Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-19
CARRIED MESSAGES.



In - riitsburE Telegraph once To.
Eothsr-now They We're Promoted.
Tho story Of five messenger boys be.
gins In the carly DAYS Of telcrrapby. In
dingy Office in Piitshurg. about 1873.
Andrew Carnegie Henry W. Oliver.
Robert Pitcairn. Major William G. More.
land aud David McCnrgo were mess, o..
gers. II Is said that they took the oppo-
sits u other boys aud spent their spare
moments In learning useful lessons. An
drew Carnegie Is the oldest Of the lot.
and he WIS the sinartcsi, leading all In
learning how to telegraph lie was one
" the first operators In the country 20
LEARN 10 take the Morse system by sound,
Which In those days was considered u
remarkable achievement. II did not
take Thomas a. Scott long To snatch
Mr.. Carnegie ftum the telegraph Office
In Pittsburg into his office ~ private
secretary when tho great railroad genius
took charge of the pittsburg end Of tho
road. The education tho young Scotch
man received from greater mind lifted
him from n secrotury's seat into tho
place Of division superintendent when
Mr.. Scott WINS made vice president OF
the rail- DAD The industry. the subtle
cunning and watching faith OF Scott
taught him to las his line. In other di.
roctions than watching the divisions "
: railroad aud Scott helped him. His
place gave him the opportunity to look
into other lines Of industry. and he drove
u drift into an iron mill His pickax
was not large, but his cunning and Thrift
made up for the sizo Of hisax j. Edgar
Thomson. who was the president Of the
Pennsylvania railroad. then gave
great name aud money 10 the works now
dominated by Mr. Carnegie At that
time Colonel Scott was power In tho
nation ~ well Va the railroad. and Car.
ncgie began to gather wealth.
Mr. CARNEgiE's EARLY AMBITION.
my ambition in thos. days" be said
recently. "wiW IN write Tor newspapers.
| took In material in that direction
Whenever 1t was possible. | haunted tho
public library In Allegheny, and caught
on TO the fact that distinction WIS
made by the attendants between tho
poor boys and tho sons Of well TO do
parents It mnde me Indignant. | wrote
my first public letter TO the board OF con.
troll, aud u change was ordered. This
result more thap ever resolved me 70 fol.
low journalism but an accident drified
mo elhowhorc, and became u manuiac-
turrr."
Thrift aud industry were the dorricks
which lifted Harry ". Oliver ont Of tho
telegraph chair next TO Mr.. Carnegie.
and made him n clerk for n big iron firm.
lilo Is an freshman. with head full OF
cunning about tho business economies OF
life. It did not take long Tor him TO re-
nlize the possibilities Of tho iron trade,
and one day slick working block and
tackle hoisted him out Of his seat at tho
desk In the big firms workshop and
landed him IN u business that has since
grown TO be ono Of the creates, conce4s
In the world. He has grown very rich.
and one railroad and seven mauufuctur.
ing concerns now feel tho touch Of his
hand.
Another Scotchman Of the famous fyo
L. Robert Pitcairn, who sta la tho seat
once occupied by Colonel Tom Scott and
Mr.. Carnegie. lie went from telegraph
chair into the railroad business. and he
has been master In all tho best condi.
tons Of railroad life He Is many times
n millionaire. but be lives for his rail-
road, although interested, like Mr. oil.
yer. In many large manufacturing en-
torprises, He does the work OF about
three men every day. and takes recroa-
L. L.. A.. IA.
big friend or indulge with his country
men in the melodies OF Scotland. He
has denied himself promotion many
times, because he likes TO cling to the To-
cation whore ho began "a q messenger
boy and has had so many triumphs.
4 TRIUMPH IN TELEGRAPuY.
The fourth member OF tho group ia
David McCargo, the general manager Of
tho Allegheny railroad. His strong
Scotch character lifted him into big
railway concerns early ae left tho
telegraph Office soon after the other boys
aud took place on the railway.
Think Of it, said Major William p.
Moroland, the last, but not least, Of the
famous live. II stood at the key with
Carnegie. Oliver, Pitcairn, McCargo. and
heard the first message pass over tho
wires that was sent between the north
and south. james b. Reid, who was
general superintendent; David Brooks
now living in Philadelphia, aud Jackson
duncan. OF Cincinnati, had charge Of
/ tho experiment. We had TO work on
short circuits in those days, and We
/ thought II was impossible 10 send mos.
/ sage to New York from New Orleans.
Brooks and Reid walked over and IN.
/ spected the line from tho Crescent City
to Pittsburg After arriving here and
assuring themselves that the line WIS
> perfect, the effort was ordered and every
Telegraph operator on the line, and In
fact the whole country, was waiting In
suspense to know the success or failure
OF the effort. Every magnet was ad.
justed, and every electrician on the line
stbod at his key listening for tho result
At the signal New York called Philadol'
phia, the Quaker City signaled Harris
burg, and then In quick succession Pitts
burg, Cincinnati, Louisville and New
Orleans were opened to the metropolis
No one drew breath scarcely until the
tick came, and in minute an unbroker
message was sent between the north and
louth. That may seem primitive IN
these days, when there Is no measuring
electric power, but then 1t was the talb
OF the nation This Is a bit OF untold