FIRST IN HIS LINE
CLAIM OF CHARLES W. DOUGLAS
TO DISTINCTION.
Eiatern Man, Recently Deceased, Was
the Pioneer In Train Dispatching
Really Was Inventor of
Present System.
Charles W. Douglas, the first train
dispatcher, died recently In Wayne,
in. J., and was
burled In Port
J e r v l s, X. Y.
Charles Mlnot,
first general su
superintendent of
the Erie, who orig
inated in 1851 the
system of moving
trains by tele
graph, created a
new railroad oper
ating department,
that of train dis
patcher, and ap
pointed Douglas
as its head.
Douglas was the
last one of the
telegraph opera
tors who learned the business on the
pioneer line constructed by Ezra Cor
nell 60 years- ago. Having learned the
printers' trade In Angelica, X. Y., he
started out to seek work elsewhere.
He found It In the ofllce of the Record
er of Dundee, X. Y. This was in 1849.
Cornell had recently extended his tele
graph line through that part of the
state and had established an office In
the printing shop at Dundee. Douglas
learned to operate the Morse Instru
ment. In 1851 the Erie telegraph
line having been put In operation,
with headquarters at Elmlra Doug
las, then 19, applied for a place as
operator and got charge of the Erie
office at Addison, X. Y. Soon after
ward the telegraphic system of run
ning trains was adopted by Mlnot.
The Morse alphabet characters were
In those early days of telegraphing
perforated on a tape as the message
came to an operator, which unwound
from a reel and the operator copied
the message frem the tape as it un
wound. Douglas had not been long in
the service when he discovered that
he could translate the message by
sound and he Ignored the tape there
after. One day a conductor was wait
ing at Addison for train orders and
he discovered that Douglas was pay
ing no attention to the dots, and
dashes on the tape.
The conductor refused to accept the
order until Douglas had copied it in
his presence from the tape. Although
It corresponded exactly with the mes
sage the operator had taken by sound,
the conductor reported the unheard
of act to telegraph headquarters.
Douglas was called there for repri
mand, but he gave to the superintend
ent, who was the late L. 0. Tlllotson
of Xew York, such convincing ex
hibition of his ability to take mes
sages correctly by sound that he was
promoted to the general office. Al
though the tape attachment to tele
graph Instruments was not abandoned
for years, from that innovation of
Douglas in railroad telegraphy dated
the beginning of the taking of mes
sages by sound as a requisite of all
operators.
Douglas rose to be superintendent
of the Delaware division of the Erie,
succeeding Hugh Riddle, who succeed
ed Mlnot as general superintendent in
1869. Douglas and Kiddle resigned
after a quarrel with Jay Gould.
Riddle went west, entered the serv
ice of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific and rose to be president of
that company. Douglas subsequently
became general manager of the South
side railroad of Long Island and later
general superintendent of the Xew
York & Oswego Midland, now the
New York, Ontario & Western. When
the late Vice-President Garrett A.
Hobart was made receiver of the Xew
York & Greenwood Lake railroad he
appointed Douglas superintendent of
the road, from which place he re
signed to become part owner and gen
eral manager of the Xew York & Sea
Beach railroad and the !ea Beach
Palace, one of the pioneer show places
and hotels 041 Coney Island.
When those Interests wom absorbed
by others Douglas became manager of
the Erie Express Company, which was
afterward purchased by too Wells
Fargo Company. Since thtn Douglas
has been engaged in general raihoad
work.
Unfortunate Illumination.
As the state line freight train on
the Berkshire division of the Xew
Haven railroad was rushing through
West Cornwall, Conn., the crew saw a
great searchlight shining down the
track straight in their faces. A head
on collision seemed imminent and the
crew jumped. George Bennett, the
fireman, lies at a local hospital fatal
ly injured as a result. The engineer,
Arthur Evans, hung his body from
the cab window, but kept his grip on
the throttle. The light suddenly dis
appeared and the train was brought
to a stop. Investigation showed that
a big automobile lamp on a farm
wagon going to early market had
flashed down the track at a grade
crossing.
Plan for Through Line.
