Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-08

PRESIDENTS WIRE.
The Metal Line that Will Tell
Harrison His Fate.
IT'S HISTORY AND GREAT UTILITY.

Is of Much Interest One Night in Every
Four Years-MiIer and John W. Foster
to Help the Republican Candidate Figure
Out the Result-Some Interesting Cos
sip-Gotham on Election Eve-Pinal Ap-
peals and Estimates of the Head Centers
Figures At Chieago-Field Notes.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6-The president will
read his fate in the telegrapqic bulletins
which will fash over the special wires lead
ing irto the telegraph room at the White
tonight. tits an interesting place, that House
teleeraph-room. 1t was over the wire from
the telegraph Office to this room that the
news Of Cleveland,s defeat was carried to
him four years ago A little group Of his
followers and friends stood about him and
read the returns, while Dan Lamont, the
faithful private secretary, tabulated them
and figured out results. Little by little
| the truth became more manifest and still
! more plain that New York had goIle Re
publican.
He Heard from New York.
Then it was that one Of Mr.. Cleveland's
| encouragiugly, wait until we hear from
Illinois," and it was in reply to him that
| the president made the famous epigram:
"Illinois! H want to hear from New
York" He did hear from New York, and
| the news was so discouragiug that the lit
| tie gathering of the women of the cabinet
circle, who had come together to be ready
| to offer their congratulations to the new
| president before any one else should have
| chance, broke up early, leaving an atnos-
phere of intense diec-,e. IT the White
| House.
| At the Other End of the Line.
| 1t was after O'Clock when the president
| ordered the telegraph wire closed, excused
| himself to his friends and went TO bed
| He had known since 10 o'clock that New
York had gone against him AMI that the
| election was lost. Half an hour before
| Grover Cleveland laid his head on his
| pillow in the White House, Benjamin
| Harrison had retired for the night in his
modest home in indianapolis. All of the
| bulletins were sent to his house 10y messen-
| gers and he was pretty well informed by
| private dispatches fof the way things were
| going AT O'Clock in the morning Elijah
w. Halford called up the presidents house
| house by telephone.
| ''Lige" Probably Didn't Swear.
He had been all through the returns and
| he wanted TO tell General Harrison that in
| his judgment he was elected and that the
| journal would announce his election in the
morning. Mr.. Mckee General Harrison :
son-in-law, answered the phone. HaIford
expected to find General Harrison waiting
| for late news. Well as he knew him he
had an idea that this occasion would excite
1 II \ L =
| as the general there?" he asked
"No; he's been in bed and asleep for an
hour" said Mr.. Mckee, cheerfully. And it
| is very likely that Halfor1, being limited
to his choice of exclamations remarked to
the telephone receiver, meditativeiy:
"Well, IN be-hanged."
| Something About the Telegraph Room.
The telegraph room at the White House
was established at the beginning Of Hayes
| administration. Ii Is a little room in the
northeast corner of the second floor. and
| Mr.. Montgomery, who Is the operator, is
| also required to assist in the executive cor
| respondence and keep the presidential
| scrap books The room is an important ad-
! junct OF the executive office. II enables
| the president to make direct connection
| with any telegraph point when an emer
| gency requires him to consult with any Of
| tut Cllltl thcSutlNtS VI bIlt To take
| personal action in some great emergency
| like the Johnstown food. And the White
House wire has been used to send to the
country any piece of news concerning the
| president which was of great moment.
IL Is Quite an Institutios.
| The first great emergency in which the
| White House telegraph line was brought
| into use was the great railway strike in
| 1877. President Hayes was constantly in
communication with all parts of the coun-
| try during the great strike. When Presi-
dent Garfield was shot Che White House
| wire carried bulletins right from the sick
| room to the people of the country. Presi-
dent Cleveland used the Y ire freely II the
| time of Mr. Arthur's death, and also at the
| time Of the death of General Grant to
make arrangements for showing proper re-
| spect to their memory. At the time of the
| JohnstOwn flood President Harrison was
in the telegraph room at the White House
night and day taking steps to relieve the
| sufferers, so far rs the executive could take
| action.