Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-03-04
CLICK OF The KEY
The Reading of Telegraph Mes
SageS by Sound.
STORY OF THE FIRST TRIAL.

nell to Attempt Incorporating the
Morse Code 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 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
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 be seemed
to take more pride in his part in bring
ing this about than he did In any OF
his other achievements.
81 was trained as a telegraph opera
tor" said Mr.. Cornell in telling me the
story. Il 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-
tific standpoints.
Zone afternoon, sometime In the ear
" fifties. when was stationed at Al
bany, n. Y, there was an unusual In
rush of newspaper dispatc hes-I was
in charge of the press key-and In the
midst of the task of receiving them l
found to my CONSERVATION that | was
out Of tape. Before taking my seat
before the key l had neglected to re-
plenish the tape reel.
"There was bountiful supply OF
tape in the cellar of the building. bat
it was a long trip there there were
no elevators in those days-and l knew
that to go there l would waste pre-
cious time. And there were those anx-
ious newspaper men hanging over my
shoulder.
Suddenly. as l 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 1t 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 nowT Instantly | de-
termined to see whether or not could
take the dispatches by sound alone.
81 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. BE
at once began to do so-not without
some curiosity as to my reason.
found out later.
"But 1 didn't think of that at the
time, for l was glowing oil over will
the knowledge that could write ou
the dispatches-and write them cor
rectly, for they made sense-by simpl,
listening to the sounds that the KEY
made.
Thus l continued taking the dis
patches to the very end. Then thu
New York operator called me. VIVA
are you doing up therer he asked
why did you want me to send slowl,
and distinctly
Il answered that 1 had said goodb,
to the telegraph tape forever and toll
him Of the discovery 1 had made. H.
was Immediately interested. Sem
me slowly and very distinctly fifteel
or twenty words. and I'll see whethe
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 Of tn
other boys say they can. predic
that within a month there won't be a.
. inch of tape used in the New Yor
office
Years later" added Mr.. Cornell, '
was told that about the time that
discovered for myself a new and reve
: lutionary method OF receiving tels
graph messages the same method wa
/ also discovered by an operator In th
4 main Office in Pittsburg. | have n
d doubt that this is true. Sooner @
: later the discovery was bound to
; made not only In one. but severe
offices. But have always felt that
$ was the first to make the discover
i and should be credited with 1t In tell