Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-08-19
CLICK OF THE KEY
The Reading of Telegraph Mes
sages by Sound.
STORY OF THE FIRST TRIAL.
A Lack of Tape Caused Aionzo 3. Cor.
nell to Attsnpt interpretatins tbs
Morse Cote by Esr-The Discovery
That Abolished the Use OF tho I ape

nell to Attsnpt interpretatins tbs
Morse Cote by Ear-The Discovery
That Abolished the Use of the ape
Ezra Cornell Is known in history AS
the father Of Cornell university, as
one of the men who helped to build
the first telegraph line and as an ar
dent organizer of telegraph systems ia
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 and governor of New York
state-high commercial and political
hOnorS.
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 his part In bring
ing this about than he did in any of
his other achievements.
Il was trained as a telegraph opera
tor" said Mr.. Cornell in telling Inc the
story 81 suppose | took to telegraphy
naturally because Of my fathers deep
and large interests In the then new
mode Of communication. Anyway, l
learned the Morse key easily. and |
was, in fact. very fond Of telegraphing
from both the practical and the scien-
titic standpoints.
"One afternoon, sometime In the ear
ly fifties. when | was stationed at Al
bany. n. Y. there was an unusual in
rush of newspaper dispatches-l was
In charge of the press key-and in the
midst Of the task of receiving them l
found to my CONSERVATION that l was
out Of tape. Before taking my seat
before the key had neglected to re-
plenish the tape reel.
There was bountiful supply of
tape in the cellar of the building, but
it was a long trip there-there were
no elevators in those days-and | knew
that to go there | would waste pre-
ciCus time. And there were those anX
ious newspaper men hanging over my
shoulder.
Suddenly, as | fished about mental
~ for the quickest way out Of my
dilemma, this thought popped into my
head: You don't need any tape. Half
the time you don't look at II when the
dispatches are coming in before you
write them out. You trust to your
ears to tell what the instrument says.
Why not do so now?' Instantly l de-
termined to see whether or not | could
take the dispatches by sound alone.
81 put my fingers on the key and
dispatches We're coming. Send rather
slowly and very distinctly l 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 l could write out
the dispatches-and write them cor
rectly, for they made sense-by simply
listening to the sounds that the key
made.
Thus l continued taking the dis
patches to the very end. Then the
New York operator called me. What
are you doing up thereT he asked.
Why did you want me to send slowly
and distinctly
Il answered that l had said goodby
to the telegraph tape forever and told
him of the discovery l had made. He
was immediately interested. Send
me slowly and very distinctly fifteen
or twenty words, and I'll see whether
or not | can do the same thing he re-
quested.
Il did so, full of confidence, and a
little later there came to me this mes
sage: I've done ii too Some of the
other Nsys say they can. l predict
that within a month there won't be an
inch of tape used In the New York
office
Years later" added Mr.. Cornell, 81
was told that about the time that
discovered for myself new and revo-
lutionary method of receiving tele.
graph messages the same method was
also discovered by an operator in the
main office in Pittsburg. | have nc
| doubt that this is true. Sooner OF
| later the discovery was bound to be
made not only in one, but several
offices. But have always felt that
was the first to make the discovery
and should be credited with it in tele.
graphic history. Boston Globe.