Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-30
Rock Island "Reminiscences
Teleeraphy.

ton were among the early managers
of the telegraph company in this city. |
A majority of the above named held
the office for long time.
The first wire in operation was con
sidered 10 be one of the heaviest
worked running out of Chicago. the
railroad. commercial and government
business all going over one wire. The
govern me mr. business during the war
was extremely heavy. The $1,000
prisoners on the island. with the two
to three regiments on guard duty. and
the fact that Davenport was the mill
tary headquarters for the state or
Iowa and where Adj,. Gen. Baker had
his office. made the military business
alone large source OF revenue TO the
telegraph company. Military men did
not pay much attention to brevity in
writing kilograms. and il was rare to
handle one with less than 80 words.
The Old Time OGice.
The old time telegraph Office had no
covered wire or other conveniences.
The bare wire ran down the window
with a thumb screw in which the oper-
.ator inserted the wires when he want
Cd TO cut out for the night. The relay
was removed from the operating table
as a precaution. lightning was a dis
tUr5ing element. and Turing a storm il
was necessary 70 cut out the office.
lighting arresters being unknown. The
telegrapher had repair duties 10 per
form. climbers. pullies and tackle. ply
ers and nippers being a part of the
outfit OF his office. When trouble ex
listed on the line he had 10 go ont
and do repair work. The Rock Island
manager had a short distance to look
after, the city 10 the east end of the
bridge being his territory. The tele.
graph rates before and during the war
We're high, a message 10 Chicago cost
ing ~ cents for ten words, ST. Louis
S1.o5. New York S2.35. The only cheap
service was the press. The Argus tolls
being s per day for telegraph reports
consisting of 500 words The grain
and stock business figured well in the
cOmpanys revenue. \. Shaw d Bros
Kellerstrass & NOgel. the Warner -four
mill. located al the present site of the
Rock Island Stair works. the Leas
-four mill tafterward owned by Har
wish BrosD. located on First avenue
between Ninth and Tenth streets. the
| Johnston mill. and one other al Milan
all being liberal patrons. A Shaw &
Bros. and Kellerstrass & Vogel averag
| ing over S10O per month each There
was no office at Moline. Milan or on
the island. The messenger boys had
a snap. With salary of $40 pei
month. they collected 80 cents for is
land delivery. and 30 TO 20 cents for
Moline and Milan
The company was slow in opening
an office at Moline the first being
opened in the postoffice ON Wells
street (now Second avenue). near the
corner of Sixteenth street. during the
fall OF 1865 or 1866. Judge John NJ
Gould and several business men had
10 guarantee the operators salary un-
Ill the office was self sustaining. Judge
Gould paid the difference ont of his
own pocket. The Office paid well after
a few months. Train dispatchers were
not on the pay roll of the Rock Island
route at this time. When trains were
delayed. the superintendent ofthe road
would help them with train orders and
when he would get them on time they
would be instructed togo by the time
card.
In War Times.
The time of the war was exciting
and profitable TO the manager of an
office in a city like this. The bulle-
tin service was good. all battles of
Importance were chronicled in this
way. The company would assess the
office so much for bulletins if wanted,
and all collected over this amount
went to the manager for his extra
work The company charges were
very reasonable. and as "A result the
Office would make more out of il than
the company. The writer has wit
messed many exciting scenes in and
about his Office during war times. nota-
bly, at the times of the battle OF Shi-
lob. Antietam. Fredericksburg, Vicks-
burg-in short, during the time of