Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-06-08
AT A CABLE STATION.
ISOLATED OPERATORS LIVE IN A
WORLD ALL THEIR OWN,

Picturesque Scenes at the American Ter.
minus of the Great Transatlantic Cables,
Thirty Men Live n Peculiar Kind of Fx-
istence by Themselves.
To an outsider the words life at q
cable station convey vague sort of
meaning. such as the term life on board
ship would imply to one who had new
Or been to sea. The very popularity OF
cable life attaches to it something Of a
special interest. 1t will be my endeavor
here to portray as far as 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-
lon. and working a direct land system
in connection with and over the Cana
dian Pacific railway.
1t is "a well known fact that cable sta
tions, as rule, are placed upon the most
outlandish spots imaginable, in thus
wise throwing the operators ont Of touch
with society and the world at large.
just picture to yourself moment a
small cape running ont into the Atlantic
on the most northoasterlv point Of the
American continent 4 little to the
south and situated somewhat on a hill
you viii see what appears TO be small
village circliug into the shape of a horse
shoe The background is thickly clothed
with small FIR tre'. and Immediately at
the foot of the lil j. large lake with
miniature islands clothed in rich green
foliage
Beyond the lake and as far as the eye
can reach Is ono vast eXpanse Of water di-
vidlng the c'starn and western CONT
rnnts Of lin. anl America. AT once
yor are trou-.t to tile "Canso station"
Of the Comm fci.l Gable company.
To the southeast Of tho lake the broad
Atlantic rolls .lon. in heavy monotone.
Will far away on tine horizon dark
line Of smoke floats leisnrcly in the wake
Of q passing steamer. The station itself
has u picturesque appearance in the
ghstening sunlight. the handsome office
with it, boli frontage standing like a
sentinel ut the western gateway. There
are the finely laid out tennis courts. the
broad crescent ot substantial villas, with
thnr small patches q iTpe aswarl and
flower beds ln front. ana the neat little
oluhhon>e with its small piazza, where
the men ri = their pipes q an evening
ami watch the feet a fishing boats or
ocean travellers passing round the cape
N the eastern entrlncc are the bacne-
lJr, quart,.fs-a large 2-story building
accommodating nearly ~ men. Two and
a half milt- away il til" fishing town Of
Causo, VITA IL ? bVO Inhabitants
There i nothing outside TO portray the
amount If a,uy.tt- going on within the
oitife. ina commercial world is in full
s~ins, tA- cIhl,- arr being worked at
top speed. Hul messages are pouring in
II he tr4LsuHrto+l In all parts Of the hab-
liable g.obt. Business is being transact
~ between The London and New York
Stock Exchange almost as speedily as in
the exchanges themselves Here one
gc:s general idea OF tho Importance Of
submarine Geography to TIE world at
large and the value of time. No stop
II. (. no pAu-ing, nothing but rush, rush,
rush, the clicking Of saunders, the work
ing Of automatic seniers. the tapping Of
key. and the steady buzzing Of recording
Instruments
The operators have the money market
under their control; are edifying the po-
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 Il cable station is not all sun
shine. neither is it all shadow. We have
onr periods Of dullness as we'll as our sea-
sons OF pleasure, advantages rs well as
disadvantages We live in an uncou-
ventional manner. but there are times
when we experience a thirst for town
life with all lis rush and rattle, merely
for change. On the whole, however.
we are very contented and happy; there
Is such a sense Of freedom SO far removed
from the congestcd atmosphere Of city
life. Roam where one Will, there is no
one to say, Whittier goest thou:" On-
can shoot all over no mans land or
cast tho deceptive fv ON lake or stream
and vile the sllvery trout from their va
rions haunts. There are no preserves.
therei Jre no gauekeepers or watchers.
In season We have boating, tennis,
cricket, riding and other sports 70 brace
ns up for the mental strain OF the oper-
sting room; also our concerts. dances
and picn!cs TO mark the superficial side
Of life. Naturally We have to rely on
our own resources for amusement and
entertainment, and at large station
there is genera.ly y a fair supply Of talent
III various dirccti~
When winter Is upon Us with its icy
grasp, when the trees and everything
around are clad in beautiful garb OF
white and glistenln5 snow, we don our
furs, and away We 30 across country to
the merry tinkle Of sleighbells. Snow
shoeing and skating also form important
features Of our winters pastime.
When the shades of evening cast their
lark mantles around us, we gather in
the CHEEKY clubhouse and over our pipes
discuss the latest news from the outside
world, sum up "reminiscences of other
uaNs, tdlh OF eplSoueS III our uYe5 and
experiences at other stations in other
lands, with no foreign element to break
our bond Of fraternity.
There is strange Bohemianism in the
life of cable operator. The constant
moving about he is subject to, the living
in foreign countries and mixing with
different races give him cosmopolitan
Education, with a broad and generous
view of humanity, to the downfall Of
nany narrow and popular prejudices.
tio not know Of any other profession
where exists the same fraternaI feeling
or spirit of clannishness as is met with in
the cable service. Let man travel the
globe, and the mere fact of his being q
''Son Of Mercury" will insure him q
warm welcome at any cable station he
may visit.-Cor. New York Herald.
Greek Stools and Chairs.
The stools or chairs seen on Greek
vases are in great variety, and as regards
time cover period Of many hundred
years. On some of them are figures seat
ed on blocks of stone or wood Int the