FHE D B TWELVE PAGES , TWELVE PMGES. TW13NTTE-SECON D YEAH. OMAHA , THURSDAY JIOKNINO , SIJttTEMBEK lit , 18.)2-T\VKLVE ) \ VAr.ES. IS'UMDKR 88. WIRES A8D WORKERS Etory. of the Invention of the Magnetic 0 "Tologiap'a Ericfl ; Told. 'AMERICAN GENIUS WON LASTING GLORY Early Exp3riancea and Rapid Ez'.oasion of ' " - the Telegraph Lines. PIONEERS OF THE HEW ART IN REUNION Old Timers and Surviving Armj Tolog- rapheis Meet in Omaha. x THEY MADE A NEW EPOCH IN HISTORY Onmlin Urcctft Tlirm with Opnu A rum hki'tcho * < ( Noted Ti'lncr-ipliors Itt inlnlsccncc * ( if ( )1 < I Tlmrft mill tli Army hurvlou. Tno members of the Socloty of the United B'lUes ' Military Telegraph Cores anil of the Old Tlmo Telegraphers association urs now holding their annual reunions in Omaha. Thojo f ontlomon nro the planners in cnoof the most wonderful inventions of the ages. They nro epoch milkers , and Omaha has opined Its heart and its arms in n warm wel i come bcfltlluc the honor of entertaining so remarkable and distinguished a body of mou. Yostcrdny the visitors were shown many i.ttonllons , concluding with u banquet at tha Mlllard last night , and the survivors of the nrmy telegraph sorvlco held their annual business mooting. A rnporl of these pro ceedings will bo lound clsawhero In this Issue. INVENTION or TIII.IMJKAIMIY. iin'rlnieiiti : | ill Hurly I'ivoills tor < OriMvnril liy AuiiTlc.in Ceiilni. The various stops by which the magnetic Iclutraph was evolved forms ono of the most Interest ing chapters in Uio history of scion- ttho roscnroh nnd achievement , and the date of its successful operation marks an epoch in the progress of the world. Llko all great nchlcvemunts , it. was not compissed in uduy. Generations xvcro born and passo.1 away nftcr its llrst incnp'.lon , each adding its mite to the already cxluing knowledge of tlio electrical science , before tha initial discov eries of G.ilvnni und Volti , of Oersted and of Ampere \vero merged into that , mir.iclo of Human Ingenuity , the toleirraph ol today. The history of the oloctrio telorapu maybe bo said to huvo hud its beginning a llttlo over n century aeo. That electricity existed as nn element liua boun known many years before , . .but the discoveries of Galvar.l in IT'.iU und of Volta In 1830 Mrs ; btoaght to light the princi ple from which aubsiquont ingenuity has ovolvca the telegraph of today. Ualvnni Uoinonbtnitod that electricity could ho prod - d u cod by the chemical action of aclJs upon inctnls. und too galvanic battery still cxibts to immortalize his achievement. With the discovery of galvanism the Bclenco of clcolrology oinorgaJ from the shadows of obscurity and Incredulity nnd came to be regarded as an element of practical utility In the scientific world. But its subsequent development was slow and Etc. laborious. la 1800 the discovery of ( Jalvanl was conllrmed und brought into moro promi nent notice by thu researches of Volta , and torn. the discovery ot oleotro-matrnollsm by Prof. Oersled In 1810 was a step of no lltllo im portance toward the utilization of thu elec tric current as a voulclo for human thought. An litirly Attoinpt. The discovery of I'rof. Oersted was practi cally demonstrated bv M. Ampere , nn emi are nent French physicist , who invented an electro-magnetic tolepr.iph in which ho used as many wires ns there wcro loiters In thu nlpnabot and broke nnd restored the circuit by keys arranged much the sumo as the key board of . But M. ' a piuno. Ampere's inven ; ith tion was purely experimental and was never brought to practical uses. 'I he power to cm- ploy a single wire by using the earth to completetho circuit and of mnklng the magnetic current record Its ulterancos in distinct characters was left to n future generation to discover. The possibility of transmitting the electric current ever long distances was demonstrated by I'tof. Joseph Ilonry of Princeton collcso UilBUl. und two years later Weber , n Gor- innn electrician , fauna that a copper wire strung from stcoplo to steeple over the city of Goltinuen requited no insulation. In 1637 the Hist attempts were made to npply olecttlcal .scicnco to practical pur poses. In July of that year n registering dcctro-mngnolio tclcgrnpli was constructed between Munich nnd llogcnhauscr. liy which n n line f ribbon was passed under a deflected nccdlo by clockwork and received the Im press of dots ntul dashes which represented the letters of thu alphabet. About the sumo tlmo a patent was granted to Cocko und Whcatstono in Encland for a simitar Inven tion. Hut it was reserved for Amcilcan in genuity nnd ontorpnso to mcrgo tbo discov eries of the past Into the most subllmo ochlovomont of modern sclunco and togivo to tbo world an invention that would changotho cnllro social , commercial and sciontilio com plexion of the ago. Tliu Worlt oT Murxc. The name which moro limn all others Is In timately associated with the history of the telegraph Is tlial of Samuel Findlay Brccso Worse of Now York. I'rof. Morse waf born ntCtiarlcstown , Mass. , April ID , 17'Jl. ' Ho was educated at Yule college and took bis degree In 1H10 , Ills tlrst ambition was to Become an artist , nnd the year after his graduation ho went to London to stuuy under Honumln ] West. Ho relumed to America In Iblfi and tollowod his profession for some yours , at the snino tlao developing an ardent pnssicm for scicntlllc eiudles. 