The Big Stone Gap post. [volume], April 06, 1893, Image 1

About The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
"KEEPING EVERLASTINGLY AT IT BRINGS SUCCESS."
=====Z " BIG STONE GAP, WISE CQUNTYTvA., th U RS DAY, APR 11^7^8937 ~N?T?g
VOL. I.
profc.?i?toi??1 Curd*.
a. l. pridemore,
ATTORNEY- AT-LAW,
Jonosville, Virginia.
Gate CUy. > >
ok?. w . F(l ?fKtXKIIIf,
Joiie?vtH<>, V?.
JACKSON & blankenship,
AT rORNEYS-AT-LAW,
Joncsv?lc, Virginia.
,. ?i dttnitJ??! given ?" bnsliMn* ?l'all llroc?.
. , ,| s in wuthwest Virginia, a specialty.
R.A. AVERS. - - jos. L.KELLY.
LAW OFFICES IN AVERS BUILDING,
Big Stone Cap, Va,
? utt ii. c. h'ikiAkix* jr.
BULLiTT & McDowell,
ATTORNEYS AT I.AW,
Ulli STONK ?AI', VA
H. A. W. SKEEN,
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW,
Short! HiiiUling,
Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
R. T. IRVINE.
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW.
InV in. Siimiiiprlii'W Building, Wood Avpiiiu
Big Stono Gap. Virginia.
L. TURNER MAURY,
ATT< >RNEY-AT-LAW.
Citi ling, \V.1 Avenue.
Big Stono Gap, Virginia.
WALTER E. ADDISON.
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW.
(?fllcf \? Nicki'l> Bttiloiugs
Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
|w ? in !,?,?, f.. h ii hi, Va. k. *i. i in ins, Wise (MI. Va
BURNS & FULTON,
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW,
Coi ?Tu II, i- nnil Dickonson Counties, ami
t-tiri r.f ,\;-|'.- ii? itl Wytlievllle, Va.
T. IM'jrAS', M S MATIIKWS, JUS. C. MAYStflR,
lluiir?rillf, Va tiigStuiiettap. Big Stone Gap.
iuncan, m atmews & maynor.
ATT< >RNEYS-AT-LAW,
offlcv In N*Ii :? lliilliliug, W.mi.i Avenu?,
Big Stono Gap, Virginia.
??? Attritti?ii t<i Colfcrthiiis timl Prompt Iteutltnnci
W. J. HORSLEY,
at rORNEY-AT-LAW,
Big Stone Gap, Virginia,
Whitesburg, Ky.
-iii utt-i.ti
l Ii I,, .it:.', LaiiitTjtks
UUKKSOV. WlSt'C II. ?V.t. MII.I.KH, Xortiin.
r\L?i:rtSON & MILLER,
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW.
[min attention t > .ill l.ii-lucsHontrusted t<> us. Ad?
? -11i -r n iM'C. II., Va., <?r Norton, Va.
M. G. ELY,
_ ATTORNEY-AT-LAW,
H Turkey Covo. Leo Co., Va,
J. W. KELLY,
|iysiua Vv.snaiKON,
v" ii Unignn.ro, Ayein it|(K>k,
Big Steno Gap, Virginia.
rgfr lt-M-ii?l l'i <>?,,,! ly to Calls. Uoth
!> i\ iiutl \i!:!it. ]3_|f
C. D. KUNKEL,
HYm'ciax ni'SURGEON,
pig Stone Gap, Virginia,
i Moilii>|iiHi|ilcn(tliecity
Off*?
N. H. REEVE, M. d
;nes of women
EXCLUSIVELY.
ce;Main St. Bristol, Tenn.
DR. J. C. PR UN ER,
DENTIST,
K*' !: ? :: n. Cntrai Hotel
i? ?
*rh& M ?!..! iv in,-nrh
w$*jj.i ? " r* !????> should make
A* ? .. iUnK iij,..,, iiurinii
s- W, THACKER,
ClVi!- ^'CIXKKR AND
; ! KVLYok,
B5;' S:,MU' Gap. Virginia.
-~jl ' ?"??I. .ialh..