A Mexican newspaper tells of the
proposed railway plans to run Pull
man cars from Seattle to Panama. It
is to be part or the Southern Pacific
railway system, which ts now being
pushed on to Guadalajara, and a con
cersion has been secured for a lino
from Acapulco to Salina Cruz, tho
Pacific port terminal to the Teuuante
pec rsllway.
WOULDN'T STAND FOR BLUFF
Railroad Yardmaster, Strictly in the
Right, Made Company Pay
Hospital Bill.
When Frederick D. Underwood, the
president of the Erie railroad, was as
sistant yardmaster at Milwaukee, one
of his friends among the men was
badly Injured. Xo hospital was avail
able, and Underwood hurried him to n
hotel and told the proprietor that the
railroad would pay the bill. He made
frequent visits to the invalid, and also
reassured him. When the man came
out short an arm and a leg a bill of
$1,200 was sent to Mr. Merrill, who
was then the general manager of the
Milwaukee road. Merrill was peppery
and Inclined to domineering, and when
he saw the bill he asked in violent
language by whose authority it hud
been Incurred. Young Underwood was
brought In and a lively scene followed.
The general manager declared that
the company would never pay the bill
and finished with "That ends It!" ac
companied by a bang of his fist down
on the table that shook the chande
liers. "Well," returned Underwood, "if the
company turns Its injured men out on
the streets I will pay the bill."
"Yon will?" sneered Merrill. "How
will you pay It?"
"I have twelve hundred friends in
Milwaukee, and every one of them w ill
give a dollar for the purpose," stld
Underwood, and off he went.
"Wouldn't bluff, would he?" said
Merrill to his secretary us soon as he
had gone. "Have him certify to the
bill, and then pay It."
A few years after that Underwood
was on Merrill's staff.
SAVED TRAIN AND VANISHED
Ragged Wanderer, Preserver of Many
Lives and Much Property, Man
of Modesty.
A few years ago a tattered old
tramp, walking along the track on his
way to Waterbury, Conn., come upon
a wushout. The water main supply
ing the city of Waterbury had burst,
and tho rushing water had cut a holo
through 50 feet of the roadbed.
He had no sooner made the discov
ery than he heard the whistle of a lo
comotive far away round the curve.
Pulling off his ragged coat, he dashed
up the track In the direction of the
sound. Reaching the curve, ho came
face to face with tho train, which was
running at high speed. Standing be
tween the rails, he waved his coat
frantically above his head and Jumped
aside just In time to escape the wheels
of the engine. The train shot by him
with a roar, and he believed his warn
ing had not been seen, and that it was
rushing on to disaster.
But the engineer had seen him and
the next moment the force of the air
brakes threw the passengers from
their sea. As soon as he saw the
train was safe the old tramp turned
and disappeared into the woods; and
though the railroad company made a
vigorous search for him they were un
able to trace tho vagrant who was the
hero of that day.
A Railway Man's Monuments.
How a man's work will live after
him Is evidenced by the benefits
reaped at this late day by the Erie
road from the forethought and zenl of
the late Charles E. Latimer, chief en
gineer In his day of the Atlantic &
Great Western railway nnd later of
the X, Y., P. & O., the forerunners of
the Erie of to day. Wherever an en
gineering feature was involved Mr.
Latimer was right there "with the
goods," as John Collopy, his veteran
roadmaster. was fond of saying. "
"Mr. Latimer," said Engineer Main
tenance of Way J. Burke of the Erie,
"was the first chlof engineer to take
into account the maintenance feature.
He was the original maintenonce man.
It was upon his order that all along
the line of his road' trees were plant
ed to furnish material for ties, and
even to day, between Marlon and Day
ton, there ure battalions and regi
ments of these trees, big catalpas, tes
tifying tc Mr. Latimer's foresight and
good senile. We have cut lot of them,
too, at a great saving."
Farmeis along the line "of the Erie
well recall Mr. Latimer. Whenever
any of them wanted to locale a well
he would call In the chief engineer,
with his tittle hnzel withe, a divining
rod, and Mr. Latimer never failed to
strike th: water. Cleveland Leader.
Rooster on Cowcatcher.