1) Hi-Ing this period ho founded the Njitloal | | Aendomy of Design In Now Vork nnd was Its president a number of yours. In IB'JD ho again visited Kuropo , and It jiorv- " was on his voyage- homo thrco years later on aole f-"J ! tliu puckotsblp that ho conceived the Idea of tint recording telegraph wtilch boars his namo. Krom the moment that thut idea bnd bcvu Biirccusfully canlad out bis triumph was M complete. Ho wont frequently abroad nnd win received like a prince ( intend of u plain American citizen. Ho was made n member of most , of the learned societies of both con tinents and was prmuntod with the decora tions of numerous orders. I'rof. Mono In described ns a man In whom simplicity und energy were tbo pruuamlnani irults. Ho was generous In hU disposition nnd loyal in his friendship ! . On Juno 10 1ST ! , ho was piosontnt the unveiling of a 1C bronze stutuo of himself ut Central Park NuwCYorlf , and till Init uppeurunco In pubilo vu uHhO'Unvellins of thu Hta'uoof Hon- liuiiln Franklin In New i'ork In the follow ing January , Hu died In New Yoric cltv AMllU'.lh7J | , mid wu followed to his grave liy many of the most Illustrious porsoimcs ; ; of the ate. . . lloeliinniKi ut thw .Mo mo Sjntrin , The tlrst attempt of Prof. Morse to prac tlcullv demoiutrato his idou was In the uul veraity of New York in 1633. Savontooi hundred foot of wire were strung uround thu room and connected with a rudely con Urncteu recording inucnluo. Tuo export proved tbo practicability of the tele rnph , nnd the next few yours wcro spent In lorfectinjr the invention. It was not until 1MI that the llrst electro- mupnctlc telost'iiph line was established In ho United States , It Mat forty mlles In ongth , extruding from Haltitnoro to Wash- nclon , nnd was built bv government aid , Jn Muy 27 , 1841 , the words , "What hntti jlod wrought , " wuro limbed over the wire , nd the tirst tolegruph message had been uccessfully transmitted. A sloes company vns then formed , of which Amos Kendall vas president. Other Inventors , among vhom were Uain , Hotiso nnd Hughes , pai nted tclograph systems , which dlf- cr d In some icspects from hat of I'rof. Morse , nnrt suhirquent Im- irovomonts in electrical ai > , > llinco3 have irought the tclograph to lu present perfoc- Ion. Ion.Two Two dnyi after the opening of the line bu- wccn v\ashlngtoi : nnd Uiltlmore , wbon the democratic n < itlonnl con veil lion ut Baltimore nominated Jatnus K. 1'olK nnd Sitai Wright or president nnd vlco president , Vail , the operator nnd electrician ni Daltlmoro. sent ho new ? of Urn nomination to I'rof. .Morse. \ \ ho was holding down the Washington end of the wire In the cnpllol. I'rof. Marso irotnplly carried the dispatch to Slla-t Wriuht. then a United States senator from Now York. Senator Wright later In the Iny sent n telegram to BMtlmo-o , or rather florae sent It for him , declining the nomiua- lon , but the Intelligent dumocraltc conven tion , thoroughly imbued with the doubt * and skepticism ot Unit duv about the fact of : clucrn | > uy , was too Incredulous to credit the truth of tbo dispatch , und upnotntad n corn- nlttco to co to Washington and vjrlty it. They returned the next d.w with Mr. Wright's written nnd formal declination , and til ? ronvontlrvi subsequently nominated Mr. Dallas for tbn view presidency. Itaplil ( ironth ot tlio Tctugriipli. In 1SI. > n line w&s complqtod between Now York und Wilminston , Del. , but the gup ba- twren Wilmington nnd Baltimore was not tiled In until Into In lijtii , und lor some time lows of hiutlos In Mexico was wired from Washington to Ualtlmcr , then taken by mail to Wilmington anil llicnco wired to Now York , or rather to Jersey City , for there was novlro coaimunichtlon between Jersey Ci'y nnd thij mctropalls of the now world until lain in ISIS. In 1S4'1 ' lines from New York o Hnston nnd fiom Albany to Quffalo were built nnd It was not until ISlTthat Now York nnd Albany and Philadelphia and Plttsburg wcro connected. vVashington had extended its wires south only us tar as Petersburg , Vn. , late In 1817 and Now Orleans was reuchud by the coast line in 1830. Enrlv in ISIS Chicago , then u barg with onlv 'JO.OOO nliatiiUnts , was ( list favored with telegraphic - graphic communication with the furuwiw east. Cincinnati roacnco out to St. Louis in 1S48 , nnd In the winter of 1S4S-19 n line was completed from Louisville to Now Orleans. Hoston shook hands with Portland , Mo. , St. Johns and Halifax In IS51. This epitome of early nroL'ross carries the ilcetrla telegraph ever Its llrst six years of oxlstenco in this country , nnd two years liter , in 1852 , whoa ttmru was quite a"n ox- tmisivo network of wires uxtondlog from Halifax to Now Orleans nnd from Now York to St. Louis the wildcat dream of telegraph niiiilneers and electrician- ? was only to estab lish communication between the Atlantic and Pncillc coatls. Henrv O'Kmlly , ono of the most energetic and pjrs vering of telc- praph projectors in thoie oarlv days , urged congress bv tnomorlilt in ISVi to uiuibllsh lelegruphiu und letter mad communication with the Pacillccoast. As late ns IS.Vi the Idea of connecting America with Europe by ocean cables was regarded us uttcrlv absurd , but tlu Borinif sea route was talked of bv electricians ns feasible. What was then considered 111 ab surd is now nn accompli lied , caiv , cheap fact , and what was thought feasible the licrlnir sea or land route has been aban doned after a costly but unsuccessful at tempt to roach Europe via Alaska and Siberia. In ISoO there were morothanflftydiffercnt companies In operation In the United States , and competition v/as so sharp bolwi'cn New York and Boston thut messages of tun words were sent for ' . ' 0 cunts , wnllo at the same date the rates from Now Yorlt to Now Or- ieuns were ? J.