Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-16
VETERAN KEYMAN
ON RETIRED LIST
James Beemer Austin, Pioneer
TeIegrapher, Voluntarily
ReIinquishes Toll.
NOW VISITING IN CANADA
AT PLACE OF HIS BIRTH
Man With Record Unsurpassed by
That of Any Other Member
Of the Craft.

rapher, who was in charge of the sta
ton at the Capitol early as 1870;
who covered the national convention
in which Gen. Grant was nominated for
President; who sent the first bulletins
on the assassination and death of Presi-
dent Garfield and received the first
bulletin on the shooting of Mckinley,
, has retired.
Mr.. Austin is further distinguished
as having been associated in the organi-
cation of the United Press. and in 1878
operated the first duplex set installed
in Washington. He is one of the best
known te1egraphers in the country. He
has gone to Hagersvile, Ontario. near
his birthplace, for the summer. and will
make his permanent residence with his
son-in-law in South Bend, Ind.
Mr.. Austin has been member of
{ Pentalpha Lodge. No. g. F. A a. NJ,
since 1873, and treasurer of that lodge
,since 1906. He is active in the National
Union and member of Esther Chapter,
No 5, Order of the Eastern Star.
Was Born in Canada.
Mr. Austin was born in Simcoe. On
tario. Canada. November ?, 1916. and
town. first entering the service of the
Montreal Telegraph Company at Sim
zoe March s. 1862.
! He left there in July. 1855. going first
to Sturgis. Mich. for the United states
Telegraph Company. thence in Septem-
! Der to Toledo. Ohio. for the same COM
1 pany, and. in the fall of 1866, to Mead
!. vile, Pa. When the company named
=. was absorbed by the Western Union
Telegraph Company in the next year.
Mr.. Austin went to Franklin. Pa, for
+. that corporation. From there he was
! sent to Oil City. and in the fall of the
succeeding year to Erie, Pa. where he
/ remained until January. 1870. when he
came to this city and was soon put in
charge of the Western Union CONNER
cial Office at the Capitol. He worked
at the main Office at night
In 1871 he was sent to the repub-
1ican national convention. when Grant
was nominated. and next to the demo-
cratic convention at Baltimore.
Makes Study of Duplex System.
Six years later. when the Phelps
printing telegraph system was intro
duced. Mr.. Austin took up the study of
II and worked at i. with A J. Lom-
bard and Frederick Royce for six
years About 1878 the first duplex set
was installed at the Washington office
and he was the first to operate the
sending apparatus. and a year later
was one of the first four men to op-
crate the quadruplex set Mr. Austin
was the first to forward news of both
the shooting and of the subsequent
death of President Garfield
In 1889 he went into service for the
United Press. which was then being
organized by Walter p. Phillips. and
Tor several years he and another oper-
ator were doing the day and night work
at the main office and looking out for
the Capitol during the time that Con-
gress was in session Three wears
later saw him cashier Of that com
pany. in which capacity .he served
until the company collapsed in 1897
me New York Associated Press was
absorbed by the United Press in 1899.
and MIR. Austin submitted plans for the
new office in the Washington Post
building which SO favorably impressed
The architect that he used them The
devices in the plans We're entirely orig
inal- and when the building was COM
pleted eminent telegraph men and cleo
tricians visited the Office and COM
mended the construction of the lines
Serves the United Press.
Here a double change in companies
took place and the result was the
formation of the United Press Associa-
ton. During his service with this COM
pany he received the first bulletin an
nouncing the death of President McKin-