The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-09
A TELEGRAPH
OPERATORS STORY.

escape SO narrow That ~ seemed wonder
fuL
Ihad taken up telegraphy when a boy
Of Is. and worked my way along the road
till at - 1 was a fair operator, with no
settled place, but with love of advent
ure that made me long for o depot in some
vast Wilderness, where trains passed
through on their way 10 the Pacific coast,
and cowboys and savages slashed each
other into fragments with deadly weap-
ons, and chased about on mustangs and
horses for ferociOus exercise with reeking
scalps hanging at their belts
With these wild desires attacking me
at short intervals ! took "a LAY on and
went to Montana to visit some friends
for a couple of weeks. After a delight
fUl vacation spent in hunting and fishing
/ received a letter from j. r. Simpson,
lineman for the Northern Pacific rail
way, which, in the interest Of old friend
ship, stated that there was vacancy in
a certain division, and if ! wanted to help
the keeping up of the telegraph wires
against the odds of Indians, buffalOes
and panthcrs he would give me the
chance to skip from the character of Il
tenderfOot 90 that Of a brave scout, and
thereby cover myself with fame. Would
i Gomez
/ scarcely waited to read the wholeof the
brief communication, but threw it from
me, and began to tear up the stairs at
wild gallop, tossing my clothes into my
trunk with hasty hands. The dream Of
my life was about to be realized, and l re
solved TO cut notch in the handle of my
bowie-knife to represest every slaught-
cred redskin las longas the handle lasted,
at all events). Then / estimated the pos
sible income ] might receive from wildcat
skins, buffalo horns, and sketches of ad
venture sent to eastern papers for publ
cation, so that, by the time my last
worldly goods were jammed into travel
ing shape. and the cover of my trunk Sc
cured with straps felt like a man whose
prosperity was "a fixed and unalterable
thing.
I carried my Winchester rife in my
hand, as l wished TO get used TO it on all
occasions and the first train that went
westward found me on board. l took a
sleeper, but did not enjoy IL very much,
as my one hour of slumber during the
whole night was occupied by dream of
a cunning expedition in which | was the
hero, and Of savages in tiOcks like wild
geese, tumbling over and shooting with
much Tapping of wings and squalling.
When l awOie / was actually tired, and
was glad to have daylight come with an
opportunity to indulge in coffee and rolls,
followed up by the inevitable cigar that l
had learned to depend upon for a soda
tive.
It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon of that
day when the brakeman bawled out the
eof Steel, and realized that / was at
my stopping place. / went out of the car
with great haste and found myself on
long, narrow platform that frOnted the
stantial affair, with wooden doors hung
outside the windows, to be
opened and closed at will, and with port
holes in the walls at intervals, which had
a warlike look to me, and caused a queer
sensation in the lesser circulation in my
body that might be described as blood
curdling.
The 6station was a small one, and all
that could be seen of the town was a
blacksmlth's shop, hotel, grocery store,
and half dozen rude dwelling houses.
Lounging about the platform was q short,
wiry-looking man, with long, curly hair
floating over his shoulders and a formida-
Bile brace of pistols in his belt
"Hello, pardy,' said he, jerking my
hand and giving il a squeeze as ! bowed
ana attempted to lift my hat politely,
"where did We hail FROM"
illinois, 50 said / briefly.
"Mebbe you've been in the little village
of Chicago, then, eh3 I've hearn somuch
about that town that l low to go n see
it myself some time. Be you the new
lightnin' Singer Pap Hines is lool1in'
furl"
replied that was the operator" and
he went on with animation:
"Ioull have right smart time here,
my friend, fur the Iniuns is cuttiu' up
awfully funny. 1t takes all the able
bodied men in the kentry to keep up the
telegraph poles N watch the pervision
supplies. Life here is Jest like readin'
dime novil all the timc-ouJ of one Iniuu
scrape inter another as fast as you kin
turn the leaves over"
"Quite interesting" said in my best
business tone
Look a-here" exclaimed my new ac-
quaintance, slapping me Familiarity on the
shoulder, IF you've com to Steel for ac-
tooal work We wanter git right down off
your stills an be common like. Airs
amt of no account here, even if they are
paid fur by a division superintendent, N
we've all got to fight fur our lives togeth-
er if things don't show up a little pleas
anter before long. My names Hank
Smith, What's your'n3"
Park Curtiss.n
"Too long" said the man. shaking his
head. wen call it Curt!'
Anything you please" l answered.
meekly.
''Wall, then, Curt, come along, an I'll
interdooce you to Pap Hines, the agent.
He's rum old cove, n he's got two all
fired purity gals-Miss Nellie an Kate"
/ followed Smith with an increasing ap-
probation of my ludicrous situation. A
railroad man, with credentials in my
pocket addressed to G. l.. Hine, a comrade
in the Brotherhood of Telegraphers,
taken in tow by Hank Smith to be inter
dooced to the Id cove, Pap Hines, the
father of two purity gals"
But was soon through with the cere-
mony and taking in the important points
of the situation at Steel,
Smith had not oyerestimated the dan
ger. The Indians in that vicinity were
on the warpath and every day some
threatening act showed that they were
contemplating the destruction of the lit
tie station. They We're constantly cut
ting down the telegraph poles or pulling
of the wires and the sectiOnmen were in
danger of being attacked and scalped in
their work OF repairing the track
l boarded with the Hine family, who
occupied rooms in the depot. and founa
that Hank Smith was not wrong in his
opinions concerning the daughters. Nellie
was bright-faCcd young lady of 10 and
Kate was a girl Of -, both intelligent and
amiable companions. In less than a week
/ was quite al home in my new place. and
full of animation over the exciting Incl
dents of each day.
One afternoon Smith and ] took a trip
three miles out of Steel on "a hand car to
repair some wires that were down. and
Just as we were finishing the adjustment
il fTs 10 4 -.1,v,%