-IO for ten words for both com merciol business Mid press dispatches. The press , after the first telegraph lines wcro put in operation , soon began to use- them for tbo transmission of news. The expanses were heavy , nnd tha blunders of the telegraph inanv , consequently the dispatches wcro brief and frequently unintelligible. I'reas PUpatuIics , Tbo Baltimore Patriot was the llrst newspaper to use tbo telegraph , the Mor > o line batwcon Washington and Baltimore , to obtain news in the winter of IS 11- ! . " ; . I n the foil of 18111 news dHUitchu ? wore sent to nowsoupars between Now York and Wash ington , but it was an irragular , uncertain nnd slow service , and continued so for live or six years. An amusing Incident , illustrative of thu cnlororiso and of the dilllcultlos pressmen had tooDntoiid with , happened In Ibh. The whig convention met , at Philadelphia that year , and the Now Yjrkirs deter mined to get tbo news of tno noml- natio&s at tbo earliest poislblo mo ment. Jersey City was the northern end of the line , and dispatches had to bo curried over the ferry to Now Yoric city. But the Now York press mon , in order to gain time , devised a plan to flag the nnir.o of the presidential nominee across tbo river. There were two leading candidates General Tnvlor anil Henry Clay ono of whom was sum to pot the nomination. ThodNpluy of n white llae on the Jersey City side meant Taylor's nomination , or n red Hag , Clay's. The reporters who davhod this scnomo know nothlnc about a similar system of flag ging stock cxuhaugo news from Now York to Jersey City , add so It happened that when the prosn reporter who was stationed on Corilunatstraat pier saw a whlto flag wav ing in tha hands of a broker nun on the Jersey soy City dook he hastened to the telegraph o til res nnd nominated General Tavior throughout the north und east , nnd hundreds of BUOS were fired that night by whlgs to cPletirato the ovont. As a matter of fact , however , General 'Jaylor was not nominated by tha convention until the noxl day , nnd so it turned out thut this was not what news paper mon would call a take It was a scoop , though , nnd n queer one , too , Tno Now York reporters had only scooped themselves , for they hud to repeat peat tuo sumo news the next day. WAK ori'itiK < ui'iiiiiiit. limy unil Successful Ciircuruf HU Olil Tlinn Mr. George C. Maynard , now an electrical engineer \Vnstilticton , IX O. , commenced telegraphing on tba Speed line at A up Arbor , Mil. ( IKOIKli : COI.TON MAY.VAltl ) Mloh. , when bo wu llftoon year * old. Ilo served at operator , messenger , batterymai und line repairer while tbo one , rusty , No. I wire of thu Erlo & Michigan oampany developed oped Into the oxtcnilvn nnd substantial sys tem of the We.torn Union , and took a hand at railroad toleKrupblng oil the Mlcbigai Central. Tbo war called him into the mill tary telegraph corpit whcro bo served a * Ipher operator , being ono ol tha most vol uble men In the Wur dpparttna.it ortlcc. Sub' eqii"ntly ho became chief oparator of ho Western Union nt Winhlnpton , ami in b U ho went to the signal onico to organize ho weather reporting scrvlco. Two yoiw ator ho resigned from government omoloy to engage In buslticis ns constructor of tolo- grarib llnoi ntul In gouor.ii electrical business , vhich ho still continues. Hn nsslstcd G ra il u in Hell In bis early telephonic work and Inco that time has boon lamely Interested n the telephone business , at well as oloctrln lent and kindred enterprises. Hols n prominent writer on telegraphic subjects nnd roproionu the Electrical II- view in Washington. Last year ho was proi- dent of the Old Tlmo Telegraph a sociatlon nnd Is now the f ccretary of the American Association of Inventors of whioti the in ventor of the Galling gun Is president. : V AIU : viriit.vss. : : r\v I'lonoori In tin ! , M iiljr.i Kovoliitton nt rcoo. . George M. Dugan of Jackson , Tenn. , super ntcndcntot telegraph forthti Illinois Centra railroad , Is onu of tha oldest telegraphers in continuous service In tbo world. He learned M. DUOAN' . the art In 1S."JO , almost ut tba very boglnninc of the business , und Isor.o of tha bait known nnd mr > st popular men in tba service. ciuiii.r.s TAYI.OII , Charles Taylor , manager for the Western Union at Frankfort. ICv. , Is nn old timer with a very wide acquaintance. Ho has bnd an extensive experience in various important ' positions and' is very popular among mem bers of the service. J iiisr IN I > INVIK. : A Votcr.iu lu liuth thu K.ittpru unit Western Sorvlco. B. F. Woodward [ of Denver entered the Philadelphia oftlco of the Atlantic & Ohio Telogiuph company in ISVJ , when there wus no railroad in Pennsylvania west of Hunt ing-ton. In 1S5I ho was sent to Pittsburg. Tbd Western Union line was extended to that city from Cleveland in Ibo5 , and six months later Mr. Woodward was mndo manager for that company. Ho volunteered in ISOi for service In the military telegraph , und after a month at Washington wns commissioned cipherer at General Peck's headquarters at Suffolk. Va. , the advanced post of the Army of the Pete mac. In tha following sprin ? ho reslgtiod with tha munition of going to California , but Hiboard at Onialu parsuadnd him logo to Denver to take chnrgo of nn onico for u linu about to be built to tha' . place. Tbo metropolis of the new e'dorado ' was 200 miles from the tulograph and clamorad for a line. E ( ward Crcighton raised u sub scription of over $ JOOOJ , and the line was opened October 10 , Ib03. The tuilff on ton words wnsi ! .10 toCbloigo , f 9.10 to Now York nnd j'J.'J.'i to Boston. In u stiort lima Mr. Woodward was given an assistant in tlio pur- son of Samuel Reynolds , afterward of tbo linn of Ko.vnolds Bros. , shoo manufacturers at Ulicu. N. Y. . now wealthy und retired. In Ib07 Mr. Woodward retired from the Western Ur.ion und organized the United States & Mexico Telegraph company , which built lines from D.