Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-02

telegraph operator near one of the
wrecks to take orders governing trains
on this one-track stretch.
1t required a man OF some aculnen
TO handle the job, and what was more
natural than that the superintendent
should pick ME 10 dc the night trick
at Sistersville? \ temporary shack
was rugged up for the telegraph office.
Instead of the regulation relay and
sounder we just had a box relay,
which does tie work of both relay and
sounder in SORT OF half-hearted in
different way, the messages coming
over it in a subdued tone. This box
relay was connected with the train
dispatehers wire, the only line we
would have any use for, as our work
consisted solely of taking train orders
"Gne night the train dispatcher call
ed me, and on my answering gave the
signal 81 meaning that he had al train
order of considerable consequence.
The piece of single track extended to
Brothersville, with the village of Cou-
sinsvilie, where there was a siding,
intervening. After I had notified the
dispatcher of my readiness to copy the
order he called Brothersvile and i'm
mediately started in as follows:
81 No. 20.
To Condr. and Engineer No. 3 at
Sistersville.
'Condr. and Engn., No ? at Broth
ersville.
No. 3, Eng. 271. and 30. 2, Eng.
749 will meet and pass at c.
At this point ] heart a swapping.
whirring sound and some small object
flashed by my ear Al once my box
relay shut down with a sputter and I
could hear no more dots and dashes.
Here was situation requiring quick
action. An important movement of
trains was being mapped out by the
dispatcher, and at this critical stage
my telegraph equipment had failed.
Inspecting the box relay | found the
arnlature spring had become loosened at
one end and snapped right out through
the window of the little shanty down
into the river below the embankment
| had not even an elastic in my pock-
cts which [ could slip ON temporarily
There was that important train order
passing over the wire, and / unable to-
copy it. If there was any slip. maybe
Nos. 3 and would meet in juxtaposi-
ton going at the rate of probably SO
miles an hour with calamitous results.
I heard noise of something strik-
ing on my bench with whack and,
looking around, l saw a large Kansas
grasShopper at one end of the rough
seat Attracted by my big kerosene
lamp, he had blown In to see what
was doing AS l gazed at him he
gave spring and almost cleared the
window. This gave me an inspiration.
Capturing the athletic grasshopper
with some difficulty, l passed the
thread sc the drrnature of the box re-
lay right around his front legs, just
so as not to choke him 10 death. Then
| brought him up so his hind end, with
the stout springy legs, touched the
armature bar on the box-relay and
made the other end OF the thread fast
to him. What little electric current
the grassh0pper indicted from the ar
mature bar just made him vivacious
enough to kick against the bar, send
ing it back and forth in vibration
against the train dispatcher's dots and
dashes, balancing to nicely. Tele-
graphic communication was restored
and the train order taken without a
hitch. l kept the grasshopper relay
spring on there for forty-five minutes
until the operator at Brothersville
could send me UP new spring. Truly.
opportunity knocks but once. but most
of us are knocking everything so loud
~ we fail to hear the summons. The
superintendent heard of my brainy and
timely action. and from that time on
my promotion was very rapid. Only
the fact that my health was not ro-
bust enough for that rugged climate
barred me from being president of that
linen. " Press.