The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-11-29
An
Upward
Step
Nc de by a Station
Agent
By MARX TRAVERS

NncD lie WIS ten years piu' W "~A
not engaged ut what he was hired to
do he was questioning the operators
as to how they communicated with
distant points. the alphabet they used
and other matters pertaining to teleg-
raphy. When he was twelve. though
he would not have been fitted to Till
an opera tors position, he knew many
things about the telegraphic system
that some operators did not know, for
Jimmie was of an inquiring turn or
mind and was always looking into
things and the reasons for their being.
When he was fourteen. being large
and strong for his age, he was given
job as assistant in the construction
department Of telephone company.
Here too. Jimmie wanted TO know the
why ana WhercfOre' and at the same
Of making telephone lines. BY the
time he was eighteen years old. hav-
ing the materials. he was perfectly
capable of setting up telegraph or
I
The first situation of any Importance
Jimmie secured was that of station
agent on the y. G. and st. G. railroad.
/ But he was only nineteen, and to Sc
cure such a place he was obliged to
take a station in q desolate place, the
nearest house being Il mile away. At
I this house he took his meals sleeping
/ in a room over the station.
In the family with which he boarded
/ was country lass two or three years
Younger than Jimmie whose blue eyes
and yellow hair naturally had an eff
/ feet on the young station agent \
single girl off by herself is to a young
man as Il jackknife is to n boy. That
same knife in q store among a hun
dred other knives is not nearly so
beautiful ms when he gets 1t home
It wasn't long befoce Jimmie and
/ Kitty concluded that IL would not be
/ half so lonely for Jimmie If they could
build little nest nearer the station.
where they would dwell together. Jim
mie had the framework Of small
house and the other necessary parts
shipped to him. The people thereabouts
got together for house raising. and
Kittys pop, with occasional help from
Jimmie. did the rest except the paint
ing. which Jimmie did at such times
as he could leave the station.
When all was finished those who had
helped to build the nest were invited
to the wedding and after it was over
left the young couple in their new
home The first thing Jimmie did after
they were married was to build tele-
phone from the station TO his home
I He located the station end Of it In the
room above. which he had used for q
bedroom. In order that If any one came
in while he was talking with his wife
he might not be overheard. There wa,
a steep. narrow staircase leading NJ
to this room from the waiting room
ticket and telegraph Office below.
He wrote to his old employers. the
telephone company. to send him the
apparatus he needed. knowing thai
they had plenty such material In ole
stock. and they made him a present OF
an outfit. including desk transmitter
and receiver Since there were nights
that he was Obliged to remain at the
station he put the instrument between
his cot and the side Of the house
Since the latter was not plaSterec
there was convenient place for 1t be
( tween two jOists and the clapboards
Often when he was about to snatch ar
hours sleep he would throw himself
on the cot. pick up the instrument. cal
! Kitty for few words. then set 1t dowr
again on the floor. The wires passed
directly out of the house. down behind
a water spout and thence underground
/ to Jimmie's home.
/ During the day. when confined to the
/ station. he would often go upstairs, es
/ up Kitty and ask her how she was
/ getting on. if she wanted anything anC
/ to send kiss for both mother and
! child. One day while thus engaged 9
person came into the station. and since
the room below was neither sealed MOI
! plastered Jim was overheard. After
that when telephoning. upon hearing 8
step below. he wrapped his head anC
the instrument i'm a bedQuilt. which
deadened the sound
These details may seem unimpor
tant. but time came when they were
a turning point in Jimmie's life. But
that was not for some time after his
marriage. Meanwhile he was thinking
about his wife and baby's future. The
appearance of a helpless child In q
mans life stimulates him 70 action
Jimmie was not getting on very fast
in accommodating surplus funds. and he
felt the responsibilities resting upon
him. He didn't like the idea In case
he should die Of leaving his wife with
no income. and as for the baby. a boy
he wished him to have the advantage
OF an education. That meant the
wherewithal to secure one Since the
father had not been able to get much
education himself. he understood the
disadvantage Of being thus deprived
and was. a.. J.. the .mare eager that his
son should be favored: -----
Jim was now a man Of twenty-five