-nvor to Cheyenne and SanU EV. It wns subsequently absoibed by the Western Union , unil Mr , Woodward be came superintendent of the latter for Colorado rado and New Mexico , lu 1875 ho was up- pointed tclccrnphlo superintendent of tha Denver & Hio Grundu railroad and con structed the most perfect system of railroad wires then In tbo country. Ho retired from this position In 18SI , nnd slnco then has glvon bis whole tlmo to private Interests , having been Idontlllod with many of tbo notable enterprises of Denver. IN 1JAVS ( IF OLD. The Uoclclt'4 of Tlielr llo.u'ts uro Warmed by ftmnlnUcciiriH. One of the most pleasant features of tha reunion of the old time telegrapher * is tbo revival of old memories tbat have slumbered since days long gor.u br. Sim ? of tbo old- timers have beou participants in many scenes , stirring , humorous nnd pathetic , and many are the uxporloncoj called to mind by thoslehtof the old familiar faces. Among the men who nrrlvoJ yesterday was Colonel W. I ) . Wilson of Philadelphia ; superintendent of telegraphs lor the Penn sylvania road , and W , J. Dzaly of New Yorlt. Colonel Wilson taught Mr. Doaly the Morse alphabet thirty-five years ago. Mr , Doaly thought ho was not cut out lor an operator , but his tutor was convinced that bo wus and finally saw him begin ai the bottom of the ladder , Mr. Dealy Is now the Now York manager of the Western Union. William Wlluy Smith , now manager of the telephone company ut Kansas Cltv boL'an Ufa as u telegraph operator In 1SVJ. Amontr Ins early experiences wns the following , which ho related to a group of his old com- radoi ; "In tho'.10's ' I wus employed by the New Orleans .t Ohio Telegraph rompany nt Louis ville , und wus assigned to the Notv Orleans wire. On Thanksgiving day I was loft ulono In the oillco , tno other operators having cleared their ' .vires of business und gone. The morning being cool I hud pulled my chulr up to tnostovf , and with my clip of paper on my knee wns receiving from Now Orleans , my Instrument being some ton feet awuy. A gentleman , a stranger to mo , found bis way Into the room , and stood watching me. Pretty soon I had finished , und golnir to my table gave Now Orleans the sign ' 0,1C.1 and 'Good Morning. ' Then tbo gunllmnun asked mo whutl hud boon doing while tilting ut the stovo. I replied : 'I was rncolvlng from New Orleans , ' Said ho : 'Can you do that so fnr away f I answered : 'Certainly , the room Is quiet.1 Then ho nsked 'Arc tor I' Isold : you our now oporn : 'I am now hero , but hardly know whom I belong to.1 After a few tnoru questions ho left without tolling mo rvho lie wus , I learned aftui wards that It wus Dr , Norvla Green , president of tbo company I was then working for , and now prosulant of tbo West ern Union , I had made u hit. Tbo doctor bad uot seen it uooo before , und thought I was n wonder. Any of the men could have doao as I did , bat ho did hot npnrbclito u. " Among iho chnr.ictor * who ate known to every old-timo operator is Boenrdu' , or "Bogy" ns bo Is morn commonly known. "Bojyu Is n typical spodmen of the genus tramp , nod there Is scarcely n tclornphor In tno United Slntes who' "bus tn > t nt some time encountered .pirn. "Boity" bus stolen moro rides , tramped moro miles nnd per formed more ubiquitous trials than nnv man In Iho country. His , acqiialntnr.co is nn lim it ml , nud hU clieok U always on draft. Whllo JcssoBunncllof Now Yorlt wasdlnlnc nt the Mercer last evening , a porter entered nnd hinded him n soiled nnd ctumplod bit of paper. Ho unfolded U nud deciphered Ibo following : ' " ' 7J' I'm broke sohd " , me f I , Boov. Tbo request wns honored ut once , nnd n quartet of veterans who had boun waiting oulsldo tbo door received thu slmoteon , and went outstda to tmvo'n drink and n laugh on Bunncllo. J. tt. Bunnoll , who Is nt the head of n big electrical supply housn lu New York , wns found by a reporter In coaipany with J , J , Dickey nnd Captain Palmer ut the Omahn club. During iho lat : war , Mr. Bun- i ell was stntloaed as operator ut the headquarters Of GoncraMMcClollatt. ' nnd Burn ides tint ' til ISO , when ho , wus ordered west and served rcspecT lively at the head quarters of Hoso- , oranz. Thomas nnd S h o r m n n. "Thi , old war telegraphers - V ors now In yourJ { city , " said Mr. I Bunnoll , "nro men * lancing in ago- J. it. IIUXXKI.L , ISO ! , from 47 to ( Ki years. lu the o stirring days they were nearly all yery young man , from It ! up to'J3or . * " 1 can understand1 now , nt this Into day , why the commanding generals , gravbnircu men , ns many of them ; were , exercised such n peculiar interest In us , ' Wo were all boys' , were lads , ns were the bonn and slnoiv of the great army that put down Iho rebellion and preserved the union. Why , I have boys of my own now , older than we were when doing our perilous work in the field. I have only 10 close my eyes and look back IhroUgh tbo dim vista of all these intervening years and Iivo over Ibosa old days. J cannot refrain - frain from adding that it Is a source of un alloyed gratlllcation to know loday thut a fair number of thosp youthful war teleg raphers have become tnoro or less promi nent in this busy commercial world of ( ours. They are to bo found In the railroadstlnanco , journalisms and manufacture nud ' have Rotten along well , Mr. Uoscwalcr of tour city being a brlght'tjnd shining example. When I remember Mr. Uosewaler he.wus on duty in the secretary of war's olllce. " VirUUAN 'lilU'AUHIR. When Wire * Wcro KrYetohpd Across the Mlixoiirl < i'nMitits. . It Is possible that * Gjorgo Gardiner ot Omaha , line rebalror foij the AVojtern Union , Is the old.'st man in , America in length of continuous service lu nil department of the business. On NovemioT irt lSOl , ho wns cmploved ov Manager' B. Hiso-.vator of tha Atlantic & Puolllu Telegraph comoany , nnd ho UU3 continued u-ilh'tjlmt company und its successor till tha present. For two years Mr. GirdinQ V then n , young man , cleancd.battcric iid carried massages ns well as repaireif lices } nnd when bo was out of town anolherboy jyas unpaged to act as mojsanger. which quite forcibly Indicates the change In the teloirnph business of