The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-09-16
!" BEAR IN NY LAP"
Origin of an Excuse for "Breaking" on the
Part of Texas Photographers.

Origin of an Excuse for s.Breaking" on the
Part of Texas Photographers.
"It is an operators PRIDE" said an
old telegrapher the other day, Ito re-
ceive press report without breaking,
that is, without delaying the sending
Office. About ten years ago in Arkan-
sas and Texas the work was done by
hand instead of with typewriters as at
present, and where newspapers now
expect 10000 or $4,000 words, they were
elated to be furnished with 5000, and
especially so on the circuit extending
from Galveston by way of Houston, San
Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth
and Dallas to Fort Smith, Ark.
THE manager of the Fort Smith Of
fee was a confirmed hunter, and in
variably after completing his monthly
reports he would shoulder his rife and
start for the Cherokee Nation, where
abundant sport was afforded at that
time for both large and small game.
On one of these trips, after long chase
extending to the lair of bear, he
managed to kill the mother and cap
ture two of her cubs. These latter he
took to Fort Smith and essayed to
raise. They were placed in a large box
in the battery room, which was con-
neeted with the operating room with
swinging DOORS In a few months
they had reached a weight of about
seventy-ive pounds each and were
70 10 oil oh ri
Zone morning about 2 o'clock, while
Galveston was making the usual SUI
preme effort to clear up for the night,
one of the bears escaped from its con-
fnement, and, noticing the light in the
front room, proceeded to investigate
The manager had pet dog which was
rather affectionate, so that when the
cub came marching up to the press ope-
rator and climbed into his lap no par
ticular attention was paid to him. In
fact, the sending operator was an ex-
traordinarily rapid one, and the re-
ceiyer had is mind concentrated upon
the sounder. While writing with his
right hand, he tried to push what he
supposed was the dog from his lap with
his left.
1.-THE effort was futile, however, and
1t became necessary to break, with the
surprising statement of fact, both to
himself and to those on the wire:
There's a bear in my lap bothering
me. Minute Not every excuse for
a delay to the report was accepted, but
with the remark, That's new one,'
his was, and he got time, to restore
the bear to its place.
"The report was resumed, and the
sender was endeavoring to make up
for lost time when the second cub es-
capped, and, entering the operating de-
partment, proceeded to take the place
SO recently vacated by the other. The
operator was determined, however, not
to stop the sender again, but bears
have a great proclivity for being med
dlesome, and, after a few minutes of
minor efforts at being at home in the
appreciation of friendship by a good
old-fashioned hug around the neck.
This was too much for the operator.
who, opening the key, remarked:
Here's that damn bear again. and
requested a second stoppage so that
he might put him out and nail the
door shut, for which he was unmer-
cifully guyed, as the FEASIBILITY of
bears in telegraph Office was too
much even for Texans.
sThis operator, at last accounts, was
employed by press association in New
York, and the sender recently won the
fast sending prize in a tournament.
Furthermore, it may be stated that up
to the time Of the installation of leased
wires in Texas a favorite excuse for
stand-offs was: Min; got a bear in
my lap"