TELEGRAFII MONOPOLY
POWER OF A PEW TO BECOME
RICH AT PUBLIC EXPENSE.
People Want the Government to
Control the Telegraph, But
Strong- Lobby Interposes.
(By Hugh A. Hippie.)
To the student of trusts there Is no
more attractive field than the telegraph
monopoly. It Is Illustrative. In the first
place, because it illustrates to an un
usual degree the power of a few men
to enrich themselves at the expense of
the public, and in the second place,
because so much has been written on
the subject that information in regard
to It Is comparatively easy to obtain.
The telegraph is nothing more nor
leas than an electric mail. It is so
considered today in England, France,
Germany, Russia, and in fact, all the
leading nations of the world, except
the United States. Were it not that
private Interests are involved, the
proposition that it is the duty of the
government to transmit correspond
ence In the most expeditious manner
possible would never be questioned. So
long ago as 1838 John C. Calhoun, in
report to the United States sen
ate, said: "It must be borne in mind
that the power of congress over the
postofflce and mall Is an exclusive
power." These words have been cited
and approved by the supreme court of
the United States. Indeed, that court
has gone further, and in an unanimous
pinion delivered by Chief Justice
Waite haa said in regard to the powers
at congress with reference to mails:
"They extend from the horse with its
lder to the stage coach: from the
coach and steamboat to the railroad
nd from the railroad to the telegraph
as these new agencies are successively
brought Into use to meet the demands
f Increasing population and wealth."
Congress itself has taken the same
lew of Its powers, even though It
does not exercise them, and since 1866
every telegraph line has been built
ttader a contract which gives the gov
ernment the right to take It over at
any time upon paying the value of the
material used In its constuctlon,
GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.
The people of the United States have
repeatedly asked for a government tel
egraph. In 1888 a resolution was sub
mitted to congress, which began as fol
lows: "Whereas, Petitions bearing the
signatures of more than 2,009,000 citl
aens of the United States request con
gress to pass a bill and provide for
the establishment of a postal telegraph
system, etc." Sixteen committees of
congress have reported in favor of such
a measure and only two against it. All
the postmasters general of recent years
have advocated it, except Mr. Gresham
and Mr. Blssel, and Mr. Gresham ad
mitted that "the same principle which
justified and demanded the transference
of the mail on many chief routes from
the horse-drawn coach on common
highways to the steam Impelled vehi
cles on land and water, is equally po
tent to warrant the calling of the electro-magnetic
telegraph in aid of the
postofflce In discharge of Its functions
f rapidly transmitting correspondence
and intelligence."
More than seventy bills have been In
troduced In congress for the establish
ment of a government telegraph, but
they have all been defeated or buried.
Just why all of them have failed to
pass has never been satisfactorily ex
plained unless the explanation given by
Mr. Thurber In 1890 can be considered
as satisfactory. When asked to explain
it he gave the names of Gould, Sage,
Ames, Dillon, Eckhert, Astor, Morgan,
Corbin, Huntington and twelve other
millionaires who were interested in the
Western Union, and said that those
ames explained why It was that the
people could not own thetr own tel
egraph system. It is known that a
strong lobby is maintained at Wash
ington, and that franks are tendered to
members of congress; but passes and
franks, we are told, have no influence
on legislators.