When the 3:40 express arrived yes
terday afternoon people noticed that
little Robert Thompson, who was In
the crowd, started on a rim for the
engine. In n minute or two he
climbed on the front of the locomo
tive, and as the people began to call
the engineer to look out for the boy,
Thompson jumped to the platform
with a large Plymouth Hock rooster in
his arms.
It had been picked up somew here on
the route by the locomotive; Its feet
caught so that it was held, and
Thompsou secured It practically uuln
Jural. Lee correspondence Spring
field Republican.
- Two Million Miles by Rail.
A locomotive of the London &
Xorthwestern railroad, named Charles
Dickens, has the distinction of having
traveled nearly 2,100,000 miles in haul
ing express trains, a feat, It Is
thought, unique in the annnls of rail
roading. The CharleB Dickens, built
at Crewe, was put Into service Feb
ruary 6, 1882. and until a year or two
ago was still one of the fastest loco
motives on the road and in excellent
condition. Sunday Magazine.
PASSING OF FAMOUS TENNIS COURT.
-'v--'.: i ,V-f-..Vbi.
New annex to the White House executive offices, which is being erected
cn the site of the famous mectiny-place of Ex President Roosevelt's "tennis
cabinet."
Her Crowning Beauty
By EDWARD HARRIS
iCopyrlKht, liy
Will Payne stood waiting at the cor
ner, as the girls came ouring out. of
the factory. He was watching for Kit
ty Owen, with whom he was accus
tomed to walk home to the little house
where she lived with her brother.
Will was a sober looking fellow,
much too serious minded. Kitty
I bought, for his own good. Kitty was
willful, as pretty and sweet as a gill
could be, but Will thought her some
times too light and frivolous for ev
eryday life. It was plainly to be seen,
by the light that danced In his eyes
as Kilty came up, that, whatever her
faults might be, he adored her.
"I've got that job In ihe city, i( I
want It," he said as they walked on
together.
"Are you going to take ll?"
"Do you think ! had better, Kitty?"
he asked anxiously.
Kitty shrugged her plump should
ers. "I'd do anything to get away
from this dull, old place, myself," she
answered. "Just think what fuu you'd
have In a big city where there wan
something besides a button factory."
"I don't go for the fun," said Will
seriously. -It's a very important mat
ter. If 1 succeed we can get married
sooner than If I stayed here."
"Hut you wouldn't be seeing me ev
ery day, nnd what's the use of getting
married anyway?" queried Kitty.
Will seemed suddenly to remember
something. "Kilty," he said, "I saw
you this noon with Taylor, and I saw
him holding your hand as If he never
watjjed to let go of it. How can you
allow him to be so familiar? It makes
me feel badly to see him even touch
you."
"You needn't bo jealous," said Kitty
provokingly. "Ho was only offering
"Kitty, How Did You Get Here?"
to buy my hair. You know as well as
I do that he Is a ladles' hairdresser
and always on the lookout for bar
gains." "I'm not jealous," returned Will.
"But I believe that's only nn excuse.
What would he want to buy your hair
for?"
Kitty laughed merrily. "Don't you
know that 'a woman's crowning beauty
is hor hair'" she quoted. 'Me could
easily sell mine in his store. See,
don't you think It's lovely?"
She took off her hat as she spoke.
Tho mass of hair revealed by the ac
tion was Indeed beautiful, of a light
chestnut in color and inarvclously
thick and wavy.
"How vain you are," said her lover.
"Don't you ever have a serious thought
about, anything but being pretty?"
Kitty flushed angrily. "Can't you
let a girl find what pleasure she can
In her own good links?" she retorted.
"Goodness knows there's little else
around here to enjoy. If you don't
like the way I net, let me alone. I'm
tired of your attempts to change nie
Into an old woman. I do wish you'd
let mo alone!"
"Very well. I will then." said Ihe
man nnd left her ntonce. She flounced
on, telling herself she hoped indeed
that ho would, serious old fogy, always
talking about. Improving himself, and
getting married, and such bothcrrome
things.
When Kitty reached her homo she
went at onco to hor llttlo room, nnd,
standing before the glass, let down
W. U. Chapman.)
all her b"autlfiil hair and admired it
to her heart's content.
"Cut it off and sell ll!" she sold re
membering the hairdresser's offer.
