The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-11-08

of daring telegraphefs which proved
of such assistance to the Union cause
Moreover, his subsequent fame is as
nothing to him az compared with his
war record. He is. eighty-iiye years of
age.
Secretary of War Stanton i'll his re
port to President Lincoln in 1865 said,
The military telegraph, under the
general direction of Colonel Stager and
Major Eckert, has been Of inestimable
value to the service, and no corps has
surpassed, few have equaled. the tele-
graph operators in diligence and devo-
ton to their duties
Eckert Raconteur.
That the praise was merited is indi-
Gated by many anecdotes with which
General Eckert has RECALLED his friends,
for he was good story teller and
when stationed at the White House
would swap yarns with President Lin
coin to their mutual delight.
One story gave an idea of the hard.
ships and catch-as-catch-can accommo-
dations the military telegraph corps
was obliged to put up with of necessi-
ty. 1t was during the operations in
Missouri that an operator from Spring
field named Gregg married, and, de-
spite the perils of the war, insisted on
having his bride accompany him when
the detachment was suddenly ordered
to move.
In the party were six soldiers and
another operator, wifeless, and the en-
tire party stopped at a farmhouse one
night where there was but one spare
room, which contained two beds. The
bridal couple were allotted one bed.
and the operator and half dozen sol
diers took the other, lying crosswise
under the one blanket, which left their
feet well out for the chickens to roost.
General Eckert was a pioneer in the
field Of practical telegraphy and work
ed. his way up from the ranks. He
was born in 1926 at st. Ciairsville, O..
and began to operate the keys when
he was postmaster of the town of
Wooster. o. He was then twenty-four
years old. He became much interested
in this work and within the next three
years had become such an expert that
he was Entrusted with the construction
Of the lines over the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne and Chicago road When these
We're completed in 1852 he was APP
pointed superintendent Of the Union
Telegraph lines
The outbreak of the war not only
ruined him, but very nearly cost him
his life, as he was condemned by a
Confederate court martial for alleged
treason and only escaped by persuad-
ing the court to, accept $500 bail
bond for his appearance on the day
appointed for the hanging
Headed Military Telegraph.
In 1862 he was called to Washing
ton by Colonel Thomas A. Scott, then
assistant secretary of war; and placed
in charge of the military telegraph Of
the department of the Potomac. with
| the rank Of captain and headquarters
with General Mcclellan in the field.
He was after few months promoted
to the charge of the military telegraph
department at Washington. ranking as
major. As such he enjoyed the conf
dence of President Lincoln and Secre-
tary Stanton and successfully organ
lied the entire military telegraph sys-
tenn
In 1864 he was brevetted lieutenant
colonel and made assistant secretary
of war, and in 1860 he was made q
brigadier general by hrevet He re-
signed In 1866 to accept the office OF
general superintendent of the eastern
division of the Western Union Tele.
graph company In this position he
superintendent the construction of lines
to connect with the new transatlantic
| cables
When Jay Gould secured control OF
the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph
company General Eckert accepted the
position of president Of the reorgan-
lied company, In this position he be-
gan rate war against the Western
Union which lasted until tie Atlantic
and Pacific was absorbed BY the West
ern Union. In 1880 General Eckert
was elected president Of the newly or.
ganized American Union Telegraph
company In this position he contin.
ned to fight against the Western TN
ion, with the result that in 1851 the
various telegraph companies We're con,
solidated. with Jay Gould as the dom
mating power and with General Eek.
ert as vice president and general man
ager.
| When Dir. Norvin Green died in 1S9s
General Eckert's fidelity 10 the Gould
interests was rewarded by his election
to the presidency Of the company, re
firing in 1902
pitchblende is used to tip the hands
and spot the figures ,on the face Of /
novel English watch so that they vii
glow in The dark faintly. but enough
SO that the time can be told.
Manufacturers Of brass beds have
been trying to sell them in Nicaragua
despite the fact that bedsteads are moi
generally used there Most of the PEG
! pie sleep Oh folding canvas cots,
The German government pays dam
ages to those injured on the state own
ca and Oh lnted railroads. Last yeal
these satisfactions amounted 20 more
Than c1tan0 nf0 ~. 4 nor cent an %slr