Upon the face if the returns the
profits of the Western Union are by
no means excessive. Its capital stock is
$100,000,000. Upon this In 1898, K made j
a net profit of $6,090,151. 20, or a little
ever I per cent One Is almost sur
prised to find capitalists like those
whose names have been mentioned In
vesting their millions in an enterprise
which pays such paltry dividends. But
a little study of congressional docu
ments and official reports reveal some
Interesting facts. The original capital
stock of the Western Union, at its or
ganisation in 1868, was $386,700. By
1M$ some additional property had been
purchased and enough additional stock
issued to bring H up to $3,000,000, and as
the war was then on and business was
brisk the owners decided to still further
Increase the capitalization by Issuing a
a stock dividend of $3,000,000 more. The
nation's extremity was their oppor
tunity, and while brave men were giv-
tag up their lives at the front, they
carried the news home to sorrowing rel
ative? at rates which netted them a
year! , dividend of 10 per cent on
It i pit water and all. With these profits
ther were able tc purchase competing
parehaae being made the
at aa increase of stock vastly la
f the value of the property pur-
Bwt even thla method of in-
their capital waa toe alow aad
at thee, recourse waa hid to
ca cmla, Xa IMs the stecxheld-
rttt
s tea wttk tv
f J eri a tr:u
t ft ClS GZ ! stfT
to the
It is Impossble to say, but Hon. Johr
Wanamaker, ex-postmaster general, de
clares that "an investment of 11,000 in
1858 in Western Union stock would have
received up to the present time stock
dividends of more than $50,000, and cash
dividends equal to $100,0000, or 300 per
cent of dividends a year.
RATES COMPARED.
A comparison of the rates charged
by the Western Union with those
which prevail in other countries shows
very clearly how the Immense profits
are made. In this country messages of
ten words cost "!5 cents to $1, and from
2 to 7 cents for each additional word.
In Europe the usual rate is 10 cents for
twenty words, and from H cent to 1
cent for each additional word. In Bel
glum the rate for additional words is
less than cent each. In France the
charge is 10 cents for twenty words and
1 cent for each additional word. The
average charge for a message in Ger
many is 12 cents. In England the rate
is 1 cent a word, which includes de
livery within the limits of any town,
and within one mile of a postofflce n
the country. A message of twenty
words may be sent from any part of
France to the French possessions in Af
rica, a distance of 2,000 miles, for 20
cents. For transmitting a similar mes
sage the same distance in this country
the Western Union charges 90 cents.
But it is not necessary to cite foreign
examples in order to show that the
rates charged in the United States are
excessive. The Baltimore & Ohio rail
road maintained for a long time a tele
graph system under tremendous com
petition, and according to the testimony
of its officers made a profit out of the
business. The following are examples
of ltstariff: New Tork to Baltimore,
Philadelphia and Washington, 10 cents;
New Tork to Chicago, 15 cents; New
Tork to St Louis, 20 cents; New Tork
to New Orleans, SO cents. The present
Western Union rates are: New Tork to
Baltimore, 25 cents; New Tork to Chi
cago, 40 cents; New Tork to St Louis,
0 cents, and New Tork to New Or
leans, 60 cents. The lines of the Balti
more & Ohio were ultimately sold to
the Western Union for $5,009,000, not be
cause they were unprofitable, but be
cause the road was in financial straits
and something had to be disposed of to
avert disaster.
Some years ago an Independent tel
egraph line was established between
Chicago and Milwaukee. The company
began with a charge of 1 cent a word
and within two years, in spite of fierce
competition, the stockholders bad re
ceived 90 per cent of the cost of the line
in dividends. Then the tariff was re
duced to 6 cents for a message of ten
words, and at this rate the business
paid a dividend of 40 per cent a yeer.
WANAMAKER'S TARIFF SHEET.
After a most careful examination of
the question. Postmaster General Wan
amaker declared that "charges In any
one state and between stations not
more than 300 miles apart, should not
exceed 10 cents for messages of twenty
words or less, counting address and
signatures, nor over 25 cents for any
distance under 1,500 miles, nor over 50
cents for any distance." A syndicate of
New Tork capitalists offered to build
lines all over the country, supply the
operators, charge the rates suggested
and give the government 2 cents on
each message to pay for its collection
and delivery.
