Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-22
OPERATORS ARE
HEROES OF TOWN
TELEGRAPHERS ARE FAITHFUL
TO PUBLIC
Working Under Terrific Strain They
Sit for Hours, UncompIainingIy
Sending and Receiving Mes
saees of Sorrow and Joy

''We are making a tremendous ef-
fort to handle business to and from
the stricken district" said Ralph H.
Miller, manager of the Western Union
Telegraph company, yesterday.
1--WE have but one wire into Oakland
and that working single If we could
duplex what few wires we have it
would greatly assist us. We are not
sending anything north except emer-
gency messages for the relief COM
mittee and government dispatches.
The wires in every direction are
greatly congested, but business is NOV
ing everywhere excepting TO San
Francisco, Oakland and other places
most seriously affected by the earth
quake. San Jose is isolated. The only
way to communicate with San Jose
is by long distance phone via Sacra-
mento and automobile overland.
"Our operators have worked day and
night and some of them have remained
faithfully at their wires to a point of
exhaustion.
Operators Under Strain
at do not believe the public even
family understands the tremendous
strain the telegraphers are working
Under. Men and women toll ceaSeleSsly
hour after hour at high pressure. They
stay at their posts of duty until almost
at the point of exhaustion. We have
a large additional force of operators
coming from the east, and their ar
rival will somewhat lessen the strain
on the present force. The telegraph
ers realize thoroughly the anxiety OF
the public and they are sticking to
their arduous task like set of heroes.
cat o'clock tonight we have on
hand $4,000 messages for Chicago, and
Chicago has about the same number
for us. They are moving, however,
ard we hope to dig out from under
this avalanche of messages within the
next twenty-four hours.
Volunteers Help Service
'The messenger service was greatly
improved today because of a large
number of volunteers.
~. G. Johnson of the Union Trust
building early this morning rendered
the service Of his automobile in de-
livering messages, and it has been of
great service to us. G. L. Candeld
made the same offer, but we had pro-
cured a sufficient number of messen
gers aud did not avail ourselves of his
kindness.
Up in the big operating room at mid
night the scene was most animated
one. Every desk and table had its
quota of bare-armed men straining at
their tasks. Every wire had it's stack
of pathetic missives, bringing either
ioy or sorrow to some home.
That people should stop trying to
telegraph to their friends and relatives
in San Francisco and Oakland and
write them letters is the advice that
comes from the Postal Telegraph COM
pany. More messages than can pos
sibly be sent in several days are now
ON file in the office.
Refuse Private Messages
Only one wire is in operation by the
company between here and Oakland
There Is no direct connection with
Berkeley.
Incoming messages by the thousands
are being received, but it will be sew
eral days before they can be delivered
The messenger service is being pressed
to its full capacity but all messages
cannot be delivered with anything like
despatch.
Last night no private messages were
taken by the Postal company. 1t was
| q pathetic sight to see men and womer
come into the office, write few words
to their loved ones in Oakland ant
then have the message returned. Il
| could not be sent
To see the men and women get 6
message, to see their cheeks pale an6
tears come to their eyes as they read
told many sad and awful storys