Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-03
FAMILIAR FIGURE ABSENT
KNIGHTS Of the Key viii Miss the Face Of
Edward Bosevater.
ANNUAL REUNION IN WASHINGTON
Old-Time TeleEraphers and Military
Telegraph Corps Hold Meet
ings simultaneously In
October.
(From a Stan Correspondents

| AAt AdSc VI HsOWdIu ftOStWdNcIs lOi hiotty
years a familiar feature of the reunions
of the Old Time Telegraphers and His-
torical association and the Society OF the
United states Military Telegraph Corps.
will be missed when these bodies meet In
Washington this fall. Mr.. Rosewater
| was ever proud of his active connection
with the governments telegraph service
in the days of the civil war and had been
present at several recent annual reunions
OF the knights of the key. When the date
for this years meeting was set II was
hoped that Mr.. Rosewater might again be
| present.
| Many hundreds of representative teleg-
raphers will undoubtedly gather from all
parts of the country. The two bodies
hold their meetings simultaneously on
October 8, 10 and IL.
1t is peculiarly appropriate that the
coming meeting shall be held in WASH
ington, the home of the wonderful art
which has done so much to civllize the
world and bring nations within closer
| touch. This city was the scene of the
operation of the first practical telegraph
line ever built and operated. and where
Prof. Morse planned, worked and experi-
| mented, until at last the wonderful
| achievement was recorded in the simple
| message, See what God hath wrought"
IHS OF Ine Two dsSOClh-
tions will be at the Arlington hotel, and
this hostelry will be the scene of more
reunions than are contemplated in the
| program when those who have worked
| over miles of wire come together face to
| face, many old-time wire friends meet
| ing for the first time In person, though
| familiar and well acquainted with each
| other while separated by immense dis
| tances
Home OF the telegraph.
No place in the United States Is so
| close to the telegraph as this city of
Washington. 1t is the right arm of the
government in peace as 1t was in war.
! and Il would be a difficult matter to
| carry on the government without it's aid.
| Indeed, when the telegraph fails, for any
| reason. business of all kinds is practically
at standstill
These men and women who have given
their lives to the service will be the
guests of Washington for three days. and
| II is due them that their presence here
| Ia made a matter of notice by the busi-
ness men of the city.
Many of the military telegraphers took
| their lives in their hands during the dark
and bloody days of the civil war, and to
| them Is due no little of the glory of the
! Anal result
They have never received that recogni-
! tion at the hands of the peoples repre-
\ sentativez in congress to which their
great and arduous services in the field. in
| the hospital. at the forefront OF strife
and in the dark. silent nights on the out
! posts of the army entitle them.
This however. is not what they are conf
ing here for They are coming to hold a
| business meeting to renew old acquaint-
ance. and to have a good time.
| A number OF committees have been ap-
pointed and are hard at work. and have
been for some time. perfecting arrange
ments for the coming reunion
Many Notable Names.
Mr.. William II. Young of the Western
Union Telegraph company Is president of
the old timers. and Colonel W. B. Wilson
of Hoimesburg. Pa. is president of the
Military Telegraph Corps society.
To these societies belong many prominent
men OF this country. embracing such names
as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas A. Edison,
Colonel r. c. Clowry. president of the
Western Union Telegraph company; Gem
| eraI Thomas T. Eckert, who was assistant
| secretary Of war in the days of President
Lincoln, an. who had much TO do with
| perfecting the military telegraph at that
| time; Clarence H. Mackay president Of the
Postal Telegraph and Cable company; ID.
H. Bates former presidest OF the Baltimore
| & Ohio Telegraph company; L. c. Weir.
president of Adams Express company, and
innumerable hosts Of others.
| The business meeting Of the Old Time
! Telegraphers and Historical association
will be held at the Arlington hotel at 10
a. m. October ., and will be followed at
II a. m. by the business meeting of the
Society Of the United States Military Tele-
/ graph Corps.
Excursions, receptions and banquet will
fornf part of the entertainment. the details
of which have not been quite perfected.
but it is earnestly hoped that the affair
| will be such as TO reflect credit not only
! upon the telegraphers of Washington. who
have the matter in hand but on the cit-
zens OF Greater Washington" In the crea-
! ton and preservation OF which the Old
! Timers have played so important a part
in days gone by, and upon whose faith ana
integrity depends in no small degree the
success Of all business affairs.
Much Cush for Irrigation.
few weeks Ego announcement was
made of the receipts from the sale OF public
lands In the arid states and territories.
When 1t was discovered that the increment
| 20 the reclamation fund was considerably
In excess of the estimates there was much
rejoicing throughout the entire west.
Letters have been pouring into the Of
fee Of the reclamation service from set
tiers, legislators and others interested in
the movement requesting the allotment
Of funds and initiation of irrigation works
in various localities.
1t is not within the province Of the
| director TO apportion reclamation funos.
| but merely to call the attention OF the
secretary OF the interior TO feasible pro-
| jeets The engineers Of the reclamation
service are not losing sight of oppor-
tunlties of extending the work. and many
projects have been investigated and will
be taken under consideration as soon as
funds for their construction become
available. The secretary Of the interior
has already apportioned the fund for
years in advance, and although the re-
ceipts from the sales OF land may be
larger than anticipated by the general
land once. yet this increase is more than
| Offset by the recent advance in the price
OF labor and materials and the. diminished
eniciency OF ordinary labor The rigid
enforcement of the eight-hour law
has also contributed 20 the general
increase in costs to the contractor A
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