Mr. Wanamaker assumed that with
low rates prevailing the telegraph
would be used largely for family cor
respondence, and the assumption is un
doubtedly correct. In Belgium, under
high rates, only 13 per cent of the mes
sages related to family matters; under
low rates such messages formed 63 per
cent of the whole. -The president ot
the Western Union testified before a
committee on congress in 1890 that "46
per cent of the total business is purely
speculative stock Jobbing, wheat deals !
In futures, cotton deals in futures, pool
room, etc.; 34 per cent Is legitimate
trade; about 12 per cent is press busi
ness and about 8 per cent of it Is so
cial." In striking contrast to this was
the committee report that "in Europe I
where the cheap system prevails two-
thirds of all dispatches are on social or
family matters." In Europe the peo
ple own the telegraph and use it prin
cipally for purposes of family corres
pondence; In America a few Wall street
magnates own the telegraph and use it
chiefly for gambling purposes.
Under government ownership, in ad
dition to low rates the service would be
extended In every direction. Instead of
messages being delivered by boys who
ought to be in school, they would be
delivered by carriers similar to those
who distribute the mall. Instead of
operators being compelled to work from
ten to fourteen hours a day, as many
of them do now, the eight hour rule
would prevail. Instead of the wages
paid being the lowest for which em
ployes can be induced to work, they
would be reasonably liberal. Instead of
employment being subject to the ca
price of officials It would be governed
by civil service rules. The change
would benefit everyone except a few
New Tork millionaires who control the
Western Union, and who, unfortunate
ly, seem to control congress.
T. J. Smith completed the purchase,
at Galveston, Tex., of the Galveston, La
Port A Houston railroad by paying
$176,000. Rumors aay the Southern Pa
cific la backing the deal.
Funeral services were held at Chi
cago over the remains of Bishop Do
gan, who died at It Louis. Interment
was la Calvary cemetery,
TU tawtak distillery, Chi wink.
., waa partially wrecked by a boOet
Hugh If niton aad Jamas
were fatally oUi4.
FARMER MADE $50,000
TOOK SIX THOUSAND ACRES
ON WHICH TO DO IT.
An Experiment In Farming Which
Shows the Business Advantage
of Some Methods.
We know what the railroads did lsst
year; we know what the manufacturers
did; we know what the merchants did.
In a year, then, like 1898, when records
in so many branches of American in
dustry were smashed, what did the
American farmer do?
Balance sheets are, unhappily, scarce
among farmers; the few which are ta
ken are hard to get at; for these reasons
the one here presented is of especial in
terest It is not a paper farm; it is
not a paper balance; nor is It a paper
farmer who makes this showing. It is
what no American review has ever be-"
fore presented to its readers an actual
glimpse at the books and workings of a
model American farm. This farm, lo
cated in the state of Iowa, contains
8,000 acres and its business Is to pro
duce corn.
With this introduction Frank H.
Spearman says, in the Review of Re
views for March:
Laak first at the Investment and note
that the land was not bought In an
early day for a song, but within three
years and at the market price.
INVESTMENT IOWA CORN FARM.
Land 6,000 acres at $30 $180,000.00
Buildings 42121.64
biock 17.701. Zl
Machinery , 17,773.98
Total $258,496.83
The operation of this fsrm for 1S98
shows a net profit of over $50,000. Put
ting out of the comparison patents and
good will, neither of which contributed
to this result, what other line of bust
ness on an equal capitalisation can
make a better showing?
EXPENSE ACCOUNT OR THE FARM
FOR 1898.
Labor $13,921.9
House supplies 4.368.81
Beef
4,368.81
Taxes
Sundries
Freight
Twine
Hay
Insurance .....
Oil
Repairs .,
Legal expense
Fuel
1.553.06
760.00
.. 500.00
437.25
339.19
200.00
169.62
112.80
40.05
7.20
Total $23,794.04
Less credit by discount 105.00
Less road tax 43.26
Total ...$ 149.26
Net expense of the Iowa farm
for the 12 months of 1898.... $23. 644. 78
GROSS RETURNS FROM FARM.
