The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-09
TELEGRAPHBACKR EADINC
REMARKABLE SKILL DEVELOPED IN
A DIFFICULT LINE OF WORK.
what n Trained Memory VIII Do
HeartbreakinE Experience of an
Expert with n Tramp Operator.
New York Commercial Advertiser.


telegraph operator is what is technically
known as back reading''-a faculty of the
ear and the memory developed in some
cases to Z marvellous extent. Stories of
oId-time telegraph operators experiences,
CT men who transmitted messages that
we're destined to make history, of men and
women who never saw each other, but who
lived and died after lifelong friendships,
each on the end OF his wire, and stories of
hundred and one other strange expert
ences have travelled among the profession
until some OF the yarns have become
classics. But the stories of most interest
to the CHECKERS of keys who so well can
appreciate the difficulty of the feat are
those based on this same faculty Of back
reading
In one Of the big telegraphic companies
in this city-the instance itself will ex-
plain what is meant by back reading
1. is the rule that before a new operator
il engaged he must qualify by receiving
three test messages. These are sent to him
ever the wires from an adjoining room.
any three messages received that day may
he picked out for the trial. thus avoiding
the possibility OF operator learning a
set OF test messages" by heart.
Not long ago an unlikely looking appli-
cant asked for a job at the Broadway Of
fee Of one of the biggest companies in
town. He a tall youth and SLIM with
rot a hair on his chin to help a rather
sheepish expression or to speak of the
years OF experiences which perhaps might
fave made him a valuable man, sheep or
TO sheep AS usual the applicant was put
to receiving, three dispatches picked with
care being sent at staggering clip. Then
the head operator came to see the result.
How are you getting on?' he asked.
Here you are sir"
A,,N
/ sent you three. the man protested.
I'll give you the third in a minute" said
the applicant sitting down to his type
writer. Then he hammered out word for
word the 1O0-word message sent him, re-
lying only upon his memOry-and by that
Is meant back reading"
About the most remarkable story of back
reading and clever telegraph work is one
told by Tom Flynn, himself a veteran
newspaper telegraph operator and at one
Said the old war horse:
FLYNN'S STORY
"I was in a Pittsburg newspaper Office
those days when one cold winters night
there appeared the most disreputable look
ing chap. who asked for a job as an oper-
ator. This was in the days of the tramp
operator when those fellows had head
quarters here in New York. in Spruce
street, and similar housing in every other
Gig town. But this fellow looked the father
Of all tramps. An old brown overcoat tied
In the middle with sash cord, a SLOUGH hat
PULLED over the ears and beneath the brim
Of which appeared. like a bowsprit. a red
Iug nose, and shoes with the poor toes
sticking through the front of them were
the first impressions obtainable.
He stood in the door smiling at the pros
pect OF being kicked down stairs and down
came the old brown collier and off went the
hat. adding to the other attractions a stub
bly, face, small eyes and a shock of matted
hair.
He said he wanted a Job. Well. one of
the regular operators happened to be sick
that night, and, though the night was slow
for business, 1t was well to have man
on hand. Besides, there was fun ahead in
the chap.
I'VE had one fellow sending into the office
and he was creased Observation-Disclosures,
OF Buffalo. Every new man was run up
against the Buffalo wire, and the Buffalo
man knew II and used to have fun. There
was not man in the office that could re-
ceive all Chambers could send him in an
hour II he wanted to. and it was the Buff
falo's chaps delight to fire at any new man
until there was cry for mercy.
well, Pagan took his place at the wire,
reeled OF his old coat and pulled a pad to-
ward him. Then he opened the key to let
her go. and Chambers, with quick, nerv-
Gus touch. sending the most beautiful Of
Morse, began fairly to rattle in the stuff
fpr he had been tipped of that there was a
victim. Every one on the staff that had
nothing better to do stood about the 'orna-
plent' and snickered audibly and prepared
for the downfall In came the message
The ornament searched one pocket after
another for pencil. He found stub. But
the stub would not do, and he located a
more pointed butt
REMARKABLE WORK
by that time even those who did not
know a key from a hayrake began to
saicker, and some one laughed outright
when the new man searched his vest pock-
cts. and this time brought forth cigar
butt He reached one hand over for a
match, got one, lighted the cigar butt and
then, in the most beautiful copper-plate
hand. began to hurl off the message, back
reading what had come in and listening to
what the instrument was ticking out. In
less than hve minutes he had caught up
with the instrument and was loafng over
his smoke, giving the Buffalo man a chance
to get ahead, so as to make writing worth
while For fifteen miputes the Buffalo man
stuck our the furious clip. Then he opened
another wire and:
=" For Lords sake. is no one at that
:" Go right ahead. don't mind answered
one OF the other men, and for the rest OF
that night the Buffalo man fired and
fired in his stuff, while the tramp loafed
and handed in sheet after sheet of copy.
Cad. sir. the words fairly entered that
chaps ear and without ever running
through his brain came out at the end
OF his pencil. Among the things sent by
Chambers that night was a list of names
and 1t seems that toward the end Of that
the names was spelled right.
(" See how / spelled the third name on
that list Chambers sent.
What list? asked the tramp
why, the list l gave you, OF course
said Chambers.
Wait said the tramp and began to
look back over the copy. He found ii and
give a short laugh Hanged If L knew he
sent me that, he said aloud to himself.
And then he proceeded TO square himself
with Buffalo. Even we fellows alongside
couldn't make out the name, he sent il so
fast. Three times he repeated 1t like chain
lightning spelling IL slowly and deliberately
a fourth time. The heart of the Buffalo
man was broken that night Never again
did he try to get funny with men. new or
old. and ever after he was like lamb.
What about the tramp? Oh, he got what
was coming TO him by the end of that night
and none of ever saw him again. But
that was the most remarkable case OF back
reading / ever came across, and II you want
rs appreciate what il means take any news
paper story, chalk off thirty-five or forty
words. and then imagine that while you are
writing them down from memory some one
beside you is reading as fast as you can
write and that you are expected TO catch all
he says while your pencil flies over the
paper, and that you are TO get right, word
fer word