to keep a COM
plete record of the changes that occur in a.
year.
Usually great deal of the train dis
patcher's time and attention is taken up in
keeping track of the different operators
who come and go at the stations on his di-
vision, and in seeing that all the positions
are properly filed.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A TRAMP.
To be a successful tramp a man must,
combine experience in the two entirely diff
ferent departments of the business rail-
road and commercial telegraphy, and be
equal to any emergency, and the aversAse
western tourist usually does possess a suf-
fcient general knowledge to enable him to.
hold down anything that comes along, at
least temporarily and until he can get out
of town creditably.. The tramp's expert
ences cover the entire field, and one week
he will be filling a place as "owl' might
OPERATOR at some prairie side track, and
the next copying Associated Press reports
for a city paper.
At the smaller railroad stations his skill
in handling the harnessed thunderbolts of
Jove is usually secondary consideration
TO his ability as express agent, ticket seller,
uNrNa