215,000 gushels of corn 0 30c.. ..$64,500.00
20.000 bu. of wheat at 50c 10.000.00
28.000 bu. of oats for feed 7.850.00
Deduct the expenses 23,644.78
Net profit $50,855.22
A particularly valuable comparison
of the expense difference between run
ning a corn farm and a wheat farm of
equal size is afforded by the fact that
the owner of the Iowa corn farm also
owns and operates a 6,000-acre wheat
farm In the Red river valley of North
Dakota.
DAKOTA WHEAT FARM EXPENSE
ACCOUNT.
Labor $12,632.39
House supplies ..... 1,718.31
Taxes 1,202.90
Repairs 1,084.78
Machines 1,062.00
Twine 9S7.25
Fuel 495.90
Beef 462.80
Sundries , 649.10
Personal 254. 38
Freight 206.69
Oil 135. n
Beeed 83.81
Hay 22.50
Net expense $20,998.63
GROSS RETURNS FROM DAKOTA
WHEAT FARM.
Credits by wheat shipments ..$40,050.00
Less expense 20,998.63
Net profit In 1898 ...,..$19,051.37
For the wheat farm 1898 was an av
erage year, the yield being 18 bushels
per acre and the price an average one.
It has produced for its owner 17 suc
cessive crops, one of which netted him
$72,000.
The two expense accounts show curl
ous differences. In Iowa men are hired
for the entire crop season of eight
months at $18 and board per month. In
Dakota they are hired for the actual
seeding In the spring and the harvest
ing In the fall at from $1.50 to $3 per
day. In the end the labor, or money
wage account, is about the same thing,
as will be seen: but the house supply
account Is much heavier on the corn
farm.
On the corn farm the Item of repairs
was nominal, the plant under present
ownership being new, while the Items
of '.'repairs" and "machines" on the
wheat farm represent the average an
nual expenditure for replacing and
keeping up the machinery. Twin is
naturally the larger Item on the wheat
farm. The Ixwa farm supplies Its own
fuel. On the Dakota farm coal is re
quied. Here, too, note that the corn farm
Is planted with 800 bushels of corn,
costing $180, while to bed the whest
farm requires 8,000 bushels of wheat
worth In 1898 $8,000. Again, in Dakota
ISO acres of oats barley feed the 180
head of mules while In Iowa ISO acres
of corn feeds the same number easily.
These differences, together with the
eed difference and the twine differ
ence, sometime handicap the profit ac
count of the wheat farm $10,000 a year
to start with.
The eaeentlal of a profitable farm are
geod land, wall drained, but not too roll
la;, and accessibility to reasonable
transportation, six thousand acres, be
lay; about three miles sc. ears, make
the largest farm which can be oprated
to advantage from a central station
larger mileage simply means two or
more farms.
About April 1 men and mules move
on the fields In battalions. Four-home
seeders, four-horse harrows and six
horse gang plows maneuver for six
weeks like an army, sowing small grain
Dlowlne and planting corn. The min
ute the small grain la sown 31 corn
planters are put behind the plows, and
in this work lies the success or failure
of the crop. Note, for instance, the
pains taken in selecting the corn.
A perfect stand of corn is the first
requisite of a large yield. From a
choice piece of land planted with se
lected seed about 2,000 bushels of the
flneirt ears are taken. From these an
expert selects 600 bushels. These ear
are placed on racks in a building ar
ranged especially for a seed house.
Whatever the termometer registers in
Iowa, the temperature in that seed
house never falls below freezing. All
this Insures the highest possible ger
mlnating power in the seed, and that
alone might, in case of a cold, wet
spring, save the entire profit of the sea
son by producing a good stand.
