The Dickinson press., 1910-08-20
CLICK OF The KEY
The Reading q Telegraph Mes
sages by Sound.

OoSCO W 0VuIlus
STORY OF THE FIRST TRIAL.
a Lack Of Tape CAUSED Aionxo q. Cor.
nell to Attempt lntsrprstatinpo the
Morse Code by Ear-Ths Discovery
That Abolished the Uss of the tape.
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 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 and governor Of New York
state-high commercial and political
donors. *. Nh
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 be seemed
to.take more pride in his part in bring
Ing this about than he did in any Of
his other achievements.
Il vas trained as q telegraph opera
tor" said Mr.. Cornell in telling me the
story. II suppose l took to telegraphy
naturally because Of my fathers deep
and large interests in the then new
mode Of communication. Anyway, 1
learned the Morse key easily, and l
was. In fact, very fond of telegraphlng
from both the practical and the scien.
tifc standpoints.
Zone afternoon, sometime In the ear
ly ffties, when I was stationed at Al
bany, N. T., there was an unusual in
rush Of newspaper dispatches-I 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 l had neglected to re-
plenish the tape reel.
There was a bountiful supply of
tape in the cellar of the building, but
1t was a long trip there-there were
no elevators in those days-and I knew
that to go there l would waste pre-
cious time. And there were those anx.
ious newspaper men hanging over my
shoulder.
Suddenly. a. l f1shed about mental
ly for the quickest way out, Of my
dilemma, this thought popped into my
bead: You don't need any tape. Half
the time you don't look. at it when the
dispatches r coming in before you
write them out. You trust to your
ears to tell what the instrument says.
Why not do so nowy Instantly l de.
termined to see whether or not | could
take the dispatches by sound alone.
II put my fingers OF the ley and
broke In IN New York. whence the
dispatches: were coming. Send rather
slowly and very distinctly asked the
man't ~thesSother endof the~wtre. He,
at once began TO do so-not without
some curiosity as to my reason,
found out later.
"But I didn't think of that at the
time, for l vas glowing all over with
the knowledge that I 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
II answered that l had said goodby
to the telegraph tape forever and told
him Of the discovery I had made. He
was Immediately interested. Send
me slowly and very. distinctly fifteen
or twenty words, and I'll see whether
or not I can do the. same thing he r.
quested.
II did so, full Of confidence, and a
little later here came to me this mes.
sage: I've done It too. Some Of the
other boys say they can. I predict
that within : month there won't be an
inch Of tape used in the New York
Office
Years LATER" added Mr.. Cornell, IT
vas told that about the time that 7
discovered for myself q new and revo.
l~utionary method Of receiving tele-
graph messages the same method was
also discovered by an operator In the
main office In Pittsburg. have no
doubt that this Is true. Sooner or
later the discovery was bound to be
made not only In one, but several
Offices. But I have always felt that :
was, the first to make the discovery
and should be credited with 1t IN tele-
graphic history."-Boston Globe.
Watering the Horse.
It is allowable when q horse Is hot
- 80. - 49, e..