Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-11-06
THE YOUNG
TELEGRAPHER.

-ttforfg mai.
Marion of the Revolutionary war
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. Ills
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 whole picket post.
It was during the campaign of Cen
eral Halleck against Quaker guns at
Corinth that Morgan was operating in
Halleck's rear in western Tennessee.
harassing lines of communication
This is very important service. An
army must lie 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 Nenable 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,
Ger 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 We're making raid
in the region and was waiting to be
assured that it was safe to advance.
Morgan's telegrapher sent dispatch
that Morgan had gone off in an easter.
ly direction and an order signed by n
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
hurry, but his mother helps him by
telling him that the station is in pos
session of the dreaded Morgan jim
ME Venable was Of 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 1t was big enough to
play with, and he knew the dot and
line alphabet. His father was pris
oner downstairs, but he heard his
mother say that doubtless Morgan had
captured the telegraph in order to de-
coy train into 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 display wire. tied a hairbrush to
one end OF 1t. threw 1t over the line
wire and completed his circuit by
means Of lead pipe extending to the
ground. 1t didn't make very good
connection. but 1t sufficed. He didn't
know the calls Of stations nor what
station to call. He waited till there
was comparative quiet below, then
clicked: "P. station. Morgan here"
This he repeated several times 1t was
heard at several stations up the road.
and the conductor of the train was ad.
vised Of 1t at once
One man heard it for whom it was
not intended. That was the Confederate
operating in the Office below Jimmie's
room. He was sitting near the key
when be heard the words clicked and
knew that some one had outwitted
him. He notified his commander. and a
search was made. and Jimmie's hair
brush was seen dangling from the
main wire. 1t told them the story
Going upstairs. they discovered Jim.
mics device. The genera! was the
FIRST to enter the room. Jimmie was
still at his key.