The planting must of necessity be
done by machinery, and to secure the
maximum yield three seed kernels
must be dmpped In each hill. If five
drop In, that hill is lost to the profit
account; if only one, It Is partially lost,
But, perfect as American farming
machinery is, it does not leave the
actory perfect enough to Insure against
irregular planting. Patiently and by a
series of exhaustive tests the planter
plates are so adjusted to the sise of
the seed kernels for each year that they
will deposit an average ot 65 kernels
to every 20 hills, and not more than
four nor less than two in any one. So
great are the precautions that before
the seed Is shelled the tips and butts of
the seed ears are cut off to secure ker
nels of an even size.
Even after this delicate adjustment
of the best machinery In the world,
foremen follow the 31 planters and at
Intervals open hills to count the seed
deposits and make sure that each ma
chine Is doing its work. In addition, a
purse of $100 Is split Into eight prizes
between the eight men who do the best
work and whose teams mark the
straghtest rows. With such method is
it any wonder that the crop on this
farm averaged 60 bushels per acre.
against the average of 32 bushels as
given Iowa by the government report
for 1898?
When the 8,800 acres of corn are up
and ready, 76 two-horse cultivators are
put Into it The points In the first cul
tivation one way and In the second the
other wal is to get as close as possible
to the corn; but after the pains taken
to place It there no clod must be left
on a plant. The neia nana musi un
cover It and a foreman on horseback
behind each 20 men is held responsible
for his crew's work. In the third and
final cultivation the earth Is thrown up
against the plant, the small weeds in
the hill being smothered and the large
ones pulled by hand. It will be of In
terest to merchants and to theological
professors to learn that It is not the
weed in the row, but the one in the
hill which mars the beauty of the bal
ance sheet
The corn being now three feet high,
the interlacing roots and the overhang
ing stalks prevent further cultivation.
Into this field, approximating one mile
In width and six miles In length, are
sent In October 75 wagons and men for
the husking. Thl stakes 60 days and a
row of cribs 10 feet wide and 16 feet
high, half a mile long, are required
to hold the crop.
In harvesting the small grain It II
threshed directly from the shock, sav
ing the cost of stacking and handling.
Elevators provide against beating. A
further saving of from 6 to 8 per cent
over the operations of the small farmer
is effected by shipping to terminal point
instead of selling to local grain buyers.
Future options may also be sold against
a growing crop on market bulges at a
season when the small farmer could not
ordlirlly deliver his crop.
Tn s-,il is kept In a high state of fer
tility by a rotation of crops so arranged
that each piece of land bears three
crops of corn, next one of wheat In
which clover is sown, next one of clover
plowed under; then follow again the
three crops of corn.
The clover Is simply a fertiliser, a
portion only of the first crop being cut
for hay and the remainder plowed un
der to maintain the vitality of the soil.
The large roots act as a subsoller and
the decomposing vegetable matter re
stores the nitrogen taken by the grain.
In order that the mavlmum of field
work may be obtained, no "chores" are
required of the men other than the
cleaning of their teams. These are
fed, bedded and the barns cleaned by
barn men. The results on this farm are
are therefore secured by painstaking
care and thorough methods.
The question Is often asked. "What
does it cost to produce a bushel of
corri?" On this farm, the size of 35 or
dinary farms, with a 60-bushel crop
the cost was 9 cents per bushel to the
crib. For shelling, shipping and com
missions add another cent, making 1
cents in all. It Is evident, however,
that had this farm been divided Into 35
farms, with 35 cooks and families, 35
dooryards and waste lands, the ex
pense of raising a bushel of corn would
have been nearer 16 to 18 cents.
