The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-10
Slightest Error Sends Ripples
of Trouble to Far Shores.
CHIEF CLERK LOUIS SEAMAN
He Talks About Mystery and
Mirth of Trunk Line.
A Paper and the COde-GOT-
ernOr and the Blonde.


and tells a few interesting stories con-
corning his experiences and work
He sketched the way in which the
mistake of a young operator changed
the political status of a paper, and in
| fluenced an election, told how the
| governor of state was thrown into
a panic by bogus telegram. and re-
counted other amusing happenings.
| 1T is an interesting profession" he
said, land, like the newspaper bust
| ness, has a fascination of its own"
Mr.. Seaman announced that the
otto of the Postal Telegraph COM
pany is speed. There is direct cir
| cult between all important points;
man living near the offices in New
York could send and receive a mes
sage from San Francisco in less than
ten minutes. That seems almost i'm
possible, but beside the uninterrupted
wire, there are several smaller in
ducements to speed. The bonus sNs-
tenn allots each heavy circuit 800 mes
sages a day; the operator is allowed
one cent per telegram for any other
m essay she may send; as much as
couple of dollars extra may be made
each day, which is certainly an in
ducement to move business rapidly
Then dynamoes instead OF batteries
are used for generating the current;
this saves not only space, but expense
and time The minutes saved by the
use of the typewriter are many: ~
years ago the operator VINO sent 80
or 40 messages an hour was an ex-
pert; now at least 70-more than one
a minute-are demanded.
The Governor and the Blonde.
years ago I had 1aughable ex-
perience," said Mr.. Seaman; EemiI
got a message addressed to the gov
ernor of the state; it said, Come at
once; the blonde is here. That mes
sage caused as much CORRESPONDENCE
and bother as any I've ever seI'' ~
was opened by the governors Wl1e
She was astounded, and her husDdno
was thund erstruck. Such a famlly as
turhance did it cause that the COVER
nor was obliged to employ a prlVa
detactive The detective never was
successful, but we discovered the
sender of the telegram several montns
Iater IT seems that a certain travel
ing man was having private ceIe
br3tion. reeled back to his MOTEL ana
called a messenger by mistake.
=" You have to send message Wnen
VOL, call a boy said the clerk, Grossly
".AU right" agreed the affabie tray
cling man. He spied debonair little
actress across the lobby, addressed an
envelope to the governor, ana scrlpnIeu
airnIessly. the first thing that came into
his head which was Come at once. the
blonde is here
.eWhen I was in wichita he went on,
1--WE used to get a market message once
a week for the Wichita Creamery COM
many. 1t came addressed to the w.
Cry.' A new clerk sent 1t out, ana the
boy having been absent for hours,
brought it back. |
THAT don't belong to the Salvation
Army nowhere he declared
salvation Army" repeated
"Why. yes said the boy, meekly.
ITS addressed to the War Cry.
Trouble About Addresses.
a
trouble about addresses" said Mr. !
seaman. "A message for the Fruit |
Dispatch Company always came ad-
dressed to the F. d. Co. A boy took II
to the fire department; 1t was In cyPher
and mystified the firemen for whole
morning"
takes. Mr. Seaman insisted that great
INJUSTICE is done them in the funny
papers. ."They are not as slow as they
are supposed to be-" he laughed. They |
are as Interested in the welfare of the
business as anyone else. The messen-
ger boy of today may be the manager
of tomorrow.
Mr.. Seaman spoke of President Clar-
cree H Mackey in terms of the highest
praise. He maintains a pension system |
out of his own private fund. 1t is IN
optional association. but those Joining
receive a per cent of their salary, de-
creasing or increasing with their term
no longer able to work, they are retired
on half pay. This year Mr.. Mackay in
vited his principal officials to Chicago,
where they were given banquets, boat /
rides. drives, and all sorts of enter
tainments.
I'D like to explain about our use
of the day letter service said Mr.. Sea-
man. when our company decided to
adopt fast time, we dropped all use of |
deferred service. Although we do not |
he lott
one may send Is or 20 words under
our fast service for the same price as |
the ordinary day letter.
Honor of the Telegraphers.
There's one mighty important fact |
about our business" said Mr.. Seaman,
earnestly, land that's the unimpeach-
able honor of our employees. I've been
in the telegraph service since 1 was
IA years old, and have never known an
instance of an operator disclosing a
message. When one thinks of the Sc
crets, the codes. and the scandals that
pass over the wire this is a moss
remarkable fact
Mr.. Seaman related an experience
closely connected with the inner po-
litical history of the state; it occurred
several years ago, and is being pub
lished here for the first time.
The Paper and the Code Message.
AT the time of "a political fracas in
our town." he said, "a certain news
paper was undecided just what stand it
should take. One day an operator re-
ceived a press dispatch about a special
meeting of the kfc; that's Phillips code
for conference Unfort-
unately the operator did not under
stand the code, and simply wrote it !
down K. F. c. 1t went to the news |
paper Office in that shape. The Asso-
eiated Press operator glanced at it. |
lid a little specializing and finally de-
,ided it meant knife and Fork club
The notice had reference to a meet
ng of the Stand Pat party, who
promptly agreed that the paper was