Show t I INTERESTING I OGDEN FOLK e t te t a W J DERMODY NEARLY N MEARLY EARLY halfa half a century inthe in inthe the employ of the Western Vestern Union Telegraph company in which he worked his way from mes mes- messenger messenger messenger boy to manager of the Ogden branch one of the most important stations in the west is the- the career of W V J Dermody ono years yean ago Ml Mt 11 Del Der Der- Der Dermody Dermody mod mody came caine to Ogden and during this time he watched practically the evolution e of ot the tho from the time when hen but one could be sent over oer 0 er an Iron wire alre Ire to the tho present time hen alien eight me messages ages arc are sent 0 oer o er one copper strand simultaneously Sir Mr Dermody c can n remember hen ahen it took from the five fh e hours to toa toa toa a full day to get a a message age from coast to coast I ow ov ow telegraphic communication tin cin be ho had be- be be between teen tween any two tao big cities In tho the United States In from 15 to 20 minutes Years ago It was ass laborious work to tran transmit a message from coat coast to roast when then hen rela I had to he be made at Chicago Omaha and before before- the message could be continue continued II westward It as as considered a wonderful thing when a duplex Instrument was a blab bleh sent two 0 o er crone 1 ono one wire siro Ire at the same time SPI-ED SPI LO G Today there are several direct Ires nice between bet Atlantic and Pa- Pa Pacific Pa Pacific coast cities and communication cation I is maintained by the use of oC multiplex multiple Instruments so that eIght messages can be sent fl- fl flIng fi til tiling ing on the same wire without any interference It Is not an In- In In Infrequent frequent thing for a person to send a n telegram from r ew I cw York and ha base it In the tho bands of at his friend In San Fran Iran Francisco Francisco cisco within 15 minutes In hi Ills his 48 18 scars ears ot of service Ith the Western Union company Sir Dermody has seen seen all the these thew e Im- Im Im Improvements gradually take place and each passing ear car od adds to the spee speed sped 1 of transmitting mes roes messages messages sages Mr Sir Dermo Dermody I is a true son of the telegraph business bs He lie has othel line of ot work and mj began hi his first job with Ith the th company when hen ben a n mere boy back In Mt SIt Vernon Ohio the tho place ot of his lila birth At tho tha ho age of 12 scare ears ho began his son ser Ice as a boy During spare moments he telegraphy and soon oon developed Into an oper opec operator operator ator He was ass as sent to Newark Ohio where he worked for tor a acar sear car and then to Cincinnati and still later to Omaha heb eb COILS 10 OGDEN In 1884 he be came to Ogden as- as assigned assigned as signed to duty here as an oper opec operator operator ator At that time lime there wre but four wires atres and leo Iron link link- link linking ing tug the Pacific and Atlantic cot coast which came caine through this lila route It took hours houM to relay rely a across the tho continent Chicago then lien worked worked on one wire airo direct to Ogden and then than It was aaa as reIn cd from here to California Copper Ire wiro has now replaced the tho Iron In practically all tele tele- telegraph tele- tele telegraph telegraph graph lines Iron Iran otters offers a much higher resistance to electricity than copper and more juice was to keep the wire boosted so that communication could be bo maintained In the 01 old old dais 1 da dabs 5 tho he electricity came from gra gravity Ity batteries which wore were kept at the th-s local telegraph ph ot- ot of office fice fico on and 1 it I took tool t two tao 0 men con- con l Continued on Page Three d INTERESTING OGDEN mm lit FOLK Continued Continual rom I-rom Page Pago P to One t working to keep them functioning properly These bulky and costly batteries n ha has now been replaced by d damos which keep the pi proper oper current In the a Tres Ires and need but little care car In comparison to the tho old lId batteries I T ST One wire then ran from from the Ogden office offic northward to Butte a Billings pocatello and many other northern points and o er this all the telegraph t communication In- In including In pony Associated Press re rep reports ports was transmitted to the northern country Ogden was an important relay station and employed em- em em employed plo cd about 26 25 men in the of- of office office of office fice but there thero was very little telegraphic business s gleaned cleaned from I Ogden Oen and It sae as a necessary sary to call II upon the tl New York Tork treasury of of tho company for tor funds sith Ith which to meet the tho payrolls Re- Re Receipts Re Receipts here were wr then practically nothing Today the Ogden office Is one of the most mot Important of the seal esL for tor It not only handles handle a heavy local business but Is I known as a n repeater station through all overland sires Hires Ires are teat teat- t test tested ed cd kept In repair and charged sIth Ith proper electric energy The Theoffice Th office also maintains maintain facilities for speedy trouble shooting Mr Ir Dermody first came to Og- Og Ogden Ogden den Or-den den as ILS an nn operator r but gradually WOI worked kl himself up to the position of night ht chief operator tor Later he rose roso to chief operator and manager and when the business grow grew ho he finally became manager and departments were formed to handle the thc various arlous phases of ot the business CURVE EIt But Cut during these theo pioneer years ears car carof of telegraphing In Ogden Mr Dermody found time tim to Join in the tho sporting events which sore ere ore so popular at that time limo He held the coveted position petition of pitcher on the Ogden baseball team and sas as ac kno known knon n as one of the th first cun curse 0 twirler t In Ogden This sas as 35 years ago aco when the catchers wore ore nothing hen heavier than kid Idd glo gloves es es with Ith the tho ringers cut off instead of the heavy mitts they now useIn useIn use useIn In those da days dais s there itras Awas a l tre tre- tre Interest and be- be beh between h tween heen een the teams of Ogden Plain City Salt Lal Lake e and Huntsville and and when hen they played practically the entire population of the town turned out to cheer their play play- players players player ers er No admission fee was sas charged charged charged ed In any of the tir towns except In Salt Lake lale and the players player had to furnish their 0 own n they cheerfully did Base Base- Baseball Baseball ball bali then was waa not commercialized and e en e en the players pla pia ers who sho ho gave their time and energy to the garn game were sere 1 ere also glad to provide their 0 own n expenses in the Interest of the sport Pitchers then were l compelled to throw an underhand ball a most moat difficult manner In which to make moke mak a delivery deU but they t te-camo te e- e e came so proficient that they could send end it in with as gl great Cleat eat degree of speed as our overhand 0 erhand pitchers of tolla today STATE TC TRAP CH CH Mr Dermody bec became me a crack crock hot hot an and joined In the weekly shoots held at the Ogden Gun club more than n 25 2 years year ago aio A man famed named amed Anderson came to Ogden with a national reputation os as a 0 marksman and he ha entered the tho slate hip championship shoot hoot and wall walked ol away with first honors That mme me season Anderson Anderon was challenged b by Sir Mr Ir Dermody and to tho the great KI eat surprise of all shoot shoot- shooters shooters shooter ers er In the tho state tale ho he defeated the th champion and won the tho crown of Utah's premier trap trip From then on he be h tool took the th cham- cham chim se oral eral times Trapshooting Trap- Trap shooting then was wai also ILIo al o i a I sport In which there was vas as intense Interest and at the th weekly shoots hoots and frequent matches between een the Salt Lake Lale and Ogden ORden clubs cluba there thoro sere ere hundreds hundred of spectators who watched the competition After holding the championship ch for se eral ears ear Mr Dermody lost the tho champlon championship to 10 G L Becker Sir Mