Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-04-08

to membership, and really are so. But il
seems to me that the telegraph that had
been developed up to the time of the civil
war may fairly be designated as belonging
i to the 'olden time while that which has
since grown up may be regarded as a new
! development.
1T may be we'll for US to recall to mind
that the telegraph of the olden time was a
very different affair from that with which
we are now well acquainted. The lines
/ bore some outward resemblance to those
of today, it is true, but they were very
/ light and imperfect structures by COM
parison, and their conduetivity and insu-
iation, their equipment in battery power,
switchboards and instruments of9ll sorts,
was vastly inferior to those now in use.
| The continuous operation OF long cir
cults, at high rate of speed, was then
unknown, and relaying at short intervals
OF distance was the necessary practice"
Mr.. Chandler then dWelt at length on
the service of the men to whose efforts the
great advance in biography was due. Con-
tinuing, he said:
1.-The United States military telegraph
was one OF the necessities born OF the
civil war. For some time after hostilities
bad commenced, the lines and property
OF the American Telegraph company in
the East, OF the Western Union company
in the West and the Southwestern com
pany in a part of that section, were
availed Of by the government for military
purposes without any direct control there
of on the part OF the government.
But as the fearful proportions OF the
rebellion were disclo, ed and the impor-
lance OF government control OF the quick
est means OF communication came to be
understood, the military telegraph was
established as a separate organization,
and IL was wisely made an arm of the war
department, directly responsible to the
secretary of war.
"The nucleus from which it grew was
the Pennsylvania Railroad company. The
very first military telegraphers were sent
10 Washington by Col. Thomas A. Scott,
TO whom and 10 his able aids, Andrew
Carnegie and Robert Pitcairn, great credit
is due for business methods which were
early introduced into the war department,
and for the aid which they rendered 70
the government both in railway and tele-
graph management
1--WE have a right to indulge here, in /
our conference together, the feeling OF .
honorable pride that must animate every /
one that was so fortunate as to belong to I
that goodly company OF brave and talented /
spirits that comprised the u. 5. military /
corps. The work they performed,
the dangers they encountered, the intelli-
gence and faithfulness they displayed and /
important part in accomplishing, were, to
my own knowledge. well understood and
keenly appreciated by President Lincoln
and Secretary Stanton, who were more
familiar with the whole scope OF the teleg-
raphers' work than any others of the gem
eral officers OF the government.
"Their work was, however, scarcely less
appreciated by Gems. Grant, Sherman,
Thomas, Sheridan, Meade, Mcclellan,
Banks, Butler and other principal COM
in the field, as shown by their
official reports and in their private con-
Col. Chandler made extended reference
to the frequent attendance OF President
at the military telegraph office
in the war department and related some
Of the interesting stories which Lincoln
used to tell.
Comparatively few days passed from
The beginning OF 1868 to the very day OF
his DEATH" continued Col. Chandler,
that Mr.. Lincoln did not visit this office
At least once, snd not infrequently several
times. He was often there early in the
and still more frequently very
ate at night.
"On several occasions he walked from
he White House alone, in the middle of
he night, with message written in his
lwn hand-acting as his own messenger
m order that there should be no mistake
lF u6ldN III DTluHlUB Icspltt W Gun
iemned soldier. think he never failed
o iuterpose his power to prevent the exc
,ution of soldier for sleeping at his
post, or any other offense than a wilful
ind malicious act, and in ali cases brought
o his attention where human life was at
take or great injustice liab BILE to be done
he made careful review OF the facts and
Ilways seemed more anxious to find the
offender innocent than guilty.
NI do not remem her to have seen him
wear an overcoat. I0stead OF that he
wore an ample, plain, but peculiarly fig
lred gray shawl, and his usual way OF dis
POSING OF it as be entered the office was to
lang Il across the top OF the inner door,
o high as to be almost out of the reach OF
man of ordinary height.
"When sitting at a desk writing he
ometimes assumed Matchmaking, half
itting posture, with one knee on the car
yet. When composing at some length, ii
vas his habit to look out OF the window
nd, apparently unconsciously, scratch
lis head, particularly his temples, often
moving his lips in whisper till he had his
entence framed, when he would put 1t on
'aper.
"He wrote rather slowly, but quite legi- {
'ly, taking care to punctuate accurately. .
lis spelling was faultless, which is not
rue of all great men, even those OF educa-
ion, and yet, on several occasions he
sked me while writing, as to the use OF
ne or two i's' or u.s. He rarely erased
T interllned and his diction, so peculiar
D himself, always seemed to me the per-
ection Of plain and simple English" =
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