"I'd sooner cut my head off. I'd
starve with II rather than live without
it." And she braided it Into two long
plaits nnd went Into the other room to
get supper.
The next day she heard that Will
had gone away, nnd as the days
passed and no word came from him,
she reproached herself for her hasty
speech. Put she always rallied to her
own defense. He was too critical and
exacting, and why couldn't she think
her hair pretty without being vain?
If he had really loved her he would
have tit-lighted In It too. If he had
loved her he would not have stayed
away a whole month without writing
to her either. No, he had never real
ly loved her. They had quarreled over
her tresses and now she had lost him
and had only them to comfort hor.
Cine morning all her arguments, all
the rights nnd wrongs of the matter,
were ended. There came a letter
from a nurse in n charity hospital In
the city, saying that Will had been 111
with typhoid fever thero for two
weeks. The work that had been prom
ised him. he had not received. It wus
not such a serious case, the letter said,
but the patient's low spirits retarded
his recovery. He declared he had no
friends, but had let tho name of Kitty
Owen slip out, with the name of his
town, and the nurse had written. If
his friends would get him homo he
would recover, but if his low splritseon
tinned. It was hard to sny how tho
case would end.
Then with a great flood of feeling
that opened all the depths of the girl's
nature, came the knowledge that she
loved Will Payne. That he was dear
er to her than life, that she must go
to him, save him, bring him heme,
above all, tell him that she loved him
nnd ask him to forgive her, was her
surging impulse, but she was checked
by the thought "How?"
"1 have no money," she cried de
spairingly, "Oh what shall 1 do?" She
prei-sed her hands to her throbbing
temples and touched her hair nnd the
problem was solved.
"He promised he would give me
$:t5 for it," she whispered as she hur
ried along the street, ller only fear was
that the man might have changed li lis
mind.
But he had not. In astonishment,
but eagerly, ho cut U off and counted
the bills Into Kitty's hnnd. She
clutched theni, nnd wlthijyit one regret
ful look at the shining strands now
the property of the hairdresser, she
hurried awny. Thnt evening she
reached the hospitnl.
"I will tell hint first that you are
here," said the nurse. Then Kitty
was led upstairs and Into a ward
where in one of the white, iron
beds lay the pale, thin shadow of Will
Payne. She had meant to ask for for
giveness, but the words lefused to
come, as she knelt beside him, and
he spoke first.
"Kitty, how did you get here? But
I'm so glad you've come! I ve
thought so much about you and want
ed to tell you how sorry I am for the
way I used to act to you. I was al
ways finding fault, when I ought t s
have been just worshiping you. Kitty,
because I love you. When 1 think ot
you, so gay and pretty, and me sk
hard and critical, I don't wonder yor
didn't like me. 1 want you to forgive
me lor saying you were valu, nnd to
tell you thai your hair is the most
beautiful in the world, and that I love
It too."
"You must love It," faltered Kitty,
"for It has brought me here, nn I it's
going to take you home to our house
as soon as you can go." There was
a glimpse of a smile behind the mist
in the girl's eyes as sho took off her
hat and showed her little, shorn head
to tho man.
"Kitty," he gasped, comprehending
her sacrifice, "how could you do It?"
"llecnuse I love you, denr,"nnd It
was the only way to prove It," whis
pered the girl, as she bent over him
and kissed him tenderly. And In tho
silence that followed, they knew that
their hearts had found rest at hi.it.
Love makes a woman believe a lot
of tljings that sho knows are not true.
BY THE SOCIETY REPORTER
Just a Few Chroniclings of the Doings
of Cur Very Best People,
Don't You Know.
Mr. and Mrs. Plundar Pyle have sold
their residence on Fifth avenue just
below the paik. That part of llclty
has become too commercial for our
very best people. Mrs. Plundar Pyle,
as everybody knows, was one of the
Baltimore Eu'.ondrynks.
