The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-04
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wears later. Mr.. Cleveland sat up until
cl9ck that night reading the bulletins.
MOST OF MS friends left him at midnight.
AT nalf-past o'clock Colonel Lamont
gave the orders TO close the telegraph
room.
four years later Mr.. Harrison went
through similar experience. He heard
the electlon news rather quietly, the
ueatn or Mrs. Harrison having withdrawn
MIN from public view and even from the
counsels of his political friends. When
Tue Minneapolis convention was held
there was quite jolly group at the White
House. The President received the re-
turns IN his office; but in the telegraph
room there was group of newspaper
correspondents who had been invited by
Mr.. Haiford to remain at the White
House and see the returns. Mr. Halford
read the bulletins to the group and Mr.
Wa0amaker took them to the President
When the nomination was made the
PRESIDENT made pleasant little speech to
the newspaper men. The contrast be-
tween that day and the day when the
news of Mr.. Harrison's defeat reached
him was very striking. Mr.. Harrison took
the bad news philOsophically. When he
was elected four years before he went to
bed long before the final and satisfying
returns lad reached Indianapolis.
There are four wires to .the White
House and four keys on the operators
table. When there is an election rush the
local manager of the Western Union usu-
ally goes to the White House to help copy
the bulletins One Of the wires which
comes into the telegraph-roOm is the regu-
lar Western Union wire which runs from
the main office of the telegraph company
to the Presidents house. 1t is over this
wire that the President talks with people
In California or Maine or Florida when
the public service requires it. 1t was over
this wire that Mr.. Harrison held a long
conversation with Governor Beaver of
pennsylvania, who b ad stepped off a rail-
road train at small station in Pennsylva-
MA on his way to Johnstown because the
President wanted TO talk to him" IL
Governor Beaver had received word
that the President was waiting in the
little station, communication between them
could hardly have been more simple The
train stopped, the Governor stepped into
the station and sat down beside teIe-
| graph operator. The President spoke
| messages TO the Governor, and the Gov
ernor talked back'-always through the
| telegraph operator and over the telegraph
wire. This was made possible by con-
Meeting the White House wire at the main
Office OF the telegraph company here with
a wire leading TO the principal relay sta
ton in Pennsylvania and then with a
wire leading to the small station. This
gave a continuous wire to Governor
Beavers stoppiug-place. No one who has
not talked with another person over a
telegraph wire can have any idea of the
ease with which conversation is carried
on. 1t is much easier than conversation
through an Interpreter and quite as rapid.
When the President had concluded what
he had to say Governor Beaver got on his
train and continued his journey.
On the day of an election all of the early
bulletins come in over the regular West
ern Union wire. sandwiched with the reg
ulsr business of the day. Usually these
bulletins are not important. They tell of
the weather (Which 10 New York State
particularly has a bearing on the size Of
the vote), and they tell whether voting is
active or sluggish. In addition to these
telegraph bulletins of the Western Union
the news bulletins of the press associa-
tons are sent to the White House by
messenger. About o'clock in the evening
the real news bulletins begin to come 10.
| They come as fast as TWO men can handle
them. They show by comparison of the
vote of previous election about how
things are running. The little white slips
are taken to the President by Mr.. Thur
Der. As long as the President is Interested
in reading them they are copied When
the result of the election is no longer in
doubt the President goes to bed and the
telegraph office is closed.
GEORGE GRANTHAM Balm,