The daily Alaskan., 1908-10-15
Ei''s''...''F''''' ]: THE YOUNG TELEGRAPHER.
Original

.OrlginaLI
 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 company of young Confederates and operated al. ways in the middle southwest. His career was full Of daring. He would approach a Union picket, assuming to be a Federal officer, reprlmand him for some negligence. get possession of his musket and thus capture single handed a whole picket post
 It was during the campaign of Gen. eral Halleck against quaker guns at COrlnth that Morgan was operating Ln Halleck's rear in western Tennessee, harassing lines of communication. This Is a 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 10 the men at the front must be protected. In this work an important feature 10 the protecting force was the telegraph
 The telegraph office at the town of F.. d 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 Neuabe 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 a man in Confederate uniform covering hlm with the muzzle of his pistol. The off. cer had tapped with thc pistol 10 at tract Veuable'S attention and ordered him to throw up the sash. Venablc did so, and the officer climbed In at the window.
 "Pm John Morgan" he said.
 Morgan usually declared himself In this fashion. lt was the best possible way of striking an enemy with terror.
 Meanwhile the station was surround ed by Confederate cavalrymen. Mor- gan put his own teIegrapher at the key, who began t0 telegraph the train Ven able had been in communication with. The conductor hal been warned that the Conrederatcs were making raid in the region and was waiting to be assured that it was safe to advance. Morgan's tclcgraphcr sent q dispatch that Morgan had gone off in an easter. ly direction and an order signed by q Union commander for the train to come on.
 Now. there Is hero to this story, though he Is asleep in his bed above the telegraph office. But a chatter 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 Venable was of scientific mind and had already a miniature telegraph outfit in hls own little room. Ills cir cult was but ten feet and was confined 10 the room, but 1t was big enough to play with. and he knew the dot and line alphabet. His father was q pris oner downstairs. but be heard his mother say that doubtless Morgan had captured the telegraph In order to de- coy d 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 his play wire, tied a hairbrush to one end of lt. threw 1t over the line wire and completed his circuit by means of a lead pipe extending to the ground. II didn't make q very good connection, but It SuhigCd iIe 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. It was heard at several stations up the road, and the conductor of the train was ad' vlsed of it at once.
 One man heard it for whom 1t was not Intended. That was the Confederate operating In the office below Jimmie's room. He was sitting near the key when he heard the words clicked and knew that some one had Outwltted him. He notified bis commander, and q search was made. and Jlmnie's hair brush was seen dangling from the main wire. It told them the story. Going upstairs. they dlr oycr,d jil- mics device The general was i.c first to enter thp rom. Jimmie WIS still at his key
 Have you been seudiLg informa' ton iu the cramy" he ed
 "YcS. have" said Jlwmie proudly. He did not knew Dh' c.teEt of the service he had rei.Gcred but va sure he had done something va! able to his cause
 "Do you know what we do with lit tie boys who are SpieS:" asked MOr-