The Washington herald., 1907-06-09

day evening a number of Detroit's lead
ing citizens held a meeting to discuss
the Mason and Slidell case, and at its
close wished to send a message TO the
government at Washington embodying
their views, which they thought were i'm
portant
Got the Message Through.
They called Balcn cut Of bed at Il
o'clock and explained the situation. He
told them that the case seemed hopeless;
no lines were open except few railroad
wires. operated on roads running Sun
day trains, but he would try.
Then followed hours Of unsuccessful
calling, rewarded on the last circuit
which Balch tried by an answer from an
operator al Michigan City on what is now
known as the Monon route. Through him
Balch got the message to Gen. Buell. sta
toned near Louisville at camp. which
Balch knew was in communication with
Washington nights and Sundays. as well
as on week days BY way OF Michigan
City and this camp the message was de
livered to Secretary OF State Seward at
4 o'clock on Sunday morning. 1t was
signed by Gen. Cass. who had been Bu-
chanan's Secretary Of state, among 9th
ers. and urged the release OF Mason and
Slidell. IT was so long that the tolls were
about $50. It probably had some iniiu
ence. for Mason and Slidell were released
inside Of twenty-four hours after Seward
received It,
After that Mr. Balch became big fac
tor in Western Union Development
first lieutenant. in fact of Hiram Sibey
Of Rochester-~who welded together tbs
various warning lines of the country into
what is now the Western Union, which
Jay Gould finally captured.
Edison aud Gould.
Edison was employed by Jay Could a
the time the latter was using his Allan
tic aud Pacific Telegraph Company IL
the fignt with Sibley and mis- friends TO
control Of Western Union. Edison's jol
was TO perfect the scheme of sendin'
messages by mechanical means, usinI
| perforated paper, by which device sever
al messages could be sent at once an'
at Unprecedented speed.
Edison worked on this device in III
! Jersey City office Of the Atlantic and Pa
CifC. II was a long time before Do
solved the problem, and until he did h
would be so absorbed for hours in n
/ task before him that he wouldn't no
/ tice anything az an not connected there
/ with. He wouldn't answer anybody
/ salutation; he seemed 20 see and hea
/ nothing but the work in hand.
/ Naturally Gould was intensely interest
/ ed ia Edis0n's progress and went 20 th
/ Office every few days to see how DE, wa
/ getting along More than once. dsppei
/ faultiessly dressed. and wearing "a gloss.
/ tall hat he neryously approached th
/ wizard" and asked timidiy how he Wa
/ coming on. to receive no response what
1 ever. Edison simply didn't know his EN-
/ plover was there and couldn't be dis
/ tracted.
When Success Game.
But one day when Gould entered IN
place Edison was sitting az his eas'
/ leaning back comfortably, his legs sprawl
ed out before him, his face divested q
the look If intense abstraction it ha
! lorg worn. and his lips parted In 9 good
aumored grin. This time he Ereeta
Gould warmly told him that everythin
was an right al last, shook hands col
daily and went elaboratelY into the s.t
] uati0r. They talked earnestly togethe
and finally, when Could rose 20 go, Ed
son said
"By the way, Mr.. Gould. its a Ion
time since I saw you last Why don
YOU come and talk with me oftene.
Come any time"
Telegraph operators Of to-day compla
that they have no such chance TO rise
their forcTUnners 0f the COS and 20
had Men experts at the Morse iustU
, ment were rare Now they are muC
more plentiful. and. besides. a large pa
. OF the telegvams Of to-day are sent B
. means Of machines. the operation
which is much ike the operation Of q
typewriter This is q good thing as r
. CARDS speed and economy in sending. b
. 10 doesn't help the operators.
Copyright. la7. by Dexter Mas shalIl