Evening journal., 1893-07-13
AT A CABLE STATION.
ISOLATED OPERATORS LIVE IN A
WORLD ALL THEIR OWN.

| Thirty Men Live Peculiar Kind of Tx
istence by Themselves.
70 an outsider the words 'life at q
cable station convey vague sort Of |
meaning. ouch as the term "life on board |
ship would imply to one who had new |
CT been to sea. The very popularity Of |
cable life attaches to it something Of !
/ special interest. Il will be my endeavor |
here to portray as Far as possible what |
life is ut one of the busiest and most i'm |
| portant cable stations in the world, land |
| ing two ocean cables from Waterville. |
Ireland, two from New York city. one
of which is operated direct from Wall
street; also cable TO st. Pierre, Mique-
Ion, and working direct land system
in connection with and over the Cana
dian Pacific railway.
1t is n well known fact that cable sta
tions, as a rule, are placed upon the most
outlandish spots imaginable, in thus
wise throwing the operators out Of touch
with society and the world Mt large.
just picture TO yourself a moment a
small cape running out into the Atlantic
on the most northeasterly point of the
American continent. A little TO the
south and situated somewhat on hill
you will see what appears to be a small
village circling into the shape Of horse
shoe. The background is thickly clothed
: with small fir trees, and Immediately at
the foot Of the hill is large lake with
miniature islands clothed in rich green
foliage.
Beyond the lake and as far as the eye
I y.n..
viding the eastern and western conti-
nents Of Europe and America AT once
, You are brought to the "Canso station"
of the Commercial Gable company.
To the southeast of the lake the broad
} Atlantic rolls along in heavy monotone,
while far away on the horizon dark
line Of smoke floats leisurely in the wake
of passing steamer. The station itself
has a picturesque appearance in the
/ glistening sunlight, the handsome Office
with its bold frontage standing like a
{ sentinel at the western gateway. There
are the finely laid out tennis courts, the
p broad crescent Of substantial villas, with
their small patches of greensward and
l flower beds in front, and the neat little
clubhouse with its small piazza, where
b the men enjoy their pipes Of an evening
: and watch the feet of fishing boats or
/. ocean travellers passing round the cape.
At the eastern entrance are the bache-
lors' quarters-a large 2-story building.
accommodating nearly 80 men. Two and
y a half miles away is the fishing town of
> Canso, with its 1900 inhabitants
There is nothing outside to portray the
. amount of activity going on within the
"a Office. The commercial world is in full
It swing, the cables are being worked at
Il top speed, and messages are pouring in
It to be transmitted 10 all parts Of the hab-
t. table globe. Business is being transact
ed between the London and New York
Stock Exchanges almost as speedily as il
tho exchanges themselves Here one
gets a general idea of the Importance o.
1. submarine telegraphy to the world al
large and the value of time. No stop
ping, no pausing, nothing but rush, rush
rush, the clicking Of saunders, the work
ing Of automatic senders, the tapping oi
c; keys, and the steady buzzing Of recording
Ia instruments.
43 The operators have the money marke
no under their control; are edifying the po
88 htical world with the latest conundrum
or flashing forth the tidings of som
! dreadful calamity across the submerge,
-, chains which link the old world with tn
ne new.
Life at a cable station is not all sun
49, shine, neither is It all shadow. We hav
ey our periods of dullnsss as we'll as our sea
ey sons Of pleasure, advantages as well d
er disadvantages. We live in an uncon
pr | ...-,,.. Af,1.., ,.., ts,,,o
,er when we experience a thirst for tow
ey life with all It's rush and rattle, merel
on for change. On the whole. however
we nre very contented and happy; ther
is such a sense Of freedom so far remove
o., from the congested atmosphere Of cit
-. life. Roam where one will. there is n
one to say, "Whither goest thouY" On
en- can shoot all over mo mans land" @
RS. cast the deceptive fly on lake or streaI
Of and vile the silvery trout from their VI
rious haunts. There are no preserve.
therefore no gamekeepers or watchers.
IN In season we have boating, tennis
ed cricket, riding and other sports to brac
IS. us up for the mental strain of the opel
ating room; also our concerts, dance
and picnics to mark the superficial sid
OA llt NdluAdlA1 Wt HdNb 10 Itl1 u
Il our own resources for amusement an
3 entertainment, and at large static
8 there is generally fair supply of taller
q in various directions.
When winter is upon us with its iC
Z grasp, when the trees and everythir
around are clad in beautiful garb
II white and glistening snow, we don OF
M furs, and away we go across country
the merry tinlle of sleighbells. SnoN
IA shoeing and skating also form importai
Il features of our winters pastime.
When the shades of evening cast the
. Q dark mantles around us, we gather
the CHEEKY clubhouse and over our pip
. 10 discuss the latest news from the outsi
3 world, sum up "reminiscences Of 9th
, s days, talk Of episodes in our lives al
. Eo experiences at other stations in 9th
lands, with no foreign element to brei
our bond of fraternity.
low There is a strange Bohemianism in {
1.fo of a cal,1a oppratol. Tho .oneta