The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-31
His NAME Was DENNIS,
But He Showed That Il Is Not Always the
SYNONYM Of Failure.

Away back in the time when an electric
lamp was still thing Of mystery and big
card in advertising, a certain magnate 10 a
Southern city, who was about to entertain
his friends at a large ball. decided that seven
or eight arc lamps in his house would ef-
lectively add to tie splendor Of the scene.
lie interviewed the manager of the local
company, who made the condition that he
should secure the right-0f-way from the sta
ton TO his house IA distance Of about one
mile and three-QuaTtero} on the poles Of a
certain telegraph company. This was sue
ceSSiully negotiated, ana the boss lIneman
was put IN charge Of the installation with
the general instructions that those lights
had 10 be going by o'clock in the evening,
Dec YOlente, and by O'clock neither
or 10.
Like a good general. Dennis began by in
stalIng his lamps he had them all prop
erly hung, wired and trimmed, ana left the
ends OF the circuit outside one OF the WIN
dOWS so that his men would not be IN the
way or ind others Ia the way as the time
for the starting drew near He then pro
ceeded to run tue wire from the station to
house, and at ; 80 had run one line COM
piete and was within hall a mile with the
Otuer when his wire gave cut. Sending to
the station for another reel he was con-
fTOnted with the fact that the company had
absolutely none in its stOre-r00m, Even
all the scrap had been solo but Il week
before, leaving not hundred yards
OF wire available. The telephone
was in immediate reQuisitiOn and
every one in town likely to have capper
wire was called up. among others the writer,
then engaged IN installing a large Isolated
plant, but who was himself IN the same Tx.
The town was suffering from wire famine
from which there was no relief. 1t must be
remembered that copper wire of any kind
usa nj "a 81 al
as II IS now
Dennis found himself in trouble. aud when
ESQ arrived, aud there was no copper wire,
he thought that his name was truly Dennis
If lie could not get out Of the hole somehow,
but what with the maguate bowling for the
lights at one end Of the line and the Super
intendent at the other end bowling Tor the
closing of the circuit. he was almost IN ueS-
pair 1t Was dusk by this time, and with a
brilliant inspiration and that reckless dis
regard of other peoples rights which
forms such a pleasing feature in the
average ineman's character Dennis
calmly proceeded 10 cut six or eight OF the
telegraph wires at tie point where his cop
per had given out; these he punched to-
gether on one emu OF his line; ;hen be
hustled up 10 the magnate'S house and,
cutting the six or eight wires, proceeded TO
connect them up Ni,h what little scrap he
had to the ends OF the house line lie then
cheerfuliy telephoned to the station TO GO
ahead" The lights came up IN great shape
and every one was delighted.
When the bail was over, at 4 O'Clock in
the morning, Dennis, with one truSty bench
man sworn 10 secrecy, proceeded hastily to
splice up the wires which had been cut.
Half an hour later, with the CalmneSS born
of conscious re tiude and duty done, he
watched the unhappy linemen OF the tele-
graph company wandering up the street
with their eyes turned heayenward to dis
cover the trouble on the Associated Press"
and several local lines Electricity.