The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-07-27
AT A b STATION.
ISOLATED OPERATORS LIVE ~
WORLD ALL THEIR OWN.

minus OF the 1feAL TRANSATLANTIC SaDlSS
Thirty Men Live a Peculiar Kind Of Tx
iseence by Themselves.
To an outsider the words life at a
cable station" convey a vague sort OF
meaning. such as the term life On board
ship" would imply to one who had new
er been to sea. The very popularity OF
cable life attaches to it something Of q
special interest. It will be my endeavor
hare to portray as far rs possible what
life is at 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 a cable to st. Pierre, Mique-
Ion. and working a direct land system
in connection with and over the Cana
dian Pacific railway.
It is a well known fact that cable sta
tons, rs q rule, are placed upon the most
outiandish spots imaginable, in thus
wise throwing the operators out Of touch
with society and the world at 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 a hill
you will see what appears to be a small
village circling into the shape Of a horse
shoe. The background is thickly clothed
with small fir trees, and Immediately at
the foot of the hill is a large lake with
miniature islands clothed in rich green
foliage.
Beyond the lake and as far as the eye
can reach Ia n vast expanse of water di-
viding the eastern and western CONT
nents of Europe and America. At once
You are brought to the "Canso station"
OF the Commercial Cable company.
To the southeast of the lake the broad
Atlantic rolls along in heavy monotone,
while far away on the horizon a dark
line Of smoke floats leisurely in the wake
of a 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
broad crescent of substantial villas, with
their small patches of greensward and
flower beds in front, and the neat little
clubhouse with its small piazza, where
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
q half miles away is the fishing town of
Canso, with its 1000 inhabitants.
There is nothing outside to portray the
amount Of activity going IN within the
Office. The commercial world is in full
swing, the cables are being worked at
top speed, and messages are pouring in
to be transmitted to all parts Of the hab-
liable globe. Business is being transact
ed between the London and New York
Stock Exchanges almost as speedily as in
the exchanges themselves. Here one
gets a general idea of the importance of
submarine ~telegraphy to the world at
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 OF
keys, and the steady buzzing of recording
instruments.
The operators have the money market
under their control: are edifying the 20.
litical world with the latest conundrums
or flashing forth the tidings of some
dreadful calamity across the submerged
chains which link the old world with the
new.
Life at a cable station is not all sun.
shine, neither is it all shadow. We have
cur periods of dullness as well as our sea
sons of pleasure, adv ntages as well q.
disadvantages. We live In an uncon
ventional manner, but there are time.
when we experience a thirst for tow1
life with all its rush and rattle, merely
for a change. On the whole. however
we are very contented and happy; Their,
ID such a sense of freedom so far removed
from the congested atmosphere of cit,
life. Roam where one will, there is NJ
one to say, Whittier goest thous" On
q shoot all over mo mans land" O
cast the deceptive fly on lake or stream
and vile the silvery trout from their va
rious haunts. There are no preserves
therefore no gamekeepers or watchers.
In season we have boating, tennis
cricket, riding and other sports to brac
M mp for the mental strain OF the opei
ating room; also our concerts, dance
and picnics to mark the superficial sid
OF life. Naturally we have to rely o
our own for amusement an
entertainment, and at a large static
there 10 generally a fair supply of taller
In various directions.
When winter is upon MS with its ic
grasp, when the trees and everythin
around are clad in a beautiful garb
white and g~listening snow, we don o,
furs, and away we go across country
the merry tinkle of sleighbells. Sno,
shooting and skating also form importal
features of our winters pastime.
When the shades of evening cast the
dark mantles around us, we gather
the CHEEKY clubhouse and over our pip
discuss the latest news from the outsi
world, sum up "reminiscences of 9th
days. talk of episodes in our lives a
experiences at other stations In 9th
hands, with no foreign element to bre1
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