The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-27

q have heard and read Of good many
news BEATS eaid veteran Telegraph op-
orator to a Times reporter the ether dly,
but l never yet run across one that
surpassed certain incident in which i
figured about the year 1877. I didn't get
a SCOOP but l saved a paper from tti-g
left. Perhaps the most remarkable thing
about the matter is the fact that l was
only twelve years old.
THE field of telegrsphy was more in
viting twenty-five years ago than ii is 90
day. l started into the business whzn 1
was ten years old, and made more money
than many superintendent Of biauch Of
fees Go now. / remember that when l was
in Woonsocket, at the age Of eleven,
made more than the combined salaries of
the mayor and chief of police. Ny salary
was $40 a month. and during the three
weeks the country was in doubt concerning
the Hayes Tilden election / more than
trebled the amount l was working for
the old Franklin Telegraph Company 1t
was the New England division of the At
lantic and Pacific Company. The Western
Union used to be allowed to send certain
messages over our wires, and the opera
tors got extra pay for handling their work.
After while / was sent 10 Providence.
r. l., and as | was fair at receiving and
was q fast and legible writer for young
ster, / was soon detailed on newspaper
work. The two rival papers in the town
were the Star and the Journal II was
before the day of the great press asso>ia-
tons, although the business OF gett ng
news over the wire was gradually becom-
ing systematized. The Journal got its
IT-r. hai
Star pstrorized the Franklin Telegraph
Company. Competition between the two
papers was very keen. for even in those
days the readers appreciated the value Of
exclusive news.
Caught the News Fever.
II soon got into the stride and caught
the fever. II hurt me just as badly to see
the Star beaten as it did the managing
editor, and l crowed just as loudly over
a scoop as any cub reporter. The facili-
ties for gathering the news we're about
equal, and about the only disadvantage We
labored under was the loss of wires on
account of a storm. That was where the
Western Union had US. Their line ran
alongside OF the railroads, and If the wires
were down they could send their men out
on trains and hand cars and make repairs
in short order. The Franklin ran along
the New England turnpikes and the line
men had TO drive in buggies and put up |
the wires. We could only cover about |
thirty miles a day. where the opposition |
could get over a hundred. In case OF a |
sleet along the coast the operators would |
have TO leave their instruments and go
out on the line TO assist in the repairs. |
Luckily for US, such things did not happen |
more than two or three times year.
zone summer afternoon in 1877 a brief /
but destructive storm swept over New I
England. As result, the wires of both |
companies were down. All the men in our |
office except three, including myself. went |
out TO help in the repairs. / was left in
the hope that We might establish COM
so that the Star could get |
at least a portion of the news OF the day.
went home TO supper and came back and !
waited for Developments The wire was
absolutely dead and / could not arouse the
nearest operator. A messenger came over
from the Star building. telling me that
they would try to get along If we could
only give them a story on the Storm That
was. of course, the news OF tie day. 1t
vas before the time of the up-to-date sig
nal service now maintained by the Wealth
sr Bureau. and the masters of the ships
depended on the papers for storm signals
and prophecies concerning the weather.
The Other Wire Working
Along about 10 O'Clock stepped out of
the Office on the street 1t was absolutely
quiet Il was that sultry stiffness that
follows a summer storm. To appreciate
the utter silence that reigns over a New
England town it is only necessary to re-
member that when the O'Clock bells rfne
everybody goes home and goes TO bed-or
at least they did in those days The only
hat hrCl Tha /
the clicking of a telegraph instrument up
in the third floor OF the Western Union
They had picked up their New
York wire and were receiving news for
the Journal"
The Franklin Telegraph Company's Of
fees were located in a triangular building
situated at the intersection OF two Of the
main streets. The Western Union build
ing was across the street, still further
by the wide plot caused by the
intersection of the two streets The in
strument was fully $50 feet away, and up
In the top Of the building, but l heard
It distinctly. They had evidently been
sending for some time for they were then
giving the last of the markets
Il made up my mind that / would at
least take their report of the storm which
was pretty certain would come in early. |
went back up TO the Office and got pad
If writing paper. ] told the messenger
BOY in the office TO come down and let me
Know at any time a wire was found.
also told him to come TO me every half
hour and get CODY. i then went down on
me sidewalk and sat in chair at the side
d our building where the light from two
windows shown brightly. / got there lust
as the report Of the storm was starting.
could hear the instrument as plainly as
4 ] had been right in the room with IL.
The leverage Of the sounder had been
increased SO that / could read every word
with the greatest ease.
Decided to Take the Report.
The two papers got about a 70O0-wo
Geographic report. and It did not come
20 fast that 1t could not be taken down
without difficulty in long-hand ! caught
The storm story without any trouble II
was good one, and ] was as pleased as
could be that my paper would not get lsft
IN IL. The messenger boy came down and
ook the copy up to the Star every half
lour. He was not an operator. and did
Tot have the slightest idea what / was
ioing sitting out there on the sidewalk !
=riting- II he had any thought at all IT
must have been that ! was taking tele-
Trans. But he was a discreet youth. about
line years old. and he said nothing.
When l got through with the storm |
story everything was coming along so cas-
ly that I thought ] would take the rest
II the report We had not got any wire J :
Is yet, and the fun Of the thing struck
ne so that | decided TO go one with the
news pilfering. Strange TO relate, not a
Jingle vehicle rolled along the pavement, | .
md ] did not have a break in story
Several pedestrians passed by, but the
spectacle OF boy sitting in chair on