Show AN ODD EDO OP CLUB IT RESEMBLES A FULL FLEDGED TELEGRAPH COMPANY an amateur organization the huibers Mu ibers of which nave their connected by kirea so they may communicate muni cate with L other hy telegraph one of the most novel or unique organizations in Bro oldyn is one that has gained a new lease of eife through the infusion of new and vigorous blood and by a thorough iza tion ills called the phenix morse telegraph club and is perhaps the only one of its kind in the united states tho old organization was formed in 1879 and started in life under the name of the phenix club it was inaugurated by a number of young people some of whom were engaged in occupation as telegraphers and others of different vocations cat ions who took pleasure in studying the mysterious language of dots and dashes A private telegraph line was established and connected with the residences of the members A busy wire it was too the hum of conversation if it can he termed such was constant throughout the evening stories were passed over the electrical current jests aud jokes bandied chess and checkers played by individuals who liked this sort of recreation and in fact as good a time was usually passed as if the members were brought in contact with each other by person in one room jokes of an innocent character were also carried on over the circuit which had the advantage in so far as to allow the perpetrator to remain unknown or malang it unnecessary to flee from the wrath of the person upon whom it was inflicted quite a number of these are stock property among the old members who relate them to friends with as much enjoyment aa if they had occurred only yesterday one of these is to the effect that two members after practicing with another in the early evening during which the sender transmitted the morse characters aa fast as he could or as telegraphers would say rushed the receiver notwithstanding the protests of this unfortunate disciple of americas noted inventor the latter promised himself that a speedy revenge donld follow and sought to find some means whereby he could make the rusher as uncomfortable as he had been previously the practicing finally came to an end and the receiver waited until an unearthly hour of the morning when ais supposed his victim had gone to bed and when the click of a sounder would strike the gloom and quiet with the distinctness of a blow from a trip hammer at about 3 in the rooming he went to the instrument and began to call his victim in a manner which would indicate that a fire had perhaps broken out or that the transmitter had serious need of aid in some dire calamity he called in this furious style until he had awakened the sleeper who jumped up out of bed and went to the instrument expecting to hear that something dreaden had happened he answered the cay his indignation can bo imagined when the query came slowly and distinctly will yon please tell me the time my clock has TUL down his answer is not recorded but it is safe to assume that the immediate vicinity became as warm as a hot box of an overheated wheel tbt organization went on in the even tenor of its way until two or three bearc ago when it began to languish partly on account of a defection of members who moved away from the city or because the remaining persons would not shoulder in the proper or necessary manner the worry and expense of conducting such and organization then camo another club which was purely social in its character and which was also called the phenix club it may have been that the similarity of names caused a bond of friendship to be established or that some of the members of this body were capable of handling a key and working the electrical current however this may be the two organizations izat ions were amalgamated and a new order of affairs brought about thereby the name was changed to the present one and under which it started bright and prosperous auspices A flat comer of marcy avenue and fulton street has been made the headquarters of the club and which may be termed the main office of this amateur telegraph company here are located the battery room which furnishes the powerful fluid by which the wire is worked and another which is called the operating room in which are placed four sets of instruments and a double practicing outfit A galvanometer galvon ometer whereby the wire is measured so that the whereabouts of any trouble on the line can be detected is also included in this space meetings and social gatherings are held in a larger room running off from this one eighty cells of battery work the circuit which covers a distance of nearly eighteen miles in this city mainly in the upper residence section the old string was overhauled by an experienced lineman recently and put in sufficiently substantial shape in order to enable it to more readily resist the wear and tear of a line in a large and busy city the circuit is placed along the housetops on the route and trouble of any kind or as an operator would say bugs are rarely met with or experienced twenty three so called offices are on the circuit all of which have their calls in the same manner as do the stations of a telegraph company amons the present members of the club are practical telegraphers of skill and records for sending and receiving considerable rivalry exists between them and it is proposed at borne future time to have a tournament for fast transmitting and also for skill and ability in receiving the morse characters classes will ba established in order to give every one a chance one of the fastest senders n the country is the secretary of the or mr fraik L caum brook |