The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-05-19
ODD KIND OF CLUB.
1T RESEMBLES A FULL PLEDGED
TELEGRAPH COMPANY.

municate with Each other by Telegraph.
One of the most novel or unique or
CARNATIONS in Brooklyn is n that has
recently gained a new lease of life
through the infusion Of new and Wig
orous blood and by a thorough reOrgan-
ization. 1t is called the Phenix Morse
Telegraph club, and is perhaps the only
one of it's kind in the United States.
The old organization was formed in
1879 and started in life under the name
of the Phenix club. 1t was i~nauguratei
by a number of young people, some of
whom were engaged in occupation as
telegraphers, and others of different vO-
cations, who took pleasure in studying
the mysterious language of dots and
dashes. A private telegraph line was
established and connected with the res
licences of the members. A busy wire
it was too. The hum of conversation,
if it can be termed such, was constant
throughout the evening. Stories were
| passed over the electrical current, jeSts
and jokes banded, chess and checkers
| played by individuals who liked this
| sort of recreation, and in fact as good
| a time was usually passed as if the men,
bers were brought in contact with each
other by person in one room.
Jokes Of an innocent character were
also carried on oven the circuit, which
had the advantage in SO far as to allow
| the perpetratOr to remain or
making it unnecessary to flee from the
wrath of the person upon whom 1t was
inflicted. Quite q number Of these are
stock property among the Die members,
who relate them to friends with as much
gustO and enjoyment as if they had &C.
Cured only yesterday. One of these Is
to the effect that two members after
practicing with another in the early
evening, during which the sender trans
mitted the Morse characters as fast as
he could, or as telegraphers would say
rushed the receiver, Notwithstanding
the protests Of this unfortunate disciple
Of Americas noted inventor. The latter
promised himself that a speedy revenge
would follow, and sought to find some
means whereby he could make the
.rusher' as uncomfortable as he had
. been previously.
The practicing finally came to an end,
and the receiver waited until an I'M
earthly hour Of the morning, when be
supposed his victim had gone to bed and
7 when the click Of a sOunder would strike
the gloom and quiet with the distinct
ness Of a blow from a trip hammer. AT
about 3 o'clock in the morning he went
to the instrument and began to call his
victim in a manner which would indl-
cate that a fire had perhaps broken on
, or that the transmitter had serious need
r =. e-,o .1;.o no ,nrit- He co1laI
in this furious stvle until he had awak-
ened the sleeper, who jumped up out OF
bed and went to the instrument, eX-
pecting to hear that something dreadful
had Happened. He answered the cal
u%uakingly. His Indignation can be i'm
agined when the query came slowly anc
o distinctly:
"WiIl you please tell me the time; M
clock has run down"
His answer IS not recorded. but 1t !
safe to assume that the immediate V1cln
ity became as warm as a hot box OF al
overheated wheel.
The organization went on III the ever
. tenor of its way until two or three year
ago, when it began to langulsh, part,
on account of a detection OF member
who moved away from the city or be
cause the remaining persons would no
shoulder in the proper or necessary man
ner the worry and expense of conduct
ing such and organization. Then cam
another club which was purely sOcia
in its character and which was ais
called the Phenix club. 1t may hav
II been that the similarity of names cause
- a bond of friendship to be establlsle
or that some of the members OF tn
BODY were capable Of handling a Ike
and working the electrical curren'
However this may be, the two organ
- i~zations were analSamated and a ne
r order of affairs brought about thereb.
J The name was changed to the prese1
" one, and under which it started out wit
bright and prosperous auspices.
A flat. corner of Marcy avenue an
Fulton street, has been made the hea'
, quarters of the club, and which may
termed the main Office of this amatet
TELEGRAPH company. Here are locate
the battery rOOm.w which furnishes Ii
powerful fluid by which the wire
worked, and another, which Is calledtl
operating room, in which are placed fo1
r. sets of instruments and a double practi
:. ing outfit. \ galvonometer, wherel
- the wire is measured, SO that the wher
abouts of any trouble on the line can
detected. is also included IN this spac
Meetings and social gatherings are he
!. in a larger room running off from tt
vs. one. Eighty cells of battery work I
circuit. which covers a distance of nea
" eighteen miles in this city, mainly
the upper residence section.
h The old string" was O~verhauled
an experienced lineman recently a
nut in sufficiently substantial shape
see order to enable it to more readily res
the wear and tear of a line in a Lar
and busy city. The circuit Is plac
-. along the housetops on the route, a
) trouble Of any kind or, as an operal
would saw, bugs" are rarely met "