In any event, the cost varies from
year to year with the yield. The only
fixed estimate which the farmer can
give Is the cost per acre for producing
the crop. This remains always prac
ttcaliy the same, and Is, roughly speak
ing, $4-50 for small grain and $5 fot
corisk
The 1898 acreage of the farm was ap
proximately as shown In the following
brief table:
Com 2.7O0
Wheat 1.2W ;
Oats 70
Roads and trees 4W ,
Some Interest naturally attaches to
the man behind the gun the man who, I
In this Instance, has demonstrated that '
nothing pays better than farming
While the element of foreign birth and
ot oreign descent which has done sc
much to develop the northwest Is ad
mirable. It will still be a gratification
to learn that this successful fsrmer li
not of that element, but thst he ll
purely and distinctly American. H
comes from the stralghtest New Eng
land stock and bears the nsme of one ol
Hs most famous families. His ancestral
kindred were among the molders of th
republic, and represented their country
st the courts of England, Russia and
France; sat In presidential cabinets, la
congress and more than once In the
Whit bouse. The record almost spells
the name.
Less than 40 year of age,, he never
saw a day's work on a fsrm until he
bought on after b was 21. HI suc
cess rather Indicate that there still
ire farmer born, and that the capital
aad energy put Into the manufaetarlag
nd merchandising businesses, If ap
plied today to farming, will yiatd equal'
ly good returns.
CONSUMPTION OF BftR.
Some Startling Figures
Subject.
tfttf
The enormous Increase in the pro
luctlon and consumption of beer in
!he last few years Is attracting world
wide attention, .and both distillers and
n ine manufacturers are complaining of
the heavy inroads which this popular
beverage Is making in their business.
Although the per capita consumption
in England is many tlrnes greater than
m this country, it is rapidly growing
here, and brewers prodlct that within
She next five years the per capita con
umptlon of beer In this country will
be more than doubled.
The brewers of the United States
pay more than one-fourth of the eiitlre
nternal revenue, and the combined
capital of the breweries is more than
If all the breweries In the United
States were combined their aggregate
capita! would be more than that of the
lugar trust, tobacco trust, standard oil
trust and coal trust combined.
Rudolph J. Boeckhoff of the Home
Brewing company, St. Louis, has com
piled a number of interesting statistics
n regard to the production and con
sumption of beer, wheh wll prove
revelation to a majority of people.
The annual output of the breweries
of the world reaches the enormous to
tal of 199,006,017 barrels, which. If put
up In pint bottles, would fill 59.356.804,88(1
Oottles. If these pint bottles were pack
ed in cases of two dozen bottles each it
would require 2,473.2iiO0 cases.
Allowing 1,000 cases to the car, they
would nil z,473,ouo cars, wnicn wouia
make a train 98,928,0000 feet, or 18,717
miles long. If this train was separated
and made Into trains of 24 cars each
It would require 103,000 locomotives to
draw them, and at least 615,000 train
men to handle them.
If these trains followed each other
closely and were run at a rate of 20
miles an hour, it would take them 931
hours, or 39 days to pass a given point,
To make the cases in which to pack
this amount of beer would require 17.-
512.401,484 feet of lumber one foot wide
snd if the boards of this amount, of
lumber were laid end to end they would
nclrcle the globe at equator more than
131 times. To construct these cases it
would require 2,618,682 kegs of nails of
100 pounds each, or a total of 261,868,258
pounds of nails.
The annual production of beer 1n the
United States Is equal In value to five
times the output of voal in the United
States, twice the value of the wheat
crop, twice the value of the corn crop,
twelve times that of the production of
pig Iron, 20 times that of petroleum, 25
times the value of the production of
copper, 100 times that of lead, 150 times
that ot zinc and 35 times the value of
the lime produced In thjs country.
It la worth five times as much as
the cotton crop of the UnHed States,
nine times as much as the oats crop, 40
limes that of barley, 15 times that ot
potatoes, 150 times that of buckwheat
125 times as much as the flax crop, 110
times as much as the orange crop, 46
times as much as the entire grape crop
and three times as much as the total
hay crops of the Unltd States.
The world's output of beer Is valued
t six times as much as the hogs ot
the United States, four times aa much
as the cattle, 30 times as much as the
annua) production of wool, 20 time
that of gold and 30 times that of the
illver product. on of the United States.
