The Washington herald., 1906-10-09

represented at the gathering-the Old
Time Telegraphers' and Historical Society
and the Society Of Military Telegraphers.
Local operators have arranged 10 give
their Offices the Thirty signal for the
three days. and will devote them to show
ing their visiting guests what a pleasant
time may be had in Washington. When
they have finished. the log will read some
thing as follows:
Tuesday. Oct. g. 10 a. m.-Annual meeting Of the
Vlq lime ielesra phers ana histof1cal elcisty- -.
Il a. m.-Meeting OF the Society OF the Military
2 p m--Visit Arlington.
Wednesday, Oct TO- 10 a. m-sight-sseins tour
around Washington IN special cars. starting from
2 p. m.-RsceptiOn by President Roosevelt at the
Eyenine--visit to the Congressional Library.
Thursday Oct. Il. $50 a. m-Ifp to Mount Yer
AfternOon-COrcoan Art Gallery Washington
Monument. &c
Evening I o'clock-Banquet Arlington Hotel.
One Of the most interesting features of
the programme will be the presentation
of a history of telegraphy in Washington
from the time Morse set up his first ex-
perimental station in the Capitol until the
present day. Many interesting documents
AMI crude instruments Of the early days
will be exhibited by President William H
Young. who has spent a great deal Of
tine and labor in getting them together
Mr.. Young, who is night manager of the
Western Union Company in Washington
viii head the local welcoming delegation.
Young a Veteran.
Few if any men in the service have q
record to match his, which dates from
1854 Like so many Of his fellow opera
tors Mr. VO7rDe stortod n, as O r,ogsa,,
ger. This was with the washington and
New Orleans Telegraph Co, in Washing
ton. the Hon Amos Kendall being presi-
dent OF the concern at that time. The
offices of the company were situated at
the northwest corner Of Seventh and d
streets northwest, and were reached by a
long flight Of stairs. built in the old-time
way, on the outside Of the building
During his spare moments MI Young
studied the language of the ticker, and
under the tutelage of Joseph B. Tree. the
young messenger rapidly became prof
cient as an operator. Employment as op-
orator for the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road, at Moundsvilie. Va, quickly fol-
lowed From that time Mr.. Eoungs raise
was rapid
Shortly after the election OF President
Buchanan, Mr.. Young returned 10 Wash
which had absorbed the Washington and
New Orleans Company. In 1857 he was
put in charge of the Capitol branch office,
in the House of Representatives press gal
lery- There he remained as the sole op-
orator during the stormy scenes that en-
sued until 1861, when he was transferred
to the more responsible position Of chief
operator of the main Office.
Acted As Government Censor.
Many times during this period in his
service Mr.. Young was called upon to act
as government censor while the civil war
was in progress. IN 1854 he was made
assistant manager Of the United States
Telegraph Company, by Superintendent
". =. Westervelt, a position he held until
the consolidation of that company with
the Western Union. He then became
manager of the Bankers and Brokers'
Telegraph Company, and wnen another
shift of ownership took place by the
leasing Of that cOmpanys S wires by the
Western Union, he became chief operator
for the latter corporation. Since that time
he has been in charge Of the Capitol Of
fees and night manager Of the main Of
fee In this capacity Mr. Young has
taken care Of all matters relating TO the
press service. attending Presidential trips.
conventions. and similar big events. and
has been brought into close and intimate
contact with all the prominent cOrre-
spondents Of the country.
None has appreciated his services more
highly than the newspapermen, and he
has in his possession testimonials Of
many kinds testifying TO their regard
for him.
Another old-timer-who doesn't look it
By any means-who will be ready with a
genial handshake, Will be Ernest w.
Emery, who Is one of the members Of the
executive committee
Emery known As Baby VI"
Mr. Emery is better known TO a large
majority Of the o. T. T.'s by the incon-
gruous title Of Baby NJ" Behind that
is a story. Mr.. Emery explains it in this
way:
You see, I qualified for the ticker be-
fore I was twelve years old. That was
way back in 1870. when / got my first
job as night operator of the New York
Central Railroad at Port Byron, n. Y.
And that was d pretty big road, even in
those days, I had been acting as mes
Senger boy for Senator Ives, who had
been sent to Seneca Falls after the big
strike of SO. Yes, we had real strikes,
even in those days. He is vice president
of the Military Telegraphers Corps now,
but | was running copy for him and by
hanging around the key so much l got
to learn the Morse
1T Just comes natural 70 some people,
you know-just like il does to a negro
to pick the banjo. If a boy has it in him.
he can't be around a telegraph office with
out picking the thing up. If he isn't
built that way, he won't That's all there
is TO it.
However, there was a boy at Water
loo. named Eddie Hunter, with the same
inclinations as myself and We would
get down to the Office before any one
else showed up and talk to each other
over the wire. In that way we gradually
picked if UP. Hunter, too, became an
operator and went out TO Iowa, but he
branched out, and now he is the presi-
dent of two or three banks.
After I had been at Port Royal a
while I was sent to New York, and
was so small I could hardly reach the
key by standing on tiptoes They dubbed
me Baby NJ" then. I didn't like il at
that time, but I got used to it, and the
name still sticks 20 me.
sacrifice Accuracy for Speed.
The work has changed greatly,
though. In the early days the code of
abbreviated words was never useu. Ac-
curacy was the thing every operator was
taught. Now they sacrifice everything to
speed, and think they are doing grea.
work when they just pile mutilated
words over the wire in any sort Of fash
ion
Mr.. Emery became especially expert as
a sender. and this quality made him val
liable for convention work. and he has
always been in demand for such events.
After leaving New York, where he work