The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
TELEGRAPHING ON BARRED WIRE
FENCE.
A Telegraph Line Over n Mile Long WAS Fitted
Out for Less Than $40.

A Telegraph Line Over n Mtte Long 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 telegraph operators. They were:
George Frost, IA farmers son. who lives about q
mile north of Wilmington Junction; Elmer Bat
chellcr, station agent at the junction. and vii.
lard Lowe, son of a foreman on the Boston and
Maine Railroad. Their first ambition was to DO
able to click out words and sentences on an in
strument and having learned to do that, they
were determined to have an outdoor telegraph
line of their own.
Many persons learn to make and understand
the dots and dashcs used in telcgraphing, but
perhaps not ono in a hundred knows what it
means to equip and caro- for n line over a mile
long. 1t Is commonly supposed that an outdoor
line Is expensive, and that its construction and
management require n degree Of skill not
possessed by tho average teleGrapher. The
scheme of the three young men, who made a
line over a mile long out OF a barbed wire fence.
shows how cheaply, easily, and satisfactorily
communication by telegraph may be effected for
scheme was carried out, the line insulated. pro-
vided with batteries, three sets OF Instruments,
and put in complete working order for about SO,
wns explained TO n reporter.
"a barbed wire fence said Mr.. Batchcllcr,
..may be an odd substitute for a telegraph line,
but II Ia far from being a poor one. Our plan
worked perfectly. and the fence wires that wero
used couldn't, have given better service II they
feet above the ground. The fence was used for
the sake of convenience and economy. There
mile apart; and TO have, stretched "a wire be-
tween those points would have cost $50 or
800; Before using the fence sGs, we had
Of Insulation. Unless the wires were we'll
insulated at the points whore they touched the
posts, the electricity would be likely to escape.
and in n rain storm the circuit would be COM
Pletely destroyed. Putting glass insulators on
lacking on pieces OF rubber or any other non
conductor, Paint Is a good insulator. Why
n a05 p %no Of 'H ,hick p wG tH ws tried N the w, Hxpe a nr"sh
applying a good coat where the wire was fas-
tened to the posts.
battery, jars. the number needed, would cost
more than we could pay. and we gave up the
useful to us: and there were plenty of paint pots
TO he had. We wondered il they wouldn't do
instead of glass jars. A dozen were selected;
coppcrs, and blue EvitrioiI. Railroad companics
frequently renew the batteries on their line. and
coppers at hand to meet our wants.
The blue vitriol we bought. Fer ipstru.
ers' outfits. One set was cheap. costing
us only $3.50. 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 rc-wiuding was an easy matter. and when
the instrument, WIS ready for use 1t had cost us
The amount of covered wire necessary for
making the indoor connections was not great,
and we got that for less than 81.
Before pronouncing the line complete we
carefully inspected the fence wires to see II all
the spices were well made. Wherever there
was a bid connection, we cut and respliccd the
wire. When everything that we thought nee
cSsary was done, the unique battery Jars we're
filled with water, and the instrument Mt each Of
the offices responded with promptncss and salts
faction. The line gave us absolutely no trouble.
even during heavy rain storms, and was the
means of making three good operators. Our use
OF the fence in no way interfcred with its orig
inal purpose, and 1t is doubtful II the Western
Union Telegraph Company ever suspected that
1t had n competitor who transacted his business
over a barbcd wire fence