The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-10-05


Morse Code by Sar-The discovery
Tha. Abolished tho Uso Of sho Tape.
Ezra Cornell Is known IN history rs
the father OF Cornell university, -
one OF the men who helped 70 build
the first telegraph line and IS an ar
dcat organizer Of telegraph systems II
the early days. being !aS:-u2enia. IN
the formation OF the ntw famous
Western Union Telegraph company.
His son. Aloczo i: Cornell became
ultimately vice president OF the West
crn onion anu governor OF New York
statc-hiSh commercial and po!iuca!
honors.
Yet be once confessed 10 inc that be
felt he should be credited with the
additional! honor OF having made tie
discovery that telegraph messages
could be read By ear. and he seene1
to take more pride In his part II bring
tn- this about than lie did IN any OF
his other achievements.
Il was trained as Z telegraph opera
tor." said Mr. Cornell IN telling rae the
story. y suppose took 70 teiescaDhy
naturally because Of ray fathers deep
AID large interests IN the then ne"
mode Of communication. Anyway. /
learned the Morse key easily. and I
was. IN fact. very fond oc telcscaphlns
from both the practical and the sc!en-
tiSc staadpo!ats.
.Ooc afternoon, sometime n the ear
IL GtHe&.w when was stationed ct Al
ban7. y. Y. there was "A unusual In
rush OF newspaper d.spatches-l was
tn charge Of the press key-and n the
midst Of the task Of receiving them l
found to ny CONSERVATION that l was
oct Of tape. Before taking my seat
before the key I had neglected to re-
p!enish the tape reel
There was . bouocitul supply OF
tape il the cellar Of tae building, but
It was q long TIP there-there were
no elevators IN those days-aad l knew
that to 50 there I would waste pre-
cious time. And there were those an1-
!ous newspaper men hanging over my
shoulder.
Suddenly. as I fshed about mental
II for the quickest way out OF my
dilemma, this thought popped Into ny
head: You don't need any tape. Eal.
the tine you don't look Of It when the
dispatches are coming IN before Jou
write them out You trust &c your
ears to tel what the instrument says'
WHY DOT do so now? IStsEay ae
tn.aioed to 500 whether q cot coSh
tke :se dispatches By sound alone
Il pc. ny fingers on the key anc
broke IN on New York. whence the
DISPATCHES were coming Send rathc:
slowly and very distinctly. asked the
ma, ut the other end OF the wire. BE
at once begsc to do so-not without
some curiosity IS to ny reason. !
found oct later.
But didn't think Of that at tie
tne, for was glowing Ill over "itf
the knowledge that / could writc OF;
| the dispatches-and write them COZ
rectly. for they made sense-by s.np!!
listening to the sounds that the Se'
made.
Thus continued takins the dis
patches to the very end Then the
New York operator called ne. ."ha'
are you doing up there: be asked
Why cid you want re TO send Slow!
and distinctly:
II answered that 1 hid said Soodol
20 the telegraph tape forever sCd io!t
him OF the discovery had made. u'
was Immediately Interested Scr'
me slowly and rery distinctly It;ec;
or twenty words. and III see whethe'
or ret I CAP 90 the same thing. he re
cues;ed.
Il did so. full OF confidence. and
little later there came TO me this mes
snSe: I've done K too. Some OF II
other boys say they can. prec.c
that within 4 month there wont be 4;
Itch OF tape used 81 the New Iorl
Office
Years later" added Mr. Cornell. :
was told tha; about the :!tnc taat
discovered FOR myself 4 uew and re:o
lu.ioaary method OF receiving tele
graph messages the same method va
also discovered by an operator IN To
main oGce n PittsbCrs- | have n
doubt that this IS true Sooner 0
later the discovery was boand to D
made not only f. one. but severe
Offices. But have always felt that
was the FIRST to make the discover.
and should be credited with 1t IN tele
graphic history."-Bostoa Globe.