Omaha. There was'onlv ono line west , and Iho young repairer liau'luruuletlon ni fur as Columbus. " " There being-tio railroad , bo had ' to make his trips by wagon or'on horsooack , and tha Insulators of these davs wcro so un- wieldly that ho could carry but two on ono side of bis saddlebags. From the east came one wire , which crossed the Missouri 'nt ' u narrow point about a milo and n' half north of Paruam streot. On either sido.of Ihn river was a must 100 feet high , and the single WHO was stretched from ono to tbo other. Several years later musts 12T feet bi h wore substi tuted , end they carried 'ten ' wires. At ono lime it was intended to. use a cable and ono was bought and brought to Omuha. It Wns never laid because the .channel of the river shifted so often It was thought it , vould beef of only temporary sorvlco. The Great West ern co'mpuny sunk a cablu in thu river about ISOd , but it never worked. When tbo fas. Union Puciflo bridge was completed Ihe telegraph company sought to siring its wires across ibo river ou that structure , but It only succeeded after oVycar's light. To the south ihera was onu vlro along the highway known ns the 'St.foo road. This was maintained until two or three yours ago , although it was necessary to use teams in keeping It in repair. The oillco , when Mr. Gardiner entered tbo dcrvice , wns on thu second floor of tbo bulldin ? at Fourteenth and Farnnm streets , now occupied by Van Colt'H juwelry store , und later it wns moved to the rear of the second floor of iho Hcllman block ut Thirteenth nnd Farnnm. The busi ness has increased so greatly that Gardiner's work Is now almost wholly In the city , ana bo has to have assistants * lo keep lha Omuha lines in order. DKAWN ruoji TIII : HANKS. Ills Ollleo Mailo Too Warm JlyAu Unuvl- eoinu MiL'll , Mr. William II. Woodrlng , general manager of ibo Kansas City Elec trical works , was born in 1811 , in Pennsylvania. Ho begun telegraphy In Frcoport , III , , In 1855 , first us a messenger , but / > < wus soon promoted * ' .vt V I tonnoporatorshlp. Ilo wns manager of ibo tfllco ut Hock Island , at breaking out of lha wir , but rajignnd and enlisted as a private sojdlcr In Iho Thir teenth Illinois iufmitrj , Hu sorvcd with the rcplmcnt In thu'lioldl until March , 18U2 , when ho was detailed'onf the order of Major General Hallcclc wlth.ordow to report for duty to the superintendent o ( military tele graph , Major George II. iSmltb , nt St. Louiii. Wooarlng wus seat to ijobauon , Mo. , but in three months was prdwod to Sprlngllold , Mo. , where ho remainedawo years at mili tary headquarters , I In January , ISM , , tbo [ town was attacked by a largo forca nt ( ho ohamy under General Marmaduko , Into yovornbr ot Missouri. Mr. Woodrmg uud bis nsslstantu armed them , selves and assisted In repulsing tbo enemy , doing duty in the forts , rltlo pits , and bohltid Iho sheltering shade rcos , within short mubket range of tha attacking pnrty. Tbo engagement lasted serci ) hour * . Ono of the assistants , Henry J , Ilriffes , was killed while In the r.ct of llrinif bis last ourtrldco at the rebels , who had runchodja point within itoo yards of tbu buadquartors building. Woodrlnu returned to ( ho onico uvery hour during the battle to report by telegraph to department headquarters ut St. Louis. Going to tbo oftlco at 'duslc , ' ho bad quite a lively experience , rjtiells wcro Hying in close proximity to headquarters when ho got thoro. Ilo was lu tbo act of lighting a bracket oil lump whun a shell crushed through the side of tha bullalne , passing within a few feet of bis head. U struck tbo brick fireplace , bounded back and rolled be tween bis font and tbo wall. Ho hurriedly disconnected hU inftrurnonU and took them to the quartermaster's supply building , four blocks' away , and there opened a tempo rary ofllco. Tha onuiny soon uftor cut and destroyed the wires ( or many mllou.tlius proventlng further voroniunlc-atlou with St , Louis. , ' Thu next Oay tbo general In command gave Wood ring an escort of twenty-ono nun und Instmctca him to proceed eastward along the telbcrapi road until ho could open communi cation with St. Louis. The enemy had re. treated over ttilt roud and lu order to ob struct iho wny ns much as possible stretched the cut wires across it , fastening them to fences nnd trees on cither side. The party only traveled tun miles thut evening. Cnmpint ; nt noon the next Ony , twenty-live mUo.i Out , the escort , composed of state tnllitia , hold n consultation and nil but ono man dcMod to return to Springfield , Woodrlng called for volunteers to accompany him. Hob Bates , his repairer , nnd ono soldier responacil , Thov reached the picket line nt Lebanon after dark nnd at uexdqunrtcrs were cordially received. After A hasty supper WooJrlng sent hli dispatches and received tlio hearty congratulations of all the operator * alonu the line , tboy bavlttg heard that Sprmcllcld had surrendered. The sergeant In command of the escort on returning to Springfield wus nrnistcd , cadrimarilalcd for cowardice and reduced to tbo ranks. lu June , lblt ; , Woodrlng revisited Illinois on n furlough ot thirty dnvs and returned to Sprincllold with n charming young bride. The following year ho wns sent to Fort Smith , Ark. , whcro he remained until Sep tember. In October , in company with three other good operators , bo was sent to thu De partments of Washington nnd the Potomac , which were in creat need of operators dur ing tba siege of Petersburg and Kichmoiul. Woodrlng served In tha War department onico nt Washington a short time and was sent thence to Fortress Monroe , the main re pealing station between Grant's hoadqunrtcrs nnd Washington. Ho returned to St. Louis In November , 1SOI , and went nt o-co 10 Sprluglleld , III. , where bo wns mustered out , Having been In the government