The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-08-09
A DASH FOR NEWS.

peen Ior TOUR years. In the early part of
1895 we seldom handled more than 80
messages day, but after the insurrec-
ton began the number rose to 90 and
100 daily, increasing a little every
month.
The cable from Santiago to Spain
goes under sea first to Kingston, ia
maica, thence to Porto Rico, thence to
st. Croix, and from there to Paramaribo
and Pernambuco in Brazil. Gables from
Pernambuco cross the south Atlantic
to st. Vincent, Cape Verde islands, and
from St Vincent other cables extend to
Madeira, thence to Lisbon, and overland
to Madrid. There is also less direct
cable from Pernambuco to St. Louis, in
Senegal, Africa, and thence to the Ca
nary islands and Cadiz
Beside myself there was but one other
operator In the Santiago office, Laurin
Merode, young Spaniard, who had
learned cable work at Lisbon. We
thought that 100 messages daily made
work enough, but over 800 passed the
day after the Maine was blown up in
Havana harbor. -Four more operators
were needed, and we called to Havana
for help, but no notice was taken of
our appeal, and rather than desert our
posts and leave the company's business
undone we shaved night and day, al
ways hoping the pressure would moder-
ate
One day we sent IS, 742 words in over
1, 100 dispatches, yetwe We're two hours
back at midnight, with Havana FUN
ing at us over the land wire, and still
hurrying messages through the Cienfue-
gos cable. There were Spanish govern
merit cipher messages from Sagasta to
Blanco, and Blanoo cipher to Sagasta;
reams Of bombast from the Cuban CORE
spondents of the impartial and Oorreo
for Madrid, followed by more cipher to
Weyler at Barcelona from his brother
officers at Havana, and then the bank
ers and merchants quoting, selling and
orderingl
To add to our vexations the mouse
mill" Of the siphon recorder gave trou-
BILE constantly, and the clockwork that
carries the record tape broke down every
day or two. Now, Spaniard is utterly
without native ingenuity. Merode was
tolerably good operator, but when it
came to rectifying faults of the instru-
ment he was an infant, and all such
tasks fell on me.
Anything like clockwork l can "tink-
er, ;" but the mouse mill that works the
siphon pen is very delicate bit of
mechanism, which assists the faint cleo
trio impulses that come great distances
through the cable to move the ink point
of the recorder to and fro on the tape.
suppose | had taken the record tape
clockwork and mouse mill apart 90 diff
ferent times, and on the evening of the
I'd of April, after Merode relieved me,
l set to work to wind a new motor coil
for the mouse mill, which had worked
SO very badly all day that rather than
struggle with it longer Lhad determined
to sit up all night and build new
mill
The cable house at Santiago is most
lonesome place, particularly at night,
but Spanish sentinel was supposed to
pass the door every three minutes.
These poor fellows were rarely paid,
and often looked in at the door to beg
cigarette. So when the outside door
opened behind us that evening sup
posed the incomer was the sentinel, and
did not even look around till an
amused voice exclaimed, Aha, senors,
buenos noches p
A Spanish sentinel begging cigarette
does not speak in that tone, so Merode
and faced round with a jump. There
stood rather tall, good looking young
fellow, in white duck suit and white
cap, regarding us keenly, and step be-
hind him was a typical Cuban rebel
sombrero, long mustachios broad belt,
long boots, revolver and machete.
In an instant Merode was on his feet
and shouted, "Sentinela at which
our unexpected visitors laughed good
humoredly, and the Cuban said, II
must beg the senior telegrafero not to
distress himself concerning the worthy
sentinel, fGr that watchful soldier is
now lying comfortably ON his back out
side, with gag in his mouth, and his
hands are tied to his feet. -
"Well, who are you and what do you
want here?' l exclaimed in Spanish.
'The young man in white duck
laughed. You are an American; any
body could tell that by your Spanish
Oh, know about you. Speak English. ?"
Certainly, I replied what do
you want here2"
"The news. .
"What news?''
care the Spanish warships, Vizcaya
End Oquendo, still at Porto Rico? Has
lie torpedo fotiIla arrived there, or has
It gone to St. Vincent, at Cape VerdeF'
1T is contrary to the rules Of the ca
ale company for me to give such infor-
nation, replied Besides, all these
Spanish government messages are in
cipher, which l am not supposed to
know anything about. .
"Don't let the cipher trouble you,"
he replied laughing. 81 have the key to
their cipher all right. :"
GAS to who l am, +" he continued, (
"my name's Macomber. / am the cor
respondent of the -" He named an
American journal. "News as to the
whereabouts of the Spanish torpedo
boats and those cruisers would be valu-
able just now, not only to my paper,
but to the American navy at Key West
Now, you are an American, and good
patriot, dare say. Will you help us
out?''
I'm good patriot, said l. "And
l am also an honest man, employed here
to do certain duty, which l will not
betray."
"You will not help me, then? Very
well, I shall examine your tapes by
force.
st is not my business to fight for
Spain, said l. II have no force to re-
sist you. but 1 will not help you"
Thanks That's all ask. Just you
sit quiet. -
"Do you think you can read our
tapesa" asked increduIously.
Sure. was cable operator three
years. !"
but where did you get your cipher
key?''
That's matter that was arranged
in Havana three months ago. Your
tape bobbins for the current week are in
the table drawer, l presume?'
Look for yourself, " / said. but
my fellow operator here is Spaniard.