THE PLANET MARS ENJOYS A TELEGRAPHERS’ TOURNAMENT
As the planet Mars has more than 600 days to its year, and as time is
of no moment in that delightful abode, Washington’s birthday could be
celebrated anytime convenient to the members of the Pleiades Club, and
accordingly the telegraph tournament was scheduled to come off when all
preparations were completed.
Such bustling, hurrying and skurrying was seldom witnessed on Earth and
the telegraph man was in evidence everywhere. Visitors were apprised of
what was in store and even the laity took a great interest in what was
about to transpire. In addition to talent from the United States and
Canada, there were applications from foreign countries of operators who
had been noted in their profession in their respective lands.
The unanimous choice of a president was Fred Catlin, of New York,
who demurred a little, as he hoped to be a participant or judge, but
finally acquiesced, and was duly installed as president.
The committee of arrangements was composed of the following well known
gentlemen:
R. H. Rochester, A. S. Brown, Dave McAneeny, J. H. Dwight, John Brant,
Court Cunningham, Marion H. Kerner and D. Harmon.
The judges were composed of the following:
Madison Buell, G. W. Gardanier, W. B. Somerville, Belvidere Brooks, C.
H. Summers, E. C. Cockey and J. C. Hinchman.
The usual exponents of “bug” and hand sending were present to
demonstrate the advantages of their respective methods, but there were
many present who had never heard of or seen the “bug” and were anxious
to see its merits tested.
“I will be on hand with my first typewriter, constructed in 1868, and
will undertake to show how I copied the president’s message that year,”
said E. Payson Porter, and the Chicago members of the club applauded
loudly.
“Yes, and I will bring my old register with me, that I used for so long
when I was manager at Akron, Ohio, and show you how I copied so much
which never came,” remarked ex-manager Allen, formerly of Akron.
“And I will give you an illustration how to read by the ‘back stroke,’”
said W. H. Kelsey.
“All right, gentlemen,” interrupted Fred Catlin, “we will be glad to
hear from all, but we have to get down to business and appoint several
important committees to carry out this good work.
“In addition to the usual programme in such cases, there is also going
to be an illustration of ‘ham’ sending, also a demonstration of a
beginner at the key.”
At this juncture, two young men entered the room, each carrying a
typewriter and a Martin vibroplex, similar to those used upon the
terrestrial planet.
“We are going to give a preliminary exhibition of what the youngsters
can do with a ‘bug’ and ‘mill.’
“To be sure, it does not require as much activity or muscle to
telegraph nowadays as it did formerly, when we were compelled to make
twelve to eighteen copies with a stylus.
“We are now in an entirely different class than we were formerly and
the results are greater than they used to be.
“The operator of twenty-five years ago was necessarily, in some
respects, the superior of the present generation, but he could not
possibly turn out the work that is being performed daily and hourly by
his latter-day brother with such ease and speed.
“While our younger brothers are getting their instruments in order, we
will rig up a Morse set and have W. L. Waugh give us an illustration
of his beautiful sending while William T. Loper will demonstrate how
he used to take fourteen copies of manifold with a stylus in the olden
days in St. Louis.”
“Yes, I used to see Billy Loper do this when I was night chief in
St. Louis and he certainly did it well,” said Charles J. Lawson, who
sauntered in from the rear, when he heard Mr. Loper’s name mentioned.
While the audience applauded the expected treat, Messrs. Loper and
Waugh squared themselves for the fray.
Like shot poured into a funnel, clicked the dots and dashes, Mr. Loper
methodically and with the greatest ease copying the perfect Morse with
his favorite stylus on fourteen manifold sheets, in his own beautiful
characteristic writing.
For one hour and without a break, the twain worked fast but gracefully,
much Phillips’ code being used and after counting the hour’s work,
it was ascertained that two thousand eight hundred words had been
transmitted.
Specimens of the work were distributed among the admiring audience, who
were loud in their praise of Mr. Loper’s copper-plate chirography and
the sheets were given out as souvenirs of the occasion.
It was noticeable that after this exhibition, few of the operators
from foreign countries enrolled themselves as competitors at the coming
tournament.
“Let’s give the young fellows a show now,” said Fred Catlin, and the
two young men previously mentioned, one named Smith, from Birmingham,
Postal, and one Brown, from Atlanta, Western Union, came to the front.
The quick, jerky, “bug” sending seemed marvelous to some of the very
old-timers and it seemed a little bit difficult for them at first to
so adjust their brains to keep up with the merry jingle. The receiving
operator, also, was doing some marvelous stunts.
While the sender was transmitting at top-notch speed, the Birmingham
boy took out a cigarette, which he lighted and began to puff with as
much _sang froid_ as though he were in a down-town cafe, never missing
a word or even a punctuation mark.
For one hour this great exhibition kept up, at the end of which time
one hundred and thirty messages had been transmitted and copied without
an error.
“This is splendid work,” said the president, “and shows clearly how the
‘bug’ and ‘mill’ have it on even the most famous old-timers. It shows
plainly how mechanical devices supplant brain material, and after all
these are god-sends to the latter day generation of operators.”
Everybody interested in the doings of the telegraph were talking of
the day’s proceedings, commending the great work of the old-timers
and marvelling at the speed and accuracy of the “up-to-the-minute”
telegrapher.
Many new applications were received from those anxious to partake in
the coming tournament, and files of back copies of the Telegraph and
Telephone Age were looked over and read with the idea to conform with
the usual modus of procedure on such occasions.
Everybody was on the _qui vive_, but all was harmony and a feeling of
brotherly love pervaded the inhabitants of this joyous planet.