Show FUN OVER THE KEYS I Telegraph Operators Play Many Queer Jokes on People Anyone happening to step Into the main ofilce of one of the large telegraph tele-graph companies would doubtless be rather confused by thc licking of the hundreds of instruments with which the room Is I filled says the New York Tribune They probably would think when they had recovered their mental equilibrium equil-ibrium that the operators get confused con-fused too that It is n hard task for them to keep their thoughts on their work and that It must be trying to sit and listen to the Incessant tick lick of the Instruments hour after hour This Isso to a great extent most of the time for ery often they are required re-quired to send or receive from thIrtY five to forty words a minute and to n Rood operator this Is the average speed when the wire Is In good condition condi-tion I oren happens though that serious trouble occurs as In the carje of wires crossing or of stormy weather along the line either of which renders a wire practically useless The uplodate operator uses a typewriter type-writer or mill ao they term It among themselves to write the message mes-sage while receiving which Is a great help when speed Is required Nevertheless although kept busy during their hours on duty they find considerable leisure In which to have fun among themselves ip the olllce and with tho operator at the other end of the wire and they employ n universal code familiar to all operators throughout through-out the country and various phrases which mljrht be termed slang In communicating Jokes etc lo each other othelI of leq happens that a good operator gels on a wire at the other end of which Is one who Is green and makes mistakes for which ho Is told to send Morse which Is equivalent to the term talk United States Many people have become lovers and afterward married through getting get-ting acquainted In the use of the wire The affair usually starts with the sending of my 73 to you by one or the other This means umr compliments ments and regards By and by Is my 21 to you which means a kiss 1 and unless these advances are resented resent-ed by one or the other It Is expected that the mystic 22 or SS which means the three symbols combined travels frequently through space between be-tween the two and by and by n meeting meet-ing is arranged which in due course of time ends with a visit to the minister A rather peculiar thing that happens quite unconsciously with telegraph operators I op-erators Is I that If they hear a joke while at the Instrument which causes them I to laugh their finger will invariably seek the key and tick off tho letters let-ters H A which means laugh Much enjoyment Is had at times In small offices of which a great many are usually on one circuit by 1 the operators ope-rators listening to a pair of lovers talking to each other and at n favorable fav-orable moment breaking in with the remark that causes the lovers much embarrassment The following Is a sample of how this really took place not long ago The young man said Well my dear I suppose you will soon be going home Yes answered the girl and it is just raining In torrents und I have no rubbers here I wish I could send you mine replied re-plied the young man I have them here In the ofllco What size are they v asked the girl At this Juncture the listener who was I I alsoa girl broke In with Twelve B Instances arc on record of prisoners signaling to each other by means of the Moree alphabel the dot and I dash being made by I tapping on the wall or rattling a lock or bolt and many daring escapes are said to have been planned by this method of communication com-munication A story about a party of telegraph operators of the benter sex and a man who was the possessor of a red nose Is worth repeating here This man was an Inspector for a railroad telegraph company and his duty was to travel from place to place and see that everything went well with the system and of course ho was thoroughly thor-oughly conversant with the entire business bus-iness One day while on a trip to a emotci station ho was compelled to walt an hour at a place where he had to change to another train He thought It a good opportunity to gel sonic dinner din-ner and going to the only hotel In iho town Inquired If I he could be supplied With refreshments Well said the proprietor there Is a party of young women telegraph operators here today but there Is one vacant seal 4 at the table If you dont mind taking that I will see If they have any objection Tho visitor assured him of his wiI ingncss and arrangements wore made for his I accommodation On seating himself at the table one of the young girls placed her knlfejbc tween the tines of her fork and ticked on Girls got on to the old fellow with the red headlight Of course the old fellow with the red headlight head-light understood the message as well Ilh any oC thorn but ho gave no sign until he felt that nil eyes wore centered on his nose when without looking I up ho calmly tool Ids knife and fork and ticked 00 Ave you nil on to him girls Ho was lon In sole possession of the place for tho girls did not atop for dessert I |