New Britain herald., 1914-07-20
TRAINS FIRST MOVED
 BY TELEGRAPH IN '52
Messages Exchanged Between Crews
 Stil Preserved.

Bloomington, Ill.,, July 2O.-Illinois claims the distinction of possessing among her citens the man who first moved trains with the aid of the. tele- graph. The original train despatcher is A. H. Copeland, now living in re- tirement at Oak Park and who was agent for the Chicago and Alton at Chenoa, Ill.,, for thirty years.
 It was back in Vermont in the year 1852 that the first known movement of trains by telegraph was recorded. marking one of the most important epochs in the history of railroading. In that year MT. Copeland was en- gagged as manager, operator, lineman, messenger boy and battery man of the Middleburg (Vt.) telegraph of flee. In those days when the Morse invention was in its infancy, the te5- egraph offices were operated in con- junction with the post offices and occupied a small room.
 Post Office Clerk.
 In addition to his other duties Mir. Copeland was employed as clerk in the post office. In those primitive days of railroading trains ran by time card exclusively northbound trains having the right of track over those southbound. The railroads in those days had no connection with the telegraph, paying for all mes sages sent the same as the public. The employees, however, were on good terms with the operators, the latter sending messages free, while in re- turn the railroad men would permit the operators to ride without a pass
 Early in December, 1852, a heavy snowstorm delayed trains, the mail from Boston being delayed many hours. The railroad was then known as the Rutland and Burling- ton. On the day of the storm \Oper- ator Copeland heard the train from the north come in, and knowing of the delay to trains from the south told the crew that they would have a long wait at Brandon. the next stop, and where they were expected to pass the northbound train, badly delayed.
 First Exchange of Messages.
 Copeland suggested that the con- ductor ask the operator at Brandon to call the. crew of the mail train at Rutland and ask them to wait at the latter place until the southbound train could get through. It developed, however that the operator at Bran don had gone to Burlington and there was no one to exchange the desired messages. The crew then insisted that Copeland go with them to Bran don and send the necessary messages.
 Copeland agreed to this and upon op.,~;x, l Henry Howe, conductor of the msil train at Rutland.r asking him if he would hold his train there until the accommodation arrived from the north, signing the name of Conductor Tiffany
 The messag ges exchanged have been preserved by MT. Copeland and are rich in historical interest The mes sage from the northbound crew read: George Tiffany, conductor, Brandon: I will hold my train at Rutland until your train arrives at Rutland. Henry Howe, conductor Conductor Tiff fany wired this reply: Henry Howe, conductor: understand that you will hold your train at Rutland until my train arrives at Rutland. George Tiffany, conductor
 Following this exchange of mes- sages, the first train orders relating to the movement of railway trains, Conductor Tiffany left for Rutland. After the train had gone the crew of a freight train that had been tied up on sidetrack at Brandon came to the telegraph office and wished to know if they could go to Rutland also. Copeland called Conductor Howe anu the same orders were exchanged, Howe agreeing to wait until the freight could reach Rutland The freight train then followed the, pas senger and got through in safety. Copeland waited in the telegraph of- fee at Brandon until o'clock the next morning exchanging messages of various kinds. The delayed Boston mail then crme through and he re- turned to Middleburg
 Rapid Development of System.
 This primitive bit of train des- patching soon became noised about and it was commented upon all over the country. A few months later the road put on a New York and Mon- treal train. The northbound train was always late into Middleburg, the meeting place, and Copeland was called upon to supply or ders He was finally prevailed upon to place flag close to the track whenever a train was late, so that the crew of the one opposite could 20 to his office, get orders, and be off, thus reducing the delay
 In those days time was not so valu- able as at the present time. Middle burg was central point and all loco- motives secured supply of water and wood there. This process re- 1uired half an hour and the crew had ample time to exchange mes sages and procure the necessary in ,t,