servlco tbrconnd one-hulf years , In January , 1S05 , ho was appointed manager of tbo telegraph ofllco at Kt. Joseph , nnd wns chief operator of tba Kansas City ofllco from 1S7S to IbSO. Ho then loft the telegraph scrvlco to engage In other pursuits. Mr. Wondrlng has several war rellos.nmong them the nncxplodod shell which was thrown into the ofllco ut Springfield. Ho had several nnrrow escapes from being captured by bushwhackers In his travels through tbo southwestern part of Missouri unattended by nnnoa escorts. These outlaws were very thick and frequently captured wagon trains and travelers , burning the fonner and ruth lessly murdering thu latter. SAVKII AN AKM.Y. Scut ( tie News of tlio llnttlo Above the ClouiN. Jesse II. Bunnoll volunteered for the tolo- graphlc service early in IbOl , nnd one of his first stations was nt Annapolis , but ho was soon sent to Hampton , Va. When McClel- lan concentrated his army at Yorktown - town and proposed moving on to Richmond mend by water Bunnoll was the operator nt his be n d q u n r tor , which had boon es tablished on noard the steamer Com modore. In > ester- rlny's ' BIB : nppearcd the slorv of Ibo v o u n p operator's Intelligent nnd ho- role service at , iho .1. H. iii-XNKi.1. ISO ) . baltlo of Gaines' Mills , by which the federal nrmy wus saved from defeat. Ho wus attached to McClollan's command until Iho summerof 1W13. when ho wns transferred to Ihrt headquurlors of Hosocrans ot Tennessee , whiiro his "aetivo , intolll- gent nud fenrleis" work under flro was olllelully commended by Colonel Van Duser , superintendent of telegraph. Hu was at Chattanooga when Iho battles of Lookout mountain und Missionary Rldgo were fought , nnd he had the satisfac tion of scndmg-out the news oven if ho did have to woHt day and night. Ilo accompan ied Thomas In his campaign ngcinst J. E. Johnston , and throughout his scrvlco was considered ono of the best men in the corps. OF Important Part < > T an Omuli.i Man In West ern Cuiittriictlnn. Mr. J. J. Dlckoy of Omaha , district super intendent for the Western Union , has had an active career covering moro than one-half the telctrrapblo period. Hollvcd at Ottawa , 111. , In 18. > 9 , nnd the famllv residence was npxt door to thatof Judge Caton , who was tha builder and owner of the Illinois & Miss issippi company's lines. The judge lived a milo or two out of town and had an instrument ut his home , on which ho called up the men alone tco line as occasion demanded , or ordered his groceries from downtown. Young Dlckoy. frequently dropping Into the neigh bor's bouse , learned thourtof ' sending ana reading messages , nud tho'Judgo got Into the habit of using him for.jmergonclaBending him out to 1111 vacancies temporarily. The younir man was studvlng law at the tune , but ho got married and found the law a poor support. Thereupon , in 1 03 , ho took up telegraphy ns a buslnois und was given tbo onico at Bluu Island , now n Chicago suburb. Hu salary was tbo munificent sum of ? . ' ! > a month , but when bu was promote 1 to tno Peru ofllca It was increased to )5 ) , which was considered u treat advance. For u year ho u&ea the Morse register , which all opera tors omployiid In these days. It was thought beyond human skill to road uiossacs bv sound , and the railroad oftlcluls particularly objected to any experiments of thut kind on the ground that It was not sale or reliable. Mr. Ulcuoy not only acted as duy and night operator , but tlckot and express agent , and ho also handled freight and kept his line in repair half way to the next olllc-i on oltbor side of him. Later ho was transferred to Ot'.owawhere ho became auditor and gonnral bookkeeper for the Caton lines besides running the local ofllco. In tboso days there wcro a number of telegraph graph companies , and these east of the Mis souri entered into u compact known as tbo "six-party contract1 by which they divided the territory to prevent competition , The Now England operated east ot New York , the American In Now Yorlt. tbo W .atom Union in Ohio und Indiana , tbo Illinois & Mississippi In Illinois , Iowa and a part of Missouri , the South western in the south and the North was turn In Wisconsin and Minnesota. West of Omaha were the lines of Edward Crelghton of this ulty and out on tbo coast wiii stilt auothor company , but the latter two were not in the compact. In bending a message from Uokton to San Francisco It was curried by the Now England to Now York , by the American to Cleveland , by tbu Western Union to Chicago cage , by tbo Cuton line to Omaha , by tbo Crelghton line to Salt Lake und thence by tue.coast company to its destination. Each company hud u local tariff und bad to trans fer the message to the next in lino. As u con- bcijuenco II u tcli'L-ram was sent to Califor nia und uu answer roculvod insldo of u week It was considered prulty good tlmo. Tbo cost of ton words from Now York to Ban FrancUco was llvo or six dollars. MDlckoy remained at Ottawa until 16117. when tha Wvstorn Union hud absorbed ull the eastern lines and iccured a perpetual loato of the Cuton property. Ho was trans ferred to Chicago ut chief clerk for tbu Western Union superintendent , and In August. IbUD , ho was unpointed superintend ent of the Union Puolflo telegraph sysUiin , which at that tlmo handled commercial busi Subsequently tha Union Pacific formed nnulllMica with the Atlantic & Pud lie , nnow line that had reached Chlraco , nnd for a con nection between that city aim Omaha they used another line Known ns tha Great West ern. This arraneamcnt coatlnuod for several year * , and Mr. Dlckoy became superintend ent of construction for tbo Atlantic & Pa- cilia In tha west , In nJdltlon to his other duties , But In 1S7. " > Uio Western Union ab sorbed tbo Atlantic & Paclllo. Jay Gould and his friends began tha