It Is worth 200 time"i aa much 'as the
molasses manufactured in this country,
10 times as much as the butter and 15
limes the annual production of cheese
In the United States.
The textiles manufactured in the
United States are valued at only half
is much as the world's output of beer
ind the annual output of leather In
this country Is worth only half as
much as the beer produced In the
world, and the annual output of dis
tilled spirits in this country is worth
only one-ninth as much.
The average annual consumption of
beer for each Inhabitant of the world
ts four and one-third gallons, but If the
iverage consumption of the world waa
ts great as that of the United States it
would be nearly 12 gallons per capita.
If the world's per capita consumption
nas as great as that of Germany It
would require an annual output ot 1,
!54, 193.548 barrels, and If it was a
treat as that of Great Britain It would
require 1.765,161,284 barrels, Instead of
199,560,000.
In the German empire there are 21,50$
breweries and the annual sales of beer
reach 51,710,719 barrels. In Great Brit-
sin and Ireland there are 8.278 brew
tries and the annual sales ot beer reach
17.41,6293 barrels. In Austria and Hun
gary there are 1,725 breweries and 16,
140,322 barrels of beer are sold annu
ally. In the United States there are 1,(80
Breweries and the sales of beer amount
to 37,000,000 barrels annually. In Bel
rlum there are 2.977 breweries and 7,
100,000 barrels ot beer are sold. In
France there are 2,568 breweries and the
annual sales amount to 7,100,000 bar
rels. Russia has 1.127 breweries and
tells $.700,000 barrels of beer. Den
mark has 319 breweries and sells 1.500,
M0 barrels. Switzerland has 298 brew
tries and sells 1,400.000 barrels annual
ly. Sweden haa 631 breweries and sell
1,200,000 barrels. The Netherlands haa
151 breweries and sells 1.170,000 barrel.
Norway has 46 breweries and the sale
amount to 470,040 barrels. Roumanla
with 32 breweries sells 270.000 barrels.
British India has 37 breweries and sell
161,000 barrels. Luxembourg has 1$
breweries snd sells 106.000 barrels.
Spain has 40 breweries and sells 77,000
barrels. Italy ha 98 breweries and the
tales of beer reach 08,000 barrels, while
In Greece, where there are only nine
breweries, $8,000 barrel of beer ar
old annually. Bulgaria has 20 brew
Hie and tell 40,000 barrel of beer,
and servla, with 10 breweries, sell 41,
MO barrels.
. America ha the largest breweriea
b the world, the average production of
6 brewery being lt.tK barrels, while
those of Oreat Britain aad Ireland av.
rage 1,718 barrel aad thoe of the
empire eajy , carrei.
KNEW EDISON AS A TRAMP,
Death of D. O. Dyer Reoalls an In
cident In Life of the Inventor.
Jackson, Mich. Derrick O. Dyer, for
many years train dispatcher for the
Michigan Central railroad, died at his
home on the Belden road south recently
from Brlghfs disease. Mr. Dyer had
been a telegrapher for forty years. Just
at the close of the war he was sta
tioned at New Orleans. "One day,"
Bald Mr. Dyer some months ago, "a
gawky-looklng fellow walked In and
asked If I wanted any help. I was In
charge of the office at that time, and
as we needed an operator I replied that
If he could do the work he could get
the place. He looked seedy In the ex
treme. His clothes never cost a large
amount and were worn and frayed. The
man's general makeup hardly suited
me, but in those days we met all sorts
of people, so I thought I'd give the man
a chance to earn a few dollars, If noth
ing more.
" 'Can you send and receive in good
shape?' I asked him as he stood gazing
about the room and looking at the In
struments. " 'Oh, 1 guess I can do. anything ot
that sort all right,' he said, and Just
to try him I replied: 'Sit down here a
few minutes at this table. I am pretty
well tired and want a smoke anyway,"
" 'Say,' said the newcomer, 'I'd like
a smoke myself if you have any spare
tobacco. Mine gave out at the town be
low here.'
