The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-14
ELECTRIC DRom1o DUO.
Strange Metamorphosis of a Pair of
Telegraphers.
washington Post)

-" 4~eI II eAg z anu OOlll 0D1CDGIIIs DUH
are telegraph operators, the one in New
York and the other in PittsbuTg.
Eleven years ago they bore not the
slightest resemblance to each other
but today they are as like almost as
two peas. And what is more wonderful
still is that their mental characters
tics, like the physical, have merged
into each other, so that now they not
only look alike, bct think alike, talk
alike and act alike.
In seeking a solution of this metamor-
phosis those who know both nm and
are aware of the facts are incnned to
give as a reason for il that for more
than ten years these two men have
been working the same wire and have
become the closest of friends They
handle from $1,000 to 10000 words of
newspaper specials a night It is ar
gued that in constantly thinking OF the
same thing, mental influence has been
50 strong as TO bring about a, complete
change in their personal appearance
until they have finally come to look
marYelously like each other.
The one is not coming to look like the
other in the way that he is CHANGING
so as to resemble him, but both have
loststheir former individuality and have
merged toward each other on d me-
dunn ground. La Faye has taken on
the stronger characteristics of Cole
berry, who in turn has absorbed the
ruling characteristics of mind and bod-
that once belonged 70 La Faye alone.
Perhaps even more marvellous, and
certainly more puzzling, is the fact
each other They exchange photo
graphs occasionally to watch with the
keeneSt intereSt-as may be we'll mag
lned-the gradual merging of the OnC
INTO the other. La Faye is going 10
take a long needed vacation next
month for the purpose of calling on his
friend and testing the accuracy of the
camera. The cameras eye, by the way
sees things hidden to the human.
p q q
In 1890, when a certain newspaper in
Pittsburg decided to enlarge its ser
vice by sending a correspondent to this
city and running a private wire from
a New York morning newspaper into
Jus own office, it sent a notice to the
Postal telegraph office in New York
that 1t wanted the swiftest and most
accurate sender for this end. La Faye
was the winner of many tournaments
and 1T was his fortune to be selected.
IL was Coleberry who made the selec-
tioni and il was done in a most pecul-
lar way. The newspaper in question
nad taken Coleberry unhesitatingly for
It's nome Office, as he was without a
peer In receiving the swiftest of send
ing and putting it down on his type
writer in the cleanest and most pains
taxing way. To select Il man at this
end whose sending would best suit him
eraI of the finest senders in the cOlIn-
try on the New York end and with
Coleberry at the other end of the wire
All were such cracks that She compe-
luton attracted the greatest interest in
the telegraph world. The telegraph
company gave them the finest conner
wire stretched between the two cities
and all small way stations between the
Two places were ordered to cut. out
The purpose of this was One-half inter-
est in the affair and one-half for busi-
ness reasons. All wire chiefs were at
the relay instruments in the different
large city offices along the line and
work there almost came to "A stand
still while the test was going on. such
was the reputation of COleberry and so
mighty Is skill appreciated in that busi-
ness A condition of the competition
was that the man at the other end Of
the WIRE should not know the names
OF the persons sending to him that
neither he nor they should know the
matter to be sent, and that Coleberry
was to be left absolutely alone, with
out remark or suggestion from anv-
one While the test Was going on. Even
the proprietor of his newspaper was
not permitted to enter the little room
where he sat with a telegraph instru-
ment at his elbow and his little type
writer machine before him.
Then, with a dAzen stop watches
heId, began the swiftest and most mar
vicious test of Geographic skill on rec
ora. dozen men competed for the
place, and they sent with sWiftnesS in
describable from copy previousJv nm
known either to them or to the receiv-
er. And all this time. with Iightniue,
sIung at him, Coleberry sat at his MAJ
Ghlne, never once opening his key for
bTeak or correction The copy he made
then still is preserved as marking an
epoch. Oh
While dozen men had entered tho
lists for the coveted position. ONLY eight
competed. La Faye was the eighth +o
sit down at the instrument with his
copy before him. He only had semi
ABOUT fifty words when the line was
opened and a hundred men heaved a
great sigh and sorTOwfully said mo. 81
mad been too fast for CoIeberry. who
mad been driven to break at last for
WOrd ne mad missed. But no, he had
, something 10 say, and it came over the
wire with a bang:
III take this man. Who is hep"
he was told that four more compet-
Itors desired to be heard, who had come
long distances for the tourney. but he
replied that it made no difference II
there were forty.
That was the beginning of a friend
snip that has resulted so strangely. Al
that time, to persons who knew both
men, they We're totally dissimilar men
tally and physically. Coleberry seemed
| much larger than La Faye. without the
| silghtest trace of similarity in eyes
| halr or features. Then, too, he was
/ steady and deliberate in everything he
dld, and endowed with what the world
calls "a heap of horse sense" La Fave
| on the other hand, was quick and nerV-
Gus, inclined to jump at conclusions
| without taking time to reason, depend
| ing much on his keen, receptive sense
and little, just a little, inclined tc
/ the occult, the psychological, side OF
| life. In other words, had he not be.
| come a rafting telegrapher he might
have been an excellent spiritualistic
medium.
That was eleven years ago, and the
change, while gradual, has been mos
| complete. These two friends, once 50
/ opposite, now look alike, talk alike and
| think alike The characteristics OF
neither seemed to dominate as the
change came, but there was a merging
! toward an indefinable middle ground
so that neither remained himself OF
absolutely became the other.
Now, as to the cause of all this, one
undemonstrable theory is as good as
another, but some attention should be
called to the conditions under which
the two men work and live For seV-
en- days week for almost eleven years
La Faye and Coleberry have been in
communication with each other con
stantly from s o'clock in the evening
until o'clock the next morning. So
completely are they accustomed to each
other that when one takes a night off
the other is puzzled and unhappy at
having another man to work with.
g @ @
Electricity being instantaneous, of
20 he. Il 81.