"^****^- '?
MALCOLM SMITH,
ENGINEER AND
H PURVEYOR.
K^^'ext to Post Office.
!EC,p,CATlONS
i, i and ESTIMATES
. ,,' ' v TIIO???CH AM)
Another Cmulltiafr Ii? the Fl old Tor the
rout'* Fine tJultnr.
As will he Keen in Hie report of
votes thus far sent in, given in this
issue, in the contest for the fine gui?
tar offered by the Post to the most
'popular lady in Wise, Leo or Scott,
[or Letcher county. Ky.^ there is an?
other candidate in the field in the
personage of Miss Carrie Flannery,
of Wiho 0. H. Miss Flannery is a
daughter of lion ('. F. Flannary, and
is very popular.
The Danville K veiling Star.
One of the newsiest and neatest
six-column dailies that now reaches
the Post's exchange tahlc is the Dan
i viHc (Va.) Evening Star, which made
I its first appearance on the 26th inst.,
with J. 0. Hoy as editor and pro?
prietor and S. F. Gilliland business
manager. It is handsomely gotten
lip, neatly printed and the matter it
contains goes to show that it has
ability behind it. May the star long
live to throw its brilliant rays over
the "land of the free and the home of j
the brave." as it were.
Father ami Son Skip Out With a .Mother
and Her Daughter*
''Hoe" Clendencn moved to Big
Stone Gap some time ago and has
been making a steady employee at
the Appalachian furnace. With him
he brought a woman who was sup?
posed to be his wife. She had one
daughter, perhaps eighteen years old,
and a little girl, about three years
old. The family circle seemed as
happy as a covey of larks on a bright
May morning till "the handsome fea?
tures and graceful forms" (?) of|
Newt. Bentley and his son appeared
on the scene. Then the trouble com?
menced. The father and son at once
made n huge mash on the mother and
daughter, while the two females
proved to be prettv well up in the
mashin' business. In fact, there ap?
peared to be a general four- handed,
all-'round mash. Josh Bullitt, after
being corrected in regard to his idea
of the meaning of the Word emotion,
by ('apt. W. F. Gordon in his article
on Prose and Poetry, would possibly
say there was a general all-'round
"kinder working of the feelings of
the tender sort." These "feelings of
the tender suit" kept "a working"
till the wholesale infatuation became
so strong that prudence nor resistance
were m> longer matters to be consid?
ered, so last Wednesday the four,
after the order of the wandering Arab,
Silently folded their tents and skip?
ped out, taking with them the little
girl, Clondenen is after them for the
purpose of recovering the little girl,
but will make no effort to induce the
wayward women to return.
Southern I'rojrrewi.
The manufactures' Record of Bal?
timore, in the issue of January 6th,
1893, after an exhaustive review and
careful investigation of Southern
financial affairs for 1892, says:
"There is usual activity in every
line of industrial enterprise in the
South, at the present time, and every
indication points to a degree of ac?
tivity during the coming year greater
than has ever been known before.
" The past year has been n period of |
rigid economy in every line of busi?
ness in the South, and more atten?
tion has been placed to the placing
of existing industries upon a firm
foundation than the projection of new
industries. The settlement of vexa
tious political issues, the greater
amount of cash which the present
cotton crop is yielding to the pro?
ducers, and the greater abundance of
money and more extended credit in the.
South, and the activity and prosperi;
ty w.hieh mark e.vmy branch of jndusr
try in that section are the conditions
upon which the course of affairs in
the South during the year 1893 will
depend. With condtions as favor?
able as these are generally recognized
to be, there can be no doubt of the
very promising prospects which lie
before the South at this time. Kvery
condition needful for successful busi?
ness in the South exist at present,
and the year closes with a very
satisfactory record of progress that
has been made under trying circum?
stances and with brilliant prospects
for the coming year.