HE WAS A DANDT.
"I got him a cob pipe, filled It up and
he sat down meanwhile and took up my
pencil. I had meanwhile broken off
the report which was coming In like a
shower. I forget what It was about
but something, I remember, about Ben
Butler. My light-haired friend lighted
his pipe, swung one leg over the cor
ner of the table, opened the key and
leaned back In his chair and began to
write. I watched him for a few mo
ments, and then went to get a whiff ot
air, for It awful hot. It was over halt
an hour when I came back, but he sat
there puffing away like a contented far
mer, laying aside sheets of copy as if
he was really resting.
"Hard work,' I said, coming up to
take my place again. 'Oh, no,' he
drawled as he closed the key for a
moment and lighted his pipe again.
Such work as this never mothers me,
some way. Lie down and take a nap
and I'll finish this report
"I did, for I was pretty well beat out
ne woke me up a couple of hours later
to say '30" was In. His copy was like
print, even and handsome. Tou will
do all right, I guess. We give $10 per
month.' He paid no attention to what
I said and I spoke to him again and
said: 'Are you a little hard of hearing?"
"He said he was. 'How do you lake
matter from the wire. then. I should
think it would bother you." 'It mlrht
some folks," he said in his slow way.
but It don't bother me any. Didn't
you see I put my leg on tne lamtj
when I began to "take." That's the
way I hear. It's really easier than
taking by the ear when you are used
to It.'
IT WAS EDISON.
What's your name, please; I must
put It on the list with the other boys?
Tom Edison," he said; 'but if you
want to be exact but an "A" in." I
had never heard of Edison at that
time, nor had anyone else, I guess; but
It was he. He worked five months for
me, then he wouldn't stay any longer.
"He didn't have any money when he
left, but I gave him a $5 bill for a lot
of machines he had Invented while he
was there. He slept the least of any
man I ever knew. He did not mind
about his meals. One each day seemed
to do as well aa three. Food seemed
a matter of Indifference to him. He
would eat what was given him. I'll
bet I have wakened In the night (we
roomed together, for I liked him from
the start) hundreds of times and found
Edison pegging away on some little
invention for the office. He was one
ot the slowest men I ever saw In a
general way. He wouldn't hurry If
the house was on fire. Generally I
figured It out that he never slept over
two to three hours In the 24.
"He was always broke, because he
paid out his money to get things for
his Inventions. We all thought he was
a bit daft in those days.
WAS DEAD BROKE.
'1 remember his coming back to me
one night looking blue. 'Say, dick," be
drawled out In ii gloomy tone, ,'I
haven't got but 75 cents and it's five
days to the pay wagon." "We couldn't
get lick down there those times. I
said, 'Never mind, I'll lend you what
you need." "That wasn't what I men
tioned the subject for," he said. The
Idea Is this: We get more than we
ought to, don't weT I said I guessed
I wasn't beating the hotel any. 'Well,
now, you see. I'll Ive the next five
days on that 76 cents. I won't go
hungry, nor owe a cent at the end.'
He did It Some days he didn't eat
at all, then he would buy a loaf ot
bread and a piece of meat take them
to our room and make two or three
meals oft that
"Finally, one day he drifted off. X
gave him a letter to help him, and It
was a long time before I found him on
the wire again. He said he had saved
$75 and was going back north. He
wanted to get a machine rigged up, he
and was going horn to do It"
When Edison became famous Mr.
Dyer wrote him and received Invita
tion to visit Menlo Park, but he never
went He was quite as odd In some
thing aa waa Edison, and quite a clev
er Inventor himself. He never tired.
though, of telling how Edison cam la
and took the message with oae leg
over the table and the cernoob pipe to
hi mouth.
"He seemed to be ta a state of ab
solute beatitude," said Mr, Dyer,
laughing as be told the tery.
