The Springdale news., 1908-12-11
THE YOUNG
 TELEGRhPHEP.
foriginal l

IOriginaLl
 Marion of the Revolutionary war l and Morgan of the civil war occupy similar positions in history. General John Morgan started on his military career as commander of a company of young Confederates and operated al ways in the middle southwest. Eia career was full of daring He would approach Union picket, assuming to be Federal officer, reprimand him for some negligence. get possession of his musket and thus capture single handed u whole picket post
 It was during the campaign of Gen eral Haleck against Quaker guns at Corinth that Morgan was operating in Halleck's $ rear in western Tennessee This is Il very important service. An army must be fed That means that the avenues of communication must be kept open and the supplies passing over them to the men at the front must be protected. In this work an important feature to the protecting force was the telegraph.
 The telegraph office at the town of P. station on the railroad supply ing the army before Corinth, was in charge of Tom Venable, who lived with his family on the upper floor of the two story station building, the tele graph and ticket office being below. One night when Venable was in his office sending the dispatches necessary to get heavy tran load of supplies south he heard tap on the window pane. Looking up, there stood man in Confederate uniform covering him with the muzzle of his pistol. The off cer had tapped with the pistol to at tract Venable's attention and ordered him to throw up the sash. Venable did so. and the officer climbed in at the window
 I'm John Morgan" he said
 Morgan usually declared himself in this fashion 1t was the best possible way of striking an enemy with terror.
 Meanwhile the station was surround ed by Confederate cavalrymen. Nor gan put his own telegrapher at the key. who began to telegraph the train Ven able had been in communication with. The conductor had been warned that the Confederates were making raid in the region and was waiting to be assured that it was safe to advance Morganss telegrapher sent q dispatch that Morgan had gone off in an easter ly direction and an order signed by a Union commander for the train to come on.
 Now. there is a hero to this story, though he is asleep in his bed above the telegraph office. But clatter be- meath awakes him. Being not over thirteen years old, he doesn't awake in a hurry, but his mother helps him by telling him that the station is in pos session of the dreaded Morgan. Jim mic Nenable was of a scientific mind and had already miniature telegraph outfit in his own little room. His cir cult was but ten feet and was confined to the room, but it was big enough to play with, and he knew the dot and line alpha abet His father was a pris oner downstairs but he heard his mother say that doubtless Morgan had captured the telegraph in order to de coy train into a trap and destroy the supplies intended for the Union army
 Jimmie got an idea. The telegraph wires passed within ten feet of his window before entering the office be- low. He told his mother what he in tended to do, and she helped him. He took his play wire. tied hairbrush to one end of it. threw it over the line wire and completed his circuit by means of lead pipe extending to the ground. It didn't make a very good | connection, but it sufiieed. He didn't | know the calls of stations nor what l station to call. He waited till there was comparative quiet below. then clicked: ''P. station. Morgan here. This he repeated several times It was heard at several stations up the road, l and the conductor of the train was ad- yised of it at once.
 One man heard it for whom it was not intended. That was the Confederate [ operating in the office below Jimmie's I room. He was sitting near the key when he heard the words clicked and knew that some one had outwitted him. He notified his commander, and search was made, and Jimmies hair brush was seen dangling from the main wire It told them the story | Going upstairs, they discovered Jim mics device The general was the first to enter the room. Jimmie was still at his key.
 Have you been sending informa tion to the enemy?" he asked
 Yes. l have" said Jimmie proudly. 1 He did not know the extent of the i service he had rendered, but was sure he had done something valuable to his i cause.
 Do you know what we do with lit i tie boys who are spies!' asked Nor gan
 No.
 ssEo1 itfS caYnatEipu vary faprfl,I.