"The recent advance of two and
one-half cents pe4r pound on this sin?
gle product of the South (Cotton)
adds $87,1100,001) to H? cash receipts
for thin season, bringing the total of (
the cotton crop for 1892 to between
$300,000,0p0 and ^400,000,000.,i
There can be no surer sign of|
growth ami prosperity of the ?Smith
than in the development of the man?
ufacturing interests. Concerning j
tlie cotton spinning industries, the
Manufacturer's Record says: "The
mills have been running actively
through the year and have earned
good profits an a rule. In fact, the
past year has been probably the most
j prosperous period through which
'this has ever passed. A groat many
[new mills have been built and put in
operation in the South during the
past year, and a large nuhcr of others
are under construction and will be
competed and put in operation dur?
ing the present year."
In the whole Southern tier there
were for the same dates 40,7181ooins j
and 1,816,710 spindlers, as against
52,587 looms ami 2,357,908 spindles
at work on the first day of 1893, an
increase of 11,819 looms and 1,440,
898 spin dies.
The Textile Wor d, of Boston, a
recognized authority on cotton fab?
rics, in the January, 1893, number
shows that out of 78 new mills start?
ed in (he United States in 1892, 39
were in the South.
In the report of the Census Office,
lately issued, on (lie Southern Iron
and Steel Industry in 1880 and 1890,
it is shown that in the States ofDel
eware, Maryland, Virginia, West
Virginia, Distritct of Columbia,
North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee,
Texas and Kentucky, the capital in
vested in these industries was, in 1880
$29,145,830, and in 1S90, $50,845,
666, oran increase of over $20,000,
000 in ten years. The value of the
product in 1880 was $25,353,251; in
1890, $42,690,822, an increase of
over $17,000,000.
The report of (J. S. Labor Com?
missioner Carrol I). Wright (New
York 'rimes, April 8, 1892) shows
that "the average cost of pig iron in
the northern part of the United
States is for run of furnaces about
?$14 per ton 2,240 pounds, while in
the South the average'cost of run for
furnace pig iron is $10.75."
The Mercantile and Financial
Times, quoting from the report of
U. S. Labor Commissioner Carroll 0.
Wright, Nov. 25, 1892, publishes a
statement t<> the effect that from 1880
to 1890 "the capital invested in the
Southern States in woolen manufac?
tures increased from $4,000,000 to
$10,000,000. In 1SSQ the banking
capital of the South was $02,000.
000: in 1Mb) it was $71,000,000,
while the total capital in manufac?
tures increased from $170,000,000 iu
1870 to $551,000,000 in 1890." The
total indebtidness of the Southern
States, including the county debts
and less the sinking fund, was, in
isso, $215,712,241, while in 1890 it
had been reduced to $178,161,755.?
C. I*. YVaiOHT, in New York Times,
April 8, 1802.
Ktplnimtiou of a Shower of Live Animals
in Ksuihhs.
Everybody in the smoking com?
partment of the sleeper had told a
story except one quiet, inoffensive
man in the corner, and the drummer
eyed him with suspitio.n as he tinislir
od what he considered a choker of the
entire combination, says the Detroit
Free Press.
As the drummer concluded the
quiet man polked his head cautiously
out of his shell and coughed slightly,
as men do who have lain dormant
awhile and rouse themselves to ut?
terance.
"I remember," he said, without}
further preliminary, "a queer circum?
stance which happened to me during
a summer visit I made some years
ago in Kansas. 1 am reminded of it
bv the story our friend here''?nod-,
ding toward the drummer?"tells of
a shower offish falling from the sky.
1 can readily believe his story"?
the drummer looked grateful?"and
1 hope he will believe mine. One
afternoon we were sitting oiit in front
of my friend's house, some three or
four of us, noticing the peculiar shape,
color and movement of the clouds,
when, all at once, as true as gospel,
gentlemen, an elephant, alive nml
kicking, dropped right down in front
of us out of the sky, and a more as?
tonished looking brute 1 never saw."
The drummer sat spell-bound and
everohody else choked up, speechless.
The quiet man looked around on
his auditors.
"It's as true, as preaching, gentle?
men," he went on, "and though, hha
rule in Kansas, it doesn't rain ele?
phants, it (lid on that occasion, ami
is accounted for by the fact that a
cyclone had struck a circus twenty
miles to the west of us, and further?
more it was raining lions and tigers
and horse:; and hyena': and monkeys
and tenpins for a week afterward, tin*
biggest thing of course, coming down
soonest."