con struction of the American Union ns a rival of the Western Union , nnd Mr. Dlckoy had chureo of Its construction west of Chicago. About 1S31 thi > Union Paclllo brnka Its * friendly alliance with the Western Union and throw out tbo latter's wlros. It formed n now compact with tbo American Union , and n bitter war followed for a year. Goulu quietly bought up n controlling interest In the Western Union , when the rival commer cial companion wcro consolidated. Mr. Dlckoy was uinOo superintendent , of the con solidated lines , and also continued tils posi tion with the Union Pacltlo until 1SS'3 , slnca which time ha bus given his whole time to the Western Union. Whan ho came to Omnha In ISO' ) the Western orn Union employed six operators and bed savcii or eight wires. Now theio arc over 10J operators nnd moro than 100 wires. Tbero nro mom clerks In the superintendent's ofllco today than tha entire force in these days , and tbo business ofllco ulono has twice ns many employes. In IktlO , the tariff on ten words from Omaha wai f-'t to San Francisco , f'J.fil ) to Now York , $ I.'J. " > to Chicago , and ? 1.V > to North Platto. Today it is To , 60 , 3. ) and -10 cents respcctlvclv. Now It costs $1 for ton words sent across the continent as against $5 f > 0 thlrty-lhroo years ago. At that tlmo there was but onu through wire to Sun Fratuiisco. Today there uro twonty-llvo from different points on tbo Missouri. In 1S.19 wages of operators ranged from $ -3 to $50 n month. The higher figure was paid to the agents of the chief stations , nnd they were expected to turu switches , handle freight and repair tolacrnph linos. The In- cnnibo in the business advanced tba salaries of tbo operators , and west of Omaha In 18(511 ( , whore the men had to Iivo on sagebrush brush , they ranged from 190 to $140. These were probably the highest salaried men of these days , und there wcro not many of thoin. The mon in the Western Union's Omahn ofllco today receive from $50 to tSO. It will be seen from this sketch that Mr. Dlckoy has been u must Important factor lu tuo development of the telegraph system in the west. Hn has constructed or recon structed most of ttiu lines of the great Union Pacillc system , nnd ho built many hun dred mlles uotwoan Chicago and the Mis souri. Slnco occoming identified with the Western Union ho hns constructed a vast network west of tno Missouri. Ho is now superintendent of an ompiio extending from the river to the gr.'at bait Like , nnd from the Klo Grande to South Dakota. Hi dis trict takes In thirteen states and territories m wbolo or in part. itosi : I.-KO.U THK IAMCS. : Cnrrcr of n < Jr 'iit Ittillrimil Miiimgcr Who itrxati as mi Operator. Mr. Marvin Hughut , prosldont of the Chicago & Northwestern railway bystcm. is an oldtlmo telegrapher. He began at the ago of 14 in the scrvlco of the Now York , Albany oc Buffalo Telegraph company at Auburn nnd Albany , N. Y. In 1654 bo wont to Chlc.ioro and took a key In the o 111 co of the Illinois & Mississippi Telegraph company. Two years later he was placed In charge of the telegraph svbtein of tbo St. Louis , Alton & Chicago railroad ( now Chicago & Altonwith ) ofllco at Bloomington - ington , III. , nnd in addition was raado train master. In 1SIV2 he took charge at Centralin , 111. , of tbo southern end of the Illinois Cen tral , but In two years ha was cjlleil to Chlcazo u-i general suporintcn.lent und he continued In that ofllco until February , IbTU. when ba bccamu assistant general manugor of the MilwaukeeSt. - . Paul. At tha tlmo of the great Chicago lira ho \va-t general manager of the Pullman Paliico Cur company , but immediately thereafter XNUS appointed con oral superintendent of ihc Chicago & Northwestern railwuv. He wus appointed general manager in 1STU and elect cd second vlco president in ISS'J. Ho was chosen president of the Chhngo. Kt. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha railway In ISS'J , presi dent of the Fremont , Elkhdrn & Missouri Valley in 1SSI , president of the Chicago it Northwestern in 1SS7 , nnd president of the Milwaukee , Lake Shore & Western In 1891. In 1SS ) ho was elected ndlroctorof tbo Union Pacillc. He still fultllls tbo uutlo * of these positions. TAIXTJI > I > KINKI.NVATKH. ; . Working Ainoiiir Komulim of Mnnllpoi unil VtitliMV Tutor Victim * . L ) . W. Smith was nt General Terry's head quarters on Folly Island during tha oper ations In front of Charleston In Ibli3 , n hot , sandy anJ unhealthy locality. In order to got water for drinking purposes It wus cus- toinary to sink n barrel In the sand anil USD wmuoo/.eu up through the Vtantl. This HOOP bccumo Intolor , nnd on clean- the well out ffi'S o\\u \ \ day the elbows ( eloton wcro discovered stick ing up through tlio bottom. It was then remembered that tbo Charles- ion authorities had bcon In the hublt of usmg Folly and Morris Islands for quur- an tin Ing smallpox and jellow foyer pnllcnts , which accounted for u great uinpy human bones found thereabout. Thu federals had a web of wires end cables connecting their works nnd the several Islands , n-d It was a part of Smith's duty to frequently Inspect tbo line on Folly and Morris Islands , In doing this ho was exposed - posed to thu tire of tbo enemy's guns in Fort. Surntor , and ho wns subjected 10 iho iid- dlllonal misery of rldlngun old crowbalt thut under no circumstances would go fuslur than a dccorus dress pnru'lu cantor. If urged bo look lo Hiving an exhibition of bucking und ariisilo obstinacy , and U would ba ex pecting too much of human naluro not to think that tboso rebels found him u most invit ing tnrgot undersell circumstances. Smith's only satisfaction was In iho fact mat hn might get some credit for balng cool under lire. Fortunately he escaped Injury , but only to succumb to malarial foyer , from which ho rallied