Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-11-01
THE YOUNG
 TELEGRAPHER.
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 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 n company of young Confederates and operated al ways in the middle southwest. His career was full of daring. He would approach Union picket. assuming to be Federal officer, reprimand him for some negligence. get possession of his muaket and thus capture single handed whole picket post.
 It was during the campaign of Gen. 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 be fed. That means that the avenues of communication must he 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 F., a 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 yenable was In his office sending the dispatches necessary to get a 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 of1- 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. It 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 a raid in the region and was waiting to be | assured that 1t was safe to advance. Morgan's telegrnpher sent q dispatch that Morgan had gone off in an easter ly direction and an order signed by . Union commander for the train to come on.
 Now, there is hero to this story. though he is asleep in bis bed above | the telegraph office. But chatter be- meath awakes him. Being not over | thirteen years old. be doesn't awake in | q hurry, but his mother helps him by | telling him that the station is In pos session of the dreaded Morgan. Jim. mic venabe 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 be knew the dot and line alphabet His father was prls- oner downstairs. but be heard his mother say that doubtless Morgan had captured the telegraph In order to de- coy n 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 | tow. He told his mother what he in. tended to do. and she helped him. He took his play wire. tied n 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 It didn't make very good connection, but it sufficed. He didn't know the calls of stations nor what station to call. He waited till there was comparative quiet below. then 1 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. vised of 1t at once.
 One man heard 1t for whom It was not intended. That was the Confederate operating in the office below Jlmmie's 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 a search was made. and Jlmmie's hair brush was seen dangling from the I main wire. It told them the story. Going upstairs. they discovered Jim mics device. The general was the frs. to enter the room. Jimmie was l still at his key.
 Hare you been sending informa. ton to the encmyT' he asked.
 Yes. have" said Jimmie proudly Hc did not know the extent of the