"My dear sir," gasped the drum?
mer, as the quiet man was about to
continue, "don't you say another
word. I (ravel for a liquor house,
and if you want a barrel of cocktails j
give me your address and I'll send it
to you by the first cyclone that pass?
es our place."
Money vs. Love.
"I certainly will try the experi?
ment." quoth I to myself.
And then T covertly looked in the
glass, so as to better calculate my
chances matrimonial.
It wasn't a very satisfactory sur?
vey. I am not a handsome man. But
there's one advantage I possess that
is worth all the beauty in creation.
Torquatns Thistledown, Esquire,
President of the Thittledown Petro?
leum Company, with the handsomest
yatch in the bay, and money enough
to freight it with a golden cargo!
Youth?beauty?what do they weigh
in the balance against Torquatns
Thistledown?
And 1 patted my pocket with a
chuckle that sounded like the chink
of doubloons!
"I'll do it !" I exclaimed aloud.
Bruce Harden brook glanced sleepi?
ly up from his armchair in the bay
window and took a cigar out of his
mouth.
'*What's that you're going to do,
Thistledown?" asked Bruce.
"To be married," I added slowly
and distinctly, "to Miss Fanny Gor?
don."
Bruce started. All the world was
quite aware that he was danlgling
after pretty Fanny Gordon?as if a
clicntlcss youg lawyer had any right
to aspire the hand of the loveliest girl
in New York!
"Are you engaged to her, Mr. This?
tledown?" he asked.
"No?not exactly engaged?that is,
not as yet; but I mean to be. 1 shall
consul! Mr.* Gordon this very after?
noon?an old friend of mine, Job
Gordon. He'll refuse me nothing."
Bruce Hardenbrook made no reply,
lie resumed his newspaper and tried
to look indifferent with remarkably
bad success.
So I put on my hat and strolled
down to honest Job, Gordon's oount
jng-hoiiKc.
^Thistledown, how d'ye do?" he
cordially said. "What can I do for
you to-day?"
"A great, deal Mr. Gordon," I re?
sponded, [ am contemplating mat?
rimony; and?I would like the weight
of your influence with your daughter
Fanny. I adore Fanny, sir?I wor?
ship her?and I don't mind telling
you that it is within her option at
this moment to become Mrs. Torqua?
tns Thistledown."
Mr. Gordon rung my hand heartily.
"Torquatns,*' he ejaculated, breath?
lessly, "you're a trump. My daugh?
ter, Mrs. Petroleum Company?no,
1 don't mean that exactly?but?but
I only hope you aren't too late,"
"Too lato," I gasped, making a
clutch at my yellow silk pocket
handkerchief and wiping the drops
away from the bald spot on the crown
of my head.
"There was a young fellow here
IIiis very morning," went, on Mr.
Gordon, rumpling his hair about with
one hand in a distracted manner,
"upon the se.lf-sa.mu business,and?"
"Not Bruce Hardenbrook?"
"Yes, Bruce Hardenbrook?the
very person?and I told him to?I?I
gave him my sanction, and I've just
sent up a note to Fanny, desiring her
to have no hesitation in promptly
accepting \}\Q gentlemen who would
propose to hor this afternoon.
''But," added the old gentleman,
with a sudden inspiration, "I didn't
mention any names, thank goodness,
and I don't see, upon my word, why
the note shouldn't answer for you
just as well as for Bruce Harden?
brook, if you only get there a, little
ahead of him."
As 1 hailed the nearest omnibus
and leaped in the. iron tongue of old
Trinity tolled C> in deep has monosyl
ables. Perhaps?perhaps I might
yet be in time.
Fanny was at home, for as I rang
the bell 1 saw the flutter of her blue
muslin dress from, {he I^Venoh win?
dows that opened upon the balcony?
and the next moment she admitted
me herself.
Just as I expected. Bruce Harden?
brook was there; but then, judging
'from his appearance, he had only just
arrived. Now was my time.
?'I?1 was thinking of asking you,
Fanny?"
