The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-12

( Love at Long Range :
: Sentiment and Telegraphy-Dots :
: and Lines That Were Full {
{ of Feeling


Charles o Meara was an operator in
New York on one side of a quadru-
picked wire running to Chicago. The
operator on the corresponding side in
Chicago was Miss Amy Davidson Both
were expert, and the manner in which
they kept their message hooks clear ex-
cited the admiration of the chiefs in
their respective offices O'Meara was
handsome and intelligent young Irish
man. with jet black hair and mustache
and great soulful blue eyes-one of the
sciously to possess the power of fascina-
tion over women.
After having worked the wire to-
getber for few months O'Meara and
Miss Davidson became well acquainted,
although, Of course. neither had ever
seen the other They had abundant op-
portunity for conversation in the early
morning before the rush of business for
the day began and in the late afternoon
when the rush was over.
There is sort of telepathy in tel
egraphy. as all telegraphers admit, and
there certainly was in this case Long
before any word of love had passed over
the wire between them each had be-
come conscious of tender regard for
the other. O'Meara could recognize in
an instant the touch of strange hand
on the key IN Chicago and Miss David
son was as quickly conscious of the
change when any other than o. Meara 8
hand manipulated the transmitter in
New York There is as much that is
distinctly characteristic in the manner
in which telegraphers form the dots
and dashes as there is in the manifold
forms of chirography.
One morning Amy complained of
feeling ILL., 81 am afraid, >" she said,
THAT I will have to give up and GO
home. would do SO surely if could
| afford to lose the time My head aches
dreadfully Dear mel What would my
mother and sister do if l should become
real sick. They have nobody to take
care of them but me.
There was tremulouness in the dots
and dashes. which plainly indicated te
O'Meara that the girl. thousand miles
away. was weeping softly, as indeed
she was. with her head resting wearily
| against the resonator containing thu
sounder He replied:
''Try to stick it out today, dear. w,
will take it easy, and perhaps you will
feel better by tomorrow At any rat'
don't worry.
1t was the first time he had used an.
term CT eDdearment in their inter
course, and she was much affected
But she frightened up a little and man
aged to struggle through the day
work
Next morning O'Meara found
strange operator at the Chicago end o
the wire. and when he inquired fo
Miss Davidson was told that she wa
very ill The poor fellow realized now
if he never had before. that he wa
deeply in love with a woman he ha
never seen. He became so fretful an
irritable as to excite comment anon
the others in the Office.
, "What on earth is the matter wit
O'Meara 2" asked one of the operator
on the opposite side of the ''quad" G
the man who sat at the next instru
ment
Il guess he's in love with the Chi
cago girl who is sick, was the reply
One morning the answer made b
| the Chicago operator to o Meara's in
quiry as to Miss Davidson Conditio
!. contained but one word-''Dead.
O'Meara uttered a kind Of moan, an
: his head fell upon his desk. When CT
= of the chiefs aroused him, he found ca
young man s face flushed and his eye
bloodshot. O'Meara was sent home
where he remained for WFez sufferin
from severe attack OF o.6ln te77,
When at last he had recovered and II
turned to the Office to report for duty
= the chief told him to take his usu;
seat at the Chicago quadruplex.
''If you'd just as lief, give me anotl
er wire, I'd rather have it, " O'MeaI
said. ~ don't think l care to wor
with Chicago any more"
There was twinkle in the eye of tt
chief as he said
"You used to do some fine work @
that Chicago wire.
perhaps SO, y Mea1a replled sadl.
: "but | had fine operator to wo1
with
"Well, said the chief. "that's fiji
operator there yet-the same one, l b
lieve, that was there before ="
THAT cannot be-for she is dead.
This with a great sob.
~ think you had better return to Il
old wire for the present at least. " tt
= chief said ''Then if you are not sati
fed will transfer you to some 9th
circuit.
OMeara walked slowly over to b
old place to relieve the man who WI
at the moment receiving some messag
from Chicago. As he neared the instr
y; ment and heard the characters comir
~ with a dearly loved and familiar soul
D his heart almost stopped beating
ID overwhelming was the surge of EN-
tion. He listened for a moment unit
at the beginning of another MESA,