The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-08-05
CLICK OF THE KEY
The Reading Of Telegraph Mes.
sages by Sound.
STORY OF THE FIRST TRIAL

Morse Code by Ear-Ths Discovery
That Abolished the Use Of the iaps.
Ezra Cornell IL known In history as
the father Of Cornell university, as
one of the men who helped to build
the 6rst telegraph line and as an ar
dent organizer Of telegraph systems In
the early days. being instrumental In
the formation Of the now famous
Western Union Telegraph company.
His son. Alonzo B. Cornell. became
ultimately vice president Of the West
ern Union aud governor Of New York
state-high commercial and political
houOrs.
Yet he once confessed to me that he
felt he should be credited with the
additional honor Of having made the
discovery that telegraph messages
could be read by ear. and he seemed
to take more pride In bis part In bring
ing this about than he did in any Of
his other achievements.
II was trained as a telegraph opera
tor" said Mr.. Cornell in telling me the
story. 81 suppose took to telegraphy
naturally because Of my fathers deep
and large interests In the then new
mode of communication. Anyway.
learned the Morse key easily. and
was. In fact. very fond of telegraphlng
from both the practical and the scien-
tidc standpoints.
"One afternoon, sometime In the ear
" dfties. when I was stationed at Al
bany, N. Y. there was an unusual In
rush Of newspaper dispatches-l was
In charge of the press key-aud In the
midst Of the task of receiving them
found to my cousterua ton that ] was
out Of tape Before taking my seat
before the key I had neglected to re-
plepish the tape reel.
There was a bounuful supply Of
tape IN the cellar Of the building. but
It was a long trip there-there were
no elevators IN those days-and l knew
that to 60 there would waste pre-
cious time. And there were those anx-
ious newspaper men hanging over my
shoulder.
Suddenly, as ! 6shed about mental
" for the quickest way out or my
dilemma. this thought popped into my
head: You don't need any tape. Hair
the time you don't look at 1t when the
dispatches are coming in before you
write them out You trust 10 your
ears to tell what the instrument says.
Why not do so now?' Instantly | de
termined to see whether or not | could
take the dispatches by sound alone
~ put my fingers on the key and
broke in on New York. whence the
dispatches were coming. Send rather
slowly and very distinctly | asked the
man at the other end of the wire. He
at once began to do so-not without
some curiosity as to my reason. !
found out later.
But didn't think of that at the
time. for | was glowing all over with
the knowledge that could write our
the dispatches-and write them cor
rectly, for they made sense-by simply
/ listening TO the sounds that the Key
made.
Thus | continued taking the dis
/ patches to the very end. Then the
/ New York operator called me. What
/ are you doing up there? he asked
Why did you want me to send slowly
/ and distinctly
81 answered that | had said goodbl
TO the telegraph tape forever and tolC
him of the discovery | had made. HI
was Immediately interested. Sent
me slowly and very distinctly hfteer
or twenty words. and I'll see whether
or not | can do the same thing he re
quested.
81 did SO, full Of confidence. and
little later there came to me this mes
sage: I've done it too. Some or tn
other boys say they can. ! predic
that within month there won't be al
inch of tape used in the New forI
office
Years later" added Mr.. Cornell, -
was told that about the time that
discovered for myself new and reve
lutionary method of receiving tels
graph messages the same method wa
also discovered by an operator In IN
main office in Pittsburg. | have
doubt that this is true. Sooner @
later the discovery was bound to b
made not only In one, but sewers
offices. But | have always felt that
was the first to make the discover
and should be credited with il in tel
graphic history. "-Boston Globe.