But she jumped up with an agu
ui/.ed little scream.
"tUish! wasn't that a nian'sstop in
. . .. ''? . -\ %t ' '4 ? . i :?
i.... i
the banement hall? J am sure I heard
it. Kathleen has left the door un?
bolted, and the house is full of rob?
bers and murderers! Oh, Mr. Thistle?
down, do?-do run and see?"
"Don't be afraid, Fanny," said I,
catching up the guitar case valiantly,
and making for the lower part of the
house with that weapon of aggress-j
ion. Come on Hardenbrook?we'll
make 'em stir round pretty lively, or
we'll know the reason why!"
Hardenbrook folowed, rather con?
trary to my expectations; I had half
feared Iiis remaing behind to com?
fort the frightened dove in the blue
muslin feathers.
"You look in the kitchen Thistle?
down, and I'll examine the cellar," he
said, and I promptly obeyed. I looked
under the dresses, behind the tables,
even beneath the great brass kettle
in the corner, hut there was no bur?
glars there.
"Jt must have been the eat. Har?
denbrook," bawled I, "for-The
duce! how came this door shut?"
I gave the handle of the door an
energetic turn?it was fast locked.
I gnashed my teeth and upset a I
whole colony of frying pans in de?
spair.
Burglars, indeed?a pretty story!
Gracious! how hot it is, and a fellow
can't move Iiis head without bringing
down a lot of tin things.
I sprang up and rattled the door,
shouting at the top of my lungs; hut
all to no avail. I kicked at the walls
? 1 heal a tattoo on the brass kuttle
with the guitar case. Vain efforts.
So the time crept away, every mo?
ment seeming like an hour, and I
heard the sharp little kitchen clock
strike 8, 0 and 10, with a keen son
saition of despair at every time.
Should I never escape? Was I
doomed to be roasted alive?
At length the monotony of science
was relieved by the sound of foot?
steps coming down the narrow stairs,
and dob Gordon's voice exclaimed:
"Mary?Hannah?Kathleen-where
the mischief are yon all? What.s the
kitchen door locked for? I'll dis?
charge ever skin of you, or?Hallo!
?thieves!?murder!?police!"
And honest dob fired Iiis revoler
aimlessly into the kitchen and flung
a heavy chair after it.
"Gordon! Stop?hold on?it's I?
Torquotus Thistledown!"
"Thistledown in my kitchen! 1
don't believe a word of it!"
"But it is and I'm nearly dead.
Stop your bawling and listen to rea?
son," I said, rather vindictively, for
the slender thread of my patience was
rapidly diminishing down to nothing
at all. "Let me out where there's a
breath of fresh air, and I'll explain
things."
The astonished old gentleman led
me upstairs into the gas-lighted hall,
marveling much at the wilted ap?
pearance that f presented.
"Now, then, you will be good
enough to tell me what all this is
about. 1 came home at 10 o'clock
and find my house open and empty.
I go down into my kitchen and find
the President of the Thistledown Pe?
troleum Company mured up among
the pots and pans! Am I asleep and
dreaming? or have \ been bereft of
my senses;"
"First," 1 interrupted, ''where are
Hardenbrook and Fanny?"
"Where? How should 1 know?
Another mystery, I presume."
"No mystery at all sir,'' said a
well-known voice, as 15ruce Harden-j
brook came quietly up the front steps
and into the hall, with Fanny lean?
ing on his arm, the pomegranate
cheeks a shade redder than ever, and
the bright hair glistening around her
face; "here we both are."
, "And where have you been?"
"Married!"
"Married?" echoed Mr. Gordon.
"You told, mo in your note, papa,
to accept him promptly," faltered
Fanny.?[New York News.
The Smith Family to Erect a Monument
to mi Historic Kreut.
Rupert Schmie!, the sculptor, of
Sau Francisco, has awarded the con?
tract to modle a bronze group of fig*
ures representing the hisrorio Virgin?
ia scene wherein the Indian maiden
Pocahontas saved the life of Captain
John Smith. The expense will be
$15.000 and it will be defrayed from
a fund raised by contributions solely
from the Smith family in Virginia
and Nebraska. A descendant of the
original John Smith has been the
promoter of this uniqe artistic enter?
prise. Some time since he asked for
designs from the leading sculptors of
the United Stales, and that of the
San Francisco artist .has iust been
accepted. It is only ?.? coincidence
thuj the sculptor's name is Schmidor
Smith.
