The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-11-30
CABLE AGAINST TELEGRAPH.


for The ST. Nicholas entitled How
the Bad News Came 10 Siberia " Mr..
Kennan was engaged on the Russian
overland telegraph. and tho bad
news was tho announcement Of the
successful laying Of the Atlantic ca
BILE, which brought his work 90
sudden stop. Mr.. Kennan says:
Early the next morning ] was
awakened by one Of the Cossacks
with the welcome news that there
was a square rugged vessel In the
ofing five or six miles beyond Ma
tuga island. Iclimbed hastily up the
bluff and had no difficulty in making
out with n glass the masts and sails
of a good sized bark, evidently .
whalcr, which, although hull down.
was apparently cruising back and
forth with n light southerly hreezo
across the gulf We ate breakfast
hastily. put on our fur kukhlankhs
and caps and started in n whaleboat
under oars for tho ship. which was
distant about rs miles. Although
the wind was light and the sea CON-
paratively smooth, it was n hard. te-
dious pull, and We did not get along
side until after 10 O'Clock. Pacing
the quarter deck as We climbed on
board was a good looking. ruddy
faced. gray haired man. whom took
TO be the captain. BE evidently
thought, from our outer fur dress.
that wo were only party Of natives
come OF TO trade. and he paid no at
tention whatever TO Ms until walk
cd aft and said. Arc you the cap
/ tain of this barky"
At tho first word of English he
stopped as IL transfixed. started at
me for a moment in silence, and then
exclaimed in n tone of profound As-
constituent: "welll Has the univer-
sal Yankee got up hereY"
"Yos. captain, / replied. He is
not only here, but be has been here
two years or more. What bark Is
thisg"
Tho Sea Breeze of New Bedford,
Mass. be replied. and ] am Cap
tain Hamilton. But what are you
doing up in this forsakon oountryg
Have you been shipwreokedg"
mo" I said. were up here try
ing TO build n telegraph line"
"a telegraph liner' he shouted.
''Well, IL that amt tho craziest thing
ever heard Of Who's going 20 tele-
graph frUm heroF"
explained 20 him that we were
trying to establish telegraphio CON-
munication between America and
Europe by way of Alaskn, Bering
strait and Siberia and asked him II
he had never heard Of the Russian
American Telegraph company.
Never, no replied. Il didn &
know there was such n company,
J but I've been out two years on n
cruise. and ! haven't kept up very
well with the news"
How about tho Atlantic cablcy'
inquired. DO you know anything
} about thatg"
"Oh, yes" no replied chcorfully.
as IL no were giving me tho best
7 news in tho word. Tho cable Is laid
all right"
, Does IL work." I asked. with a
} sinking heart.
Works liko n snatch tackle. a" be
: responded heartily. The Frisco pa
pers arc publishing every morning
the London news Of the day before.
: I've got a lot Of EN- on board that
, III give you Perhaps you'll find
! something in them about your com.
pany."
think the captain must have no
, ticed from tho sudden change in the
expression Of our faces that hi.
. news about tho Atlantic cable was 6
staggering blow TO us. for no imme
diately dropped the subject and sug
/, gested the propriety Of going below
We all went down into the cozy
well furnished cabin, where refresh
ments were set before Us by th,
steward and where we talked for
! an hour about the news Of thI
world, from whaling in the soutl
|, Pacific 20 dog driving in arctic Asia
. and from Weston's walk across IN,
American continent 90 KArakozefi
attempt TO assassinate the car
2 But is was. on our side ht least. |
: perfunotory conversation. Tho new
Of the complete success Of the Allan
! tic cable was as unexpected as 10 wa
! disheartening. and It filed on
! minds to the exclusion Of everything
. else. We had lost the race. and even
: II We should go over the course vi
could hardly expect TO get any ap
plauso or attract any attention. Tn
-r.r.rll -.-nr,Il En--n ~. -. q. -. -