Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-01


Was Fitted out for Less Than $40.
Considerable interest was aroused
not long ago by the experiment of three
young men in Wilmington, Mass, who
made UP their minds to become tele-
graph operators. They were; George
Frost, n farmers son, who lives about
mile north Of Wilmington Junction;
Elmer Baschellcr, station agent at the
junction, and Willard Lowe, son Of a
foreman on the Boston & Maine rail-
road. Their first ambition was TO be
able TO click out words and sentences
On an instrument; and having learned
20 do that, they were determined to
have an outdoor telegraph line Of their
own.
Many persons learn to make and
understand the dots and dashes used in
telegrapling, but perhaps not one in a
hundred knows what II means TO equip
and care for line over mile long. II
Is commonly supposed that an outdoor
line is expensive, and that lis construc-
tion and management require q degree
of skill not possessed by the average
telegrapher. The scheme Of the three
young men, who made a line over mile
long out OF barbed wire fence, shows
how cheaply, easily and satisfactorily
communication by telegraph may be
effected for a comparatively short dis
tance. How that scheme was carried
out. the line insulated, provided with
batteries and three sets Of instruments,
and put in complete working order for
obout ten dollars, was explained to q
reporter.
"A barbed wire fence" said Mr.
natcheller, "may be an odd substitute
for telegraph line. but IL is far from
being n poor one. Our plan worked
perfectly. and the fence wires that were
used couldn't have given better service
IL they had been Of the best copper and
strung 30 feet above the ground. The
fence was used for the sake Of conven-
ience and economy. There were three
Offices on the line, two being over mile
apart; and to have stretched wire be-
tween those points would have cost S75
or 500. Before using the fence, we had
20 overcome one serious difficulty. that
OF insulation. Unless the wires were
well insulated at the points where they
touched the posts, the electricity would
be likely TO escape, and in a rainstorm
the circuit would be completely de-
stroyed. Putting glass insulators on
the posts would be tedious job, and
so would taking on pieces of rubber or
any other non-conductor. Paint Is
good insulator. Why not use that| we
thought. SO with brush and pot of
thick paint we tried the experiment,
applying a good coat where the wire
was fastened TO the posts.
BATTERIES were next required. Twelve
glass battery jars. the number needed.
would cost more than we could pay, and
we gave up the idea OF buying them.
Paint had already been useful TO us,
ard there were plenty OF paint pots 10
be had We wondered II they wouldn't
do instead OF glass Jars. A dozen were
selected; then II remained to supply the
pots with zines, coppers and blue
yitriol. Railroad companies frequently
renew the batteries on their lines, and
there were enough secondhand zines
and coppers at hand to meet our wants.
The blue vitriOl we bought. For instru-
ments we procured three so-called
learners outfits. One set was cheap,
costing us only sl.50. The magnets on
that instrument were not suitable for
use on an outdoor circuit and had to be
re-wound with finer wire. But the re-
winding was an easy matter, and when
the instrument was ready for use II had
cost MS less than two dollars. Each OF
the other sets cost three dollars. The
amount OF covered wire necessary for
making the indoor connections was not
great, and we got that for less than one
dollar.
Before pronouncing the line COM
plete we carefully inspected the fence
wires TO see II all the splices were well
made. Wherever there was a bad con-
nection we cut and respliced the wire.
When everything that we thought nee
ccssary was done, the unique battery
jars were filed with water, and the
instrument az each Of the Offices re-
sponded with promptness and satisfac-
ton. The line gave ms absolutely no
trouble. even during heavy rainstorms,
and was the means Of making three
good operators. Our use Of the fence
In no way interfered with lis original
purpose. and IL Is doubtful n the West.
err Union Telegraph company ever
inspected that IL had a competitor who
tunsacted his business over a barbed
wire fence"-N Y. sun.