OWN Kr, THK FAMOUS TR A Ml* DO<i.
Hi:* Traveled .'r??m One Knil of the Unite*!
Statt?? to ttte Other.
[From rh-Cincinnati Knqiiir?*r.j
Owner, the great American tramp
dog, arrived in Cincinnati a few days
ago over the Big Four from Clove
land, Buffalo and New York.
He came through in a mail car and
as soon as the train stopped Owney
made for a mail wagon ami rode to
the Post-office. lie walked into the
clerk's room and afterward paid his
respect to Superintendent Davis.
During the afternoon Owney called
on the Enquirer and had his picture
taken.
Owney is not a handsome dog, by
any means. His color is a mixture of
shaggy gray, yellow and black. He
is stone-blind in one eye, but the
other is as bright as a "golden
guinea," and shows intelligence of
the highest order. Owncy's pcdigrci
is unknown, but that doesn't matter
he is a knowing dog and keeps scru?
pulously clean for a tramp.
Oweny lived original}- in Albany,
X. Y. Two years ago he came into
the possession of a mail clerk and
was taken on run on the New York
Central.
That settled it. The fast run just
suited him, and since then he has
been on the go from one end of the
United States to the other. He dis?
dains coaches ami Pullman sleepers,
and will ride in nothing but mail
cars. There he is at home. His bed
ia
UNDER TUE COUSTER,
and during the day his favorite pas
time is at the door with his paws
braced upon the sides, viewing the
country. If the landscape suits,
Owney remains in tins position for
hours. If it doesn't come up to his
standard he turns in disgust and lies
down out of the way of the working
clerks.
Owney is a dainty eater. lie shares
the lunch of the boys on the car, 01
gets out at the first station and goes
to the lunch counter, where the best
on hand is none too good, and with
out a cent of expense at that.
Owney-knows no master, but
something like 6,000 owners, who
take a lively interest in his welfare.
In the past two years he has probably
traveled as many miles as any one
man in the country. Recently he
journeyed to Washington and called
on ex-Postmastcr-Gcneral Wana
maker, and it is expected that before
long he will repeat the journey and
make his bow to President Cleveland
and Postmaste-General Bissel].
Owney might be called the great
American traveler. He has done the
effect Fast and the wild and wooly
West. He has shown up suddenly in
Frisco, and shortly after in Seattle,
Wash. New Orleans is a favorite
plaeo, and so is Galveston and Ft.
Worth, Texas. Owney also likes
Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chicago.
He knows a railway mail clerk at a
glance, and will follow no one else.
He can also pick out a mail wagon as
quick.
A peculiar feature about the dog
is that he has never been in a wreck,
and therefore is looked upon by the
bovs in the service as a mascotte,
and the trains are thought to be safe
when he is on board.
The last time Owney was in Cin?
cinnati was about a year ago. At
that time he was covered with med?
als. None are left, and what became
of them is not known. Owney, how?
ever, still wears his fancy collar heav?
ily mounted with silver, upon which
is inscribed "Owney, Albany, N. Y."
Owney Ifft Cincinnati the same
day over the Big Four for Chicago.
He will remain there one day and
proceed to St. Louis, and from there
to Kansas City and direct to San
Francisco. He will return to Chi?
cago in time for the open ig of the
World's Fair, and if he can be induc?
ed to remain he .will be placed on
exhibition with the United States
display.
Before Owney left Cincinnati he
was presented with a solid silver med?
al upon which was enscribed:
*.?.v.?
CINCINNATI kno?irek,
JOHN U. M'lANE.
*.?.?
The medal was attached to his
callar.
A Lodjj-Handled Feu.
