Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-11

Tf saunders and relays are
ticking off messages
from every part Of the globe, while the def
fingers of half hundred bright young men are
| adding Washington's quota to the happenings
of the world.
Among the thousands Of messages that pass to
and fro from that big operating room and the
outer world it would be extraordinary, indeed,
II something humorous, bright or sad were not
happening every day. Take a position from
which a view of the faces of the operators can
be had. and it will frequently be seen that a
smile and sometimes hearty laugh will
iliumine the frontispiece of a manipulatcr of
brass, denoting that something out of the usual
mas come to his notice. Mistakes in spelling or
cementing Of words will form a combination
that the originator Of yolapuk would look upon
with admiration. Then. again, one OF the men
whose contact with the world and the handling
OF products OF great minds has made keen and
witty will get off something worthy of pro-
fessional humorist which will be told 70 those
near by, and as result ray Of sunshine is
scattered il that locality that relieves the
monotony OF hard work. Between the lapses
OF INN" (no-more-in) two men working a
duplex viii tell Of their travels; one. perhaps,
hailing from Canada and the other from
Florida, while an old veteran that has seen
service In the field with the Union army will
lean over their shoulders and remind them that
there are others who have had experiences
besides which theirs are but gnmbols in the
sunshine.
In days gone by there existed close friend
ship between the newspaper correspondents
and photographers, but OF late wonderful
change has taken place. During the war and
for some time thereafter they ate and drank
together after their nights labor was done and
the dawn of day frequently found them in each
others company. At the present time their re-
lations toward each other have become some
what formal. The press boys have beautiful
club rooms to lounge In now, while the brass
Founders, not being SO lucky, generally go home
Immediately after being relieved from work.
This may account for the arrangement. It
used to be the custom during holidays for the
members Of the press to remember the big
force up in the Corcoran building with cigars,
wines, cake and fruit. These were spread in
the operating room on table accessible to all.
Perhaps the newspaper boys Of those days were
shrewder than those of the present time. as
they surely lost nothing by their liberality.
Copy sent in by newspaper representative
that WAS known would be rushed of in
manner that would make the correspondent of
today open his eyes in wonder. Five minutes
can be easily lost or gained in telegraph
office, and while none is lost today who will
say that the five minutes ia gained. Itsometmcs
happens to a newspaper correspondent that
i've minutes is almost eternity.
RESULT OF WINE IN AN ICE COOLER.
good story is told at the expense of the
operating force, the incidents occurring when
the newspaper boys and telegraphers were
closely allied. 1t seems that during one OF
these annual spreads, spoken Of above, the
wine was poured into an ice cooler as to be
conveniently available. The boys were enjoy
ing the good things furnished and iauding the
donors to the skies, when one of them, in y
spirit Of mischief, poured . different brand Of
wine into the cooler, the mixture being highly
,.at1 x,;- IL
the cooler and in about ten minutes a great
change came over the entire assemblage. Over
in the corner man that was working q through
wire to Cincinnati had completely sueeumbed.
his head had dropped forward on his arms and
no was sleeping the sleep of the just. Another
man near the center Of the room began TO feel
good and commenced to tell everybody in the
room about it, while here and there throughout
the room heads could be seen noGding and
snatches of maudlin songs broke the harmon
ious sound of the many instruments.
Then came the final act to the scene. Over
in the corner, near the head of the stairway
that entered the room in those days, sat one of
the best operators in the country. He was tax
ing press matter with . stylus upon carbon
sheets and tissue paper and at the end Of each
page tore the sheet off very deity and started
anew on another page without breaking the
| sender. He had gone too frequently to the
magnetic water cooler and began to feel the
effects of the wine combination. As he pulled
off one of the sheets he threw too much strength
and movement Of the body into the action and
back he went out of his chair head over heels.
He didn't stop with falling out of his chair, bu,
| continued on down the old stairway with thun-
derous thumps, accompanied with yells OF dis
| may, the effect being highly ludicrous, but al
| the same time startling.
| Everybody rushed to the head of the stair.
! way and one or two with clearer heads ran
| down the steps and gathering the man up in
| &bafr ,ul,t hal ~,
room. Providence took good care OF him, as
| few slight bruises were the only marks visible
| as result Of turning complete somersaulti
| down flight Of thirty-fve steps This startling
termination may have been the cause for TIT
cessation Of these Christmas festivities.
MISTAKES IN SENDING.
| reporter of The EVENING STAR wendell
his way up tho thousand and one stairs tina,
lead to the operating room in the Corcorar
building one night recently and came across
| a half dozen photographers in the cloak room
They were talking shop" Of course, and the
reporter became an attentive listener. SAID
| one Of the party:
| "Let me tell you about telegraph bull thai
came under my observation today. The mar
that made it was receiving press matter.
concerned the mayoralty contest in Long ISLAND
| City between Gleason and Sanford. NY neigh
Dor received the latter gentlemau's name al
Mrs. Ann Ford and maintained that it was cen
that way
Here's a better one than that chmed il
1 another member Of the gang "A man up the
country wired certain sash factory in a neigh
| boring city to Send two dozen frames Tn,
| receiving operator made 1t read Send two
dozen frags.' He was a sort Of absent-mindet
fellow and as he looked over the copy though,
the sender must have misread the message SO b
corrected it to suit his idea OF what Ii should b,
and made it read: Send two dozen frogs. In
due course Of time the frogs were shipped te
the man up the country. an investigation fol.
| tlsman held new occupant"
One OF the party who assisted at the bis
switchboard here added his mite to the strins
OF tales by telling one on somebody connected
| with the test circuit. He said: 1.-THE early morn
ing wire chief in neighboring city was busy
| testing one morning when he received n mes.
sage from this Office by way of Cincinnati tell.
ing him: Unable to raise you; get balloon test
Here Was poser. What was balloon test;
Soon afterward communication with this offjc1
was restored and the message was repeated II
read Unable to raise you; get BALTIC. ON test
GEN. FIrz Lo
The approaching Inauguration Of President
elect Cleveland then became the subject O,
conversation. An Inauguration II an event II
teisgraphic circles that is only equsIed by thu
national conventions Of the two great partiea
thousands and Thousands Of words are sem
from This city Aumming over the wires K
almost every town IN the country, and The
country editor must indeed be poor who can
| not secure Q huudred-vor sDecinl Of the event