On the Wing.
Thelate Col. M. D. Crain was a man of decided personality and made warm and lasting friends. His practical jokes and queer sayings will be related as long as there is an old timer alive to tell the story.
The Colonel was a stickler for technicalities and was ready to immolate himself to his own theories.
He was in early days manager of the Bloomington, Ill., office. He was also operator and messenger.
Operator Crain would occasionally want to draw some money and he wanted to do it in the right way. So Operator Crain would write a note as follows to Manager Crain:
M. D. Crain, Manager.I need $20 very badly today; may I draw the same?Signed, M. D. Crain, Operator.
M. D. Crain, Manager.
I need $20 very badly today; may I draw the same?
Signed, M. D. Crain, Operator.
Then Manager Crain would reply:
To M. D. Crain, Operator.Yes, Mark, you certainly can draw $20, as you deserve it.Signed, M. D. Crain, Manager.
To M. D. Crain, Operator.
Yes, Mark, you certainly can draw $20, as you deserve it.
Signed, M. D. Crain, Manager.
After this formula had been gone through and properly signed and filed, the Colonel would draw the money, but not before.
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In the 70’s there was an operator named Robert C. Hayes, who worked in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago and Omaha. “Bob,” as he was called, was a great operator and was in demand in emergency cases and it was no wonder that Charles Selden selected him as one of those to assist during the national convention held in Cincinnati in 1876.
The convention had been in progress for several days and everybody was tired and worn out with expectancy.
One afternoon Hayes, Tom Dudley and Bob Irwin were allowed 30 minutes for luncheon. Upon their return, the doors of the convention hall opened and a mass of excited men rushed out, yelling, “Hayes!” “Hayes!” “Hayes!” “Bob” Hayes immediately left his comrades and flew down the street.
“What’s the matter?” cried Tom Dudley after the fleeing man.
“Oh, hush! hush!” cried back the fleeting Hayes, “don’t you hear my creditors yelling after me.”
It seems the convention had just nominated Rutherford B. Hayes for the presidency and that alone was the cause of the tumult.
Robt. C. Hayes now holds a prominent position with the Burlington road in Omaha and his friends still tell this story on him.
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George Lawton, affectionately known to the telegraph fraternity as “Old Farmer” Lawton, is a familiar figure in the Denver office where he holds the position of assistant manager.
“Farmer” Lawton has worked in Denver, lo, these many years. He loves to reminisce and his stories are good.
Back in the 70’s the “Farmer” used to copy press from “Nip” Jones, at Cheyenne, for the Denver papers. “Nip” was a fast but erratic sender, his speed varying according to his mood.
“Farmer” Lawton had been “breaking” a good deal one night, when Jones petulantly remarked: “I say, ‘Farmer,’ how is it that some nights you take me all right and other nights you break every little while?”
“Farmer” Lawton’s artless reply was, “Why, don’t you see, ‘Nip,’ you send faster some nights than you do others.”
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When Mr. A. B. Cowan was chief operator of the Chicago office he found himself, on an occasion, needing some help in the printer’s room and he engaged a young Jewess, named Henrietta, to work as automatic operator. The newcomer proved to be very trustworthy, full of snap, energetic and intelligent.
Noticing her excellent work and needing still more help, Mr. Cowan asked the young Jewess if she knew of any more girls of her race that would like to go to work.
“Oh, yes,” replied Henrietta, “I know many,” and in a few days there was quite a sprinkling of young women of the Semitic race in the office.
Passing into the elevator one day Mr. Cowan overheard a couple of Jewesses in close conversation.
“How is it,” asked one, “that so many of our kind of people get jobs here?“
“Ah, don’t you know?” was the reply. “Well, I’ll tell you. Don’t you know A. B. Cohen (Cowan), chief operator?”