(Frnra ihu I'hiljulelpliU i.o.lper.1
The telautograph is the name of an
invention almost us wonderful as the
phonograph, and which may prove to
bo as tiNeful as the telephone. .Mem?
bers of the press were invited
to inspect the invention, at
the oflices, No. SO |Jroytl\v;av, of the
Gray National Tolaugbtograph
Company, of which General T. M.
Logan is president. All of those
who inspect the telautograph went
away satisfied that they had seen an
invention which will rank, as a mar?
vel, with the telegraph, the telephone,
the cable, the electric light and the
phonograph. Whether it will have
as wide an application as the the tel?
ephone remains to be seen. This
will depend largely upon the liability
of the machines to get out of order,
and upon whether the public, after a
trial of both methods, would finaly
decide that, it is better to write than
to speak their messages. The te
laughtograph, however, is not neces?
sarily a rival of the telephone. There
is a large use for both machines. It
would seem, however, to make the
Morse alphabet useless. The talauto
graph is a writing telegraph. A
man sits down at his desk in New
York and writes a message to a friend
in Philadelphia. The latter receives
the message in an fac simile of the
handwriting of the sender. This op?
eration requires no skilled labor.
Anyone wdio can write can send a
message, and, provided there is an
electric wire connecting them and two
transmitters and receivers, two per?
sons can carry on a corrcpondenee,
though thousands of miles a part,
and every stroke of the pen will be
exactly and instantaneously repro?
duced over that distsancc. The
structure of these instruments seem
to he remarkably simple. In the
transmitter and ordinary lead pencil
is used, near the point of which two
silk cords are fastened at right angles
to each other. These cords connect
with the instrument, and, following
the motions of the pencil, regulato
the current impulses which control
the receiving pen at the distant sta?
tion. The writing is done on ordi?
nary paper?five inches wide?con?
veniently arranged on a roll attached
to the machine. A lever at the left
is so moved by tin* hand as to shift
the paper forward mechanically at
the transmitter and electrically at the
receiver. Tlx* receiving peil is a
capillary glass tube placed at the
junction of two aluminum arms.
This glass pen is supplied with ink
w hich flows from a reservoir, through
a small rubber tube placed in one of
these arms. The electrical impulses,
coming over the wire, move the
pen of the receiver simultaneously
with the movomcnts of the pencil in
the hand of the sender. As the pen
passes over the paper an iuk tracing
is left which is always a fac simile
of the sender's motions, whether in
the formation of letters, words, fig?
ures, signs or sketches. It follows
therefore, that every movement of
the sender is produced by the receiv?
ing instrument, so it is just as easy
to send a free-handed portrait or oth?
er drawing by electricity as it is to
send the dots and clashes of the Morse
alphabet. While the transmission
was over a short distance) be*
ing between instruments placed in
adjoining rooms, the priciple was
clearly shown, and there can be little
doubt that at least as far as the
human voice can be transmitted
over a telephone, the telautograph
can be worked. Among the advanta?
ges claimed for the telautograph is
the fact that both sender and receiver
have records of every message and
reply. There can be no mistake.
The sender cannot complain of er?
rors?there is his message in black
and white. Then, so long as there
is a receiving instrument, it makes
no difference whether there is a re?
ceiving person present or not. The
message can be sent the same, and
will be found by the receiver"when he
reaches his ofnee, as if he had just
got the communication through the
mails. The telautograph works notso
lessly and insures secret service, and
the line cannot be so tapped as to
steal a message. The telautograph
is the invention of Professor Elisha
Gray, already made famous by his
other electrical inventions. It is
easy to see to what wide uses the in?
vention can be put, provided tho ma
chino can stand the test of hard
practical and continuous work. It
takes years of experience to make an
'expert telegraph operator, but this
machine, which can Ihj worked by a
child, may dispense with the necessi?
ty of his services. It may be said
to make tho Weitem Union Tele?
graph Company independent of its
thousands, of skilled laborers. But,
of oourse, all this depends on how
the telautograph will stand the test
of actual usage. Prof. Henry Mor?
ton, of Stevens Institnte, who has
examined tho structure of the Instru?
ments, says that he found it to "be
remarkably simple or devoid of com?
plication, and the mode of operation/*
he says, "in all respects direct audl
positive."