The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-14
RARLY ASSOCIATIONS.

In fact, d. 2. Shepherd the chief actor.
who WINS the trusted superintendent OF the
Southwestern Telegraph company, now
merged with the Western Union was only
20 years old, and his stan were fairly with
In the "a and 45year lituit Of the Confed-
crate army. superintendent Shepherds
stan incaded the two panlels, Fable and
Lee, Whery WinfrcY, Reuben White.
George Galley Phil Fall ana others, all OF
whom aud whose records Air. Shepherd re.
members az II 'twere yesterday.
In casual interview bir. Shepherd
stated 'In tho year 1883 q telegraph line
wGH started from Galveston running
through tho prairie--no railroads theu--to
Houston, thence 10 the stage road, TO
huntsville, Crockett. Palestlue, Rusk. Hen.
derson, Marshall. Shreveport, Natchez,
where Il crossed tho raging deep and con
nedtod with the very limited system cast
Of the MinalsslppL ! was &C Fredercks-
burg, Va. at that time, and I remember
that q few messages came through from
Houston aud Galveston, but tlAt this line,
Of sucu great length, had nothing but viii
lagos. except, perhaps, Houston, Galveston
and Few other prominent points to sup
port IT, and that IL fell Of Ia own weight
owing to the lack OF support.
In the year 1859 q few citizens Of Hous-
ton and Galveston gathered up the seq
mentg OF the defunct % hnps, which were
roads. and constructed line between Hous-
ton and GalYestuu,
telegraph situation Ia Texas IN 1853 when
tho new regime was inaugurated--that Is.
the connection Of the Cisinisslssippi country
sra5 5h9 Tr' %as oiSsgpd Sc Sun m sy pr
officer, acting IN conjunction With tue
military officers to cross trp river aud
hppl. which was being jsopafdizca by the
/ inevitable Fnrraguts aeet by cutting ON
Communication between East and West
I'VE nuiit into Arkansas and Texas, and
later when the Federal forces closed In on
/ US nnd drove vs. back, with the powerful
! by Smith and Macgruder, We reeled pq our
wires and re-established them IN Texas,
the nrst line being strung between shreve.
port and Houston, over the stage line TO
/ NayaHota, thence Via the Houston and
Texas Central railway TO Houston.
| Telegraph material was very scarce In
those days and the line fell short two and
| a half miles from Houston, where q tent
was erected aud the business conducted
try oyer for timers wire etc. get enough
together 70 reach the building next to the
f2 rrsecr PSS 6niS6Rgl q Main street and
our office was established Harris was tie
nrst mannger OF this company He had
ana died. Gus Forasard Jstin one Of d'i nsi
was q valuable adjunct aud Intimate nyso-
cihte with us ct that time,
E-EsTABLIsuMBNT OF SERVICE.
Elm 1868 direct communication wHs en-
lshed between Houston md New Orleans.
and by that means the whole State OF
Texas with the Cismississppi country The
lines were built under the same auspices
Cthose mere boysO as the rest
1.-THE building OF the lines from New Or
leans via Houston to the mouth OF the Rio
GrRnde and from the gulf TO the Indian
Territory, nearly ell through wild prairie.
with the compass Tor direction, was, to say
the least, no holiday pastime, heset as e
was by dangers innumerable and depriva-
"A long leap must here be taken To CON.
meet these old days with the new regime az
Cook, FELTON,, Fankel ana our new local
manager, genial Frank Hughes,
, The business has grown TO such an sx.
tent that, in the language OF our president,
we can't keep M with IT."
After moments thought, tho veteran
The Jurisdiction has multiplied. but tho
versatility OF talent, OF superintendent.
manager, operator, hnemau, messenger boy
and battery man, IS no longer found en-
bodied N one corporosity."
Mr., Shepherd IS conceded to be tbe
premier telegrapher OF the United States on
several ssSegS PeS a9ay i %itb age ability and
IN his nerve he undertakes TO handle inc
hottest circuits entering the office and.
most remafkaele OF all he uses d pen and
shame. -
several years ago, at an old timers con.
veution, MIR. Shepherd won hrst honors In
the sending and receiving contest, turn.
ing out message after message legibly writ.
ten and without a break
day 1T is pity the old superintss sS aent
ana SPEND EsmaiHdsy q SIS career a9S KY Il
Such a work would be a valuable addiifon
70 the literature or the day"