after tbu fturgoons had git en him up for dead. In the full of IblM Mr. Smith was invited to Washington by lha cbluf of the signal corps , who wus scheming to have the tolo- gruph corns absorbed by bis own. Ho pro posed lo commission Smith If ho passed tbu examination , have him select a num ber of export oporutors and or- gunlzo a telegraph department in tbu slxnul corps , builth bad boguu tulo. graphing as fur buck as 18.V ) , had been u sup erintendent for several your * , had con- ilruuled lines , bad u wlJo ucqualntauco among operators nnd wni well qunllflod foi the trust , but the .loud of the military tele graph corps nipped the scheme lu the bud , Smith continued to no valiant service till the close of the war nnd was at Webster , W , Va. , when the news of the proildonl's asin . tinulton passed over his wire. A Vutritin Almuu ; VetcmnV. C. W. Hammond of Su Louli , supormten- lunl of telegraph for the Wubash Uailrond , jogan h\s tclogrnpbiocarcoroarly in lha'ftO' * , making him ono of the oldest votornns. Ho , vas for years superintendent of the SU Louts Uro alarm system , being the llrst man n America In charge of u system of that tlnd , nnd served with distinction in the mili tary tclogruph corps. rito.ti I.OWT.ST ituuxii. An Oiniilin ItiillriKiil Mutineer \Vlui lias ClliuUril Mi'aillly Up\\nnl. Edward Dickinson of Oiiituii , asslstnni general munngpr of the Utilon Pacific rail road , is another gentleman of high position who has risen from the ranks by force ot merit. Ha was born nt Cumberland , Md. , in K10 nnd at ibo ago of 13 bo-an his caroar at Cleveland , O. , as n mos onitei boy in the freight onico of the C oveland & ToloJo rail way. After two years of this wont ho bo- carao nn operator and went In'o the emplov of the Atlantic & Great Wcstefn for six years- , three as telegrapher nnd clerk , ono ns assistant train dispatcher and two us triln bapgngo master und express messenger. Mr. Dickinson came west in lb"l , when ho was culled to Omaha us train dispatcher of the Union Paclllo. At the end of two years ho wns mndo cbiof train dispatcher of the Wyoming division with headquarters nt Lar.imio. His masterful qualities leeolvcd de.oivcd rccoenltlon , and In lt > 73 he was np- polnlod suporintondcnt of the Laramlo divi sion. Five years later bo was uirain promoted meted , being appointed general su perintendent of the Wyoming divl- sous. In lbS5 ! bo took another stop upwards , becoming nsslstaut general su perintendent fur the whole system , and two yours later ho was advanced to the general superintendenoy. In 1839 ho was made Ron- cm ! maiiaL'cr of tha Missouri division , com prising the lines is Nebraska and Kansas. By ono of the numorouH changes of man agement in tbo Union PaciUc Mr. Dickinson wns retired In 18UO , but botoro It was gener ally known ho hud been tendered nnd had accepted the position of general superintend * out of the transobio divisions of thu Balti more & Ohio with headquarters ill Chicago , A year la'or ' ho was called back to the Union Pacillc nud madu assistant general manager. HAD TUB KKillT I OKA. Proposed u Telegraph Corps with 11 Mili tary Oriiiiil/.ttloi. .Major George II. Smith was borr nt Nor wich , N. Y. . In 183i. : Ho prepared at tha .ocul ncndemy Iorncollegoo3ur.se , but oir < cumstincas took him nt 17 Into a d'li ? store In 18. > 3 the Utlcu & Oxford tclecr ph roaoad the town and the voang man was persuaded to RO to LJtica and learn to operate. Alter get ting lome Knowledge edgeof the new art he returned to Norwich to intend a small book store lie had there , but bo put nn instru ment nt his store in connection with the telegraph Hoe and soon learned 10 ouorato and to road by sound. In 1S.TT ho constructed a line from J'crro Hnuto to St. Louis and ho been mo iho m mm- ger of the consolidated onico in the Inlt or city. Ha bad had four years expcrlnnco In that position wbnn the war broke out nnd was well acquainted with the Missouri Held. Ho early foresaw tha value of the telegraph to tha army and pro. nosed to General Fremont the organization of n telegraph corps on n military basis. Thin was partially curried out , us explained also- where. when the authorities at Washington disbanded ttiu battalllon and Smith was iipnolnted captain and assistant quartermaster to act as super intendent of telegraphs In tbu Department of Mibsourl under General Staler. Later ha wns given chnrgu of Ilallecu'b great depart ment west of the Mississippi. Major Smith rcBk'iicd uftur two years of scrvlco , during which ho rendered tha federal nnin ines timable assistance. IN Till : M KM CAN WAX. lleraiui ) n ( iruitt T < ; : | : llullilor In the Itfhrllion. Captain 'William G. Fuller was born in South Carolina of New England parents in 1527. Ho entered n factory a L'owoll , Mass. , at 19. hut eooii nftor shipped on the Unltod States steamur Mississippi and tuoU part in the naval opor tlons during ilia war with Mexico. On his return homo ho began the study of tclatrrapliy. and In 1818 he got bis Ural portion as operator at Cincinnati on ilia Now Orleans & Ohio lino. Six yours later the com pany failed and when reorganized Fuller was inadt superintendent of the division I ) tweon Cincinnati and Wheel In IT , Mo constructed several llnoi of 'telegraph In the succeeding yours , and ut the open ing of the war wai Huparlntundont of an Independent uysioiu utonv thu Marlulta & Cincinnati and thu Uulllmoro ( * c Ohio rail roads. In May , 1301 , ho volunteered for the mili tary lolcKraph sorvlcu und was muilu inun - gor of tlio governmotit tclegraphi on tbo Baltlmoro & Ohio bouvoon U radon and Parkorshurg. After consiructlnt ; A number of linen throughout that in foiled country , ho was In December transferred to Kentucky , where ho followed the armies with now line * and rendered Invuluablo service. EUowbor *