Trust Hollow, X. Y. Miss Pussle
Hollas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. End
lits Pollas, and Mr. F. Baddicks Amplo
were murrled In the Church of the
Sacred Tariff at Trust Hollow. The
bride, who was given in marriage by
her father, wore an empire gown of
white chiffon and silk trimmed with
princess lace. Her bouquet of bridal
roses was festooned with clusters of.
paving stone diamonds nnd hazel nut
rubles.' Miss Gnudie Shimmer was
the maid of honor, and wore a gown
of pale blue marquisette trimmed with
United Stales bonds. Mr. Robert
Goldengrnft, brother-in-law of the
bridegroom, was the best man.
Mr. and Mrs. Gottltto Byrne are
visiting the Willie Weeritts. Mrs.
Weeritt. as everybody knows that Is,
everybody who Is anybody Is n daugli
tor of the Hon. I. Amltt. The Amltts
have always been fashionable.
.Miss Eflle Gabber gave a theater
party last Wednesday.
Those who assert that Mr. and Mrs.
Stylor Xothyn oppose the marriage of
their daughter to Mr. Orval Manners
are simply misinformed. Mrs. Stylor
Xothyn who is one of the Boston
Snubbers has always favored the
match. They are related in a way, as
Orvnl's mother was a Snubber, and all
the Snubbers are connections of the
O. Helwyth Manners.
Mr. .1. Dodge Wurke lias a new Mer
cedes. This makes his thirteenth mo
tor car. Between him nnd Eppyderm
Hyde there Is quite n rivalry as to
speed. T. BruyullsH Pupp is n close
third.
Mrs. John Bullion never sings ut
breakfast. In fact, she never sings
nt nil.
The Freddie Knott-Brights are plan
ning a series of elaborate entertain
ments for the coming season. They
remained later than usual last summer
at their delightful villa Knolt-by-a-Iijugfull.-Life.
UP TO DATE.
"When shall we be married, Rosa,
dear?"
"Married? Why, Hans, It Isn't
necessary to make such a tragedy of
our engagement!"
Rebuking a Greenhorn.
A H. McCoy, the whist champion
of Baltimore, discussed at a dinner
those overconfident and foolish per
sons who think they can learn whist
Jn a year or two.
"Such persons should be called to
order," Mr. McCoy said, sternly. "I
for one am always glad to see them
called to order.
"A young greenhorn stood behind
my partner during a game one night.
At the end of the hand the greenhorn
said:
"'Why didn't you lead hearts?
That's .w hat I'd have done.'
"My partner smiled and answered:
" 'Ah, but you. my young friend
have the world before you and none
but yourself to consider. You have
no wife and family dependent on you
for bread, and if :u lose heavily no
one suffers but yourself. With me It
is different. Hence I led spades.'"
Not Within His Rights.
"Can I have two good seats, well
down, not behind a post, and on the
aisle?" asked the quiet gentleman at
the box office window.
"Three dollars apiece," replied the
ticket seller, slamming out two tick
ets thnt call for seats In the last row-
behind a post, and in the middle of
the row at that.
"Can't help that. Got to take 'em
or nothln'," responds the ticket seller
obviously irritated.
"Look here, young man, that's no
way to talk to people who come here
to buy seats."
"Iluh! You talk as If you owned
the theater."
"I do. I happen to be the new
owner."
"Then git away and let people that
want to buy seats have a chance. You
know very well you can get in for
nothing." Life.
A Wonderful Rise.
"Who In the name of Fulton-Hud
son wrote this obituary of old Cupt
Onthebrldge?" demanded the city edl
tor of his ussistant.
"That eub Irom the bushes," the
latter replied, with tine scorn.
"Well, send him bnck to his marbles
He says the captain 'chose the sea as
his Hie work, and began at the bot
tom.' "
In Doubt.
"1 suppose you will suo the paper
that called you a rascal."
The politician grew thoughtful.
"It depends," .ho answered. "Of
course, j must liud out If it has tho
proof."
Why Grahdmother
Could Not Write
Dy RUDOLF BAUMBACH
(Copyright, by Short Stories Co., Ltd.)
In front of the last of the little
houses scattered along the edge of
tho forest sat a curly headed boy on a
Btoue bench drawing humpbacked let
ters on the slate which he held on his
knees. Every now and then he cast a
Iit.cIti elance toward the distant vil
lage green, where his playmates look
ed like little colored dots running to
and fro. Then he drew a long sigh
and held his slute pencil Idly in his
hand till his sense of duty warned
him to resume his hated .task. An old
woman stepped out of the house. She
was the child's erandmother. She
leaned over his shoulder and looked
pityingly at the scribbled letters.
