The Red Cloud chief., 1892-05-27
psNNls
The Happy scheme hit Upon by . re
sourceful Iincmau.

Away Dack NJ tne time Wneu IN eiec-
trio lamp was still a thing of mystery
and a big ard In advertising, n certain
magnate I'm a southern city, who was
about to entertain his friends Mt q large
ball, decided that seven or eight arc
lamps in his house would effectively
add to the splcndor of the scene. He
interviewed the manager of the local
company, who made the condition that
he should secure the right Of way from
the station to his house Ia distance OF
about one mile and three-quarters) on
the poles of II certain telegraph COM
pany. This was successfully negotiated,
and the boss lineman was put In charge
of the installation with the general in
structions that those lights had to be
going by six o'clock in the evening,
Dec rohnte, and by seven o'clock whether
or nc.
Like o good general, Dennis began by
installing his lamps; he had them prop
erly hung, wired and trimmed, and left
the ends OF the circuit outside n OF
the windows so that his men would not
be in the way or find others In their
way us the time for the starting drew
near. He then proceeded TO run the
wire from the station to the house, and
at $3.50 had run one line complete and
was within q mile with the other when
his wire gave out. Sending to the sta
ton for another reel he al confronted
with the fact that the company had alb
solutely none In its store room. Even
all the scrap had been sold but a week
before, leaving not q hundred yards OF
wire available, Tho telephone was In
immediate requisition and every n in
town likely to have copper wire wa
called up, among others the writer, then
engaged in installing u large isolated
plant, but who was himself In the Same
Ak. The town was suffering fromfa
wire famine from which there was no
relief. IT must be remembered that
copper wire of any kind was not then o
commodity SO easily obtained rs 1t Ii
now. az #-
! Dennis found himself in trouble, and
when C:30 arrived and there vas nc
copper wire he thought that his name
was truly dennis" II he could not get
out of the hole somehow, but what with
the magnate bowling for the lights at
OiC IN " hS iihS, Nv shS ouPSAANs
dent at the other end bowling for the
closing Of the circuit, he was almost In
despair. 1t was dusk by this time, and
with a brilliant inspiration and that reck-
less disregard Of other peoples rights
which forms such a pleasing feature In
| the average lineman's character, Dennis
| calmly proceeded to cut six OF eight OF
the telegraph wires at the point where
his copper had given out; these he
punched together on n end of his
line, then he hustled up to the mag
Mates house, and cutting the same SIX
or eight wires proceeded to connect
them up with what little scrap he
had to the end Of the house-line. lie
then ~cheerfully telephoned to the sta'
ton to go ahead" The lights came
up in great shape and every n was dc
lighted.
When the ball was over mt 4 o'clock ir
the morning, Dennis, with one trusty
! henchman sworn to secrecy, proceeded
hastily to splice up the wires which had
been cut. Half an hour later, with thu
calmness born Of conscious rectitud'
and duty done, he watched the unhappy
linemen of the telegraph company wan
dering up the street with their eye
turned heavenward to discover tho
trouble on the Associated Press ono
several "local" lines. -Electricity.