"You noor little fellow!" murmured
she, stroking her grandson's curly
head with her bonv hand, "they don't
give you any peace even on the Lord's
day." The little fellow made a dole
ful face and looked plteously up at his
grandmother.
"Thev ask so much of children now
adays." continued the old woman, and
seated herself on the stone bench be
side the boy. "I can neither read nor
write, vet I have always been respect
ed and have well behaved children
and grandchildren. Of what use Is
leurnine to us peasant folk?" Her
words sounded like songs from angel
lips to the youngster.
"Can't you write, grandmother?"
asked he.
"Xo." Bald the old woman, with dig
nlty, and drew herself up. A long
pause followed.
"Were there no schoolmasters when
you were little?" asked the Inquisitive
grandchild, after a while.
"Oh. yes Indeed!" answered grand
mother. "We had a schoolmaster;
and such a schoolmaster! He
drummed the Ten Commandments and
whatever elso we needed to know Into
our heads, so that the parish priest
was very proud of us when he cate
chized us, but he wasn't very particu
lar about anything else. Oh, there
are no such men nowadays. But there
was a very special reason why I did
not lenrn to write, and that is a verr
remarkable story. I may thank mjT
mother God rest her soul that I
never learned to write. She couldn t
write, either, and her not knowing
how to write saved her from a great
danger. When my mother was first
married, she nnd her husband had a
hard time getting along. They worked
early nnd late and still hardly earned
their dally bread. One day my moth
er went out Into the woods to get lit
ter for the aoats. and her heart waa
so full of sorrow over her poverty
that she sat down on the ground and
cried bitterly enough to melt the
heart of a stone. All of a sudden a
statelv eentleman stood before
her, dressed like a huntsman and
wearing a cock's feather in his hat.
He asked my mother why she was
crying, and when she told him how
poor she was, he laughed and said:
t will heln you. I will make you rtcn,
so that you will have enough as long
as you live.' Then he drew a little
red book out of his pocket and hand
ed It to mv mother, and giving her
also a pencil, Bald: 'Write your name
In that book. There are the names or
a good many people whom I have
helped in there already.'
"Then mv mother, quite overjoyed,
seized the book and the pencil to do
as the gentleman had requested, but
as she did not know how to write, Bne
made a cross. In a moment the boost
turned red hot in her hand, and she
threw it away with a scream, and it
burned up in the twinkling of an eye.
When she looked up. the strange man
hud disappeared and the whole air
smelt horribly of brimstone. Then
my mother felt her blood turn cold
and she knew that the strange gen
tleman must have been the devil him
self. She ran home heels over head,
nnd It was a long time before she got
over It. Her making a cross In the
devil's book because she did not know
hnw to write had saved her soul from
everlasting damnation and so she In
sisted that no child of hers should
ever learn to write. If I had my way,
you should never learn either, but
things are not as they used to be In
the good old times."
First Coal Found in Virginia.
According to the investigation of
the United States geological survey,
Virginia was the pioneer coal produ
cing state. The occurrence of coal
was known in the Richmond basin aa
early as 1700, and in 1789 shipments
were made to some of the northern
states. In 1882, according to R. C.
Taylor, the production amounted to
48.214 gross tons. The first coal was
taken from what Is usually termed
the Richmond basin, a small area In
the southeastern portion of Virginia,
reur the city of Richmond. This ba
sin is situated on the eastern margin
of the riedmont plateau, 13 mllea
abovo tidewater, on James river. It
lies In Goochland. Henrico. Powhl
t.ui and Chesterfield counties. The
coul beds are much distorted and thn
coal Is of rather low grade when coin
pared with that from other districts
with which It has to come Into com
petition. This coal ts now mined only
for local consumption.
Needs Variation of Grass.
The Iowa agricultural experiment
station has found out that on rail
roads running east and west it Is nec
essary to plant a different kind of
grass on the north side of embank
ments from the south side, because of
the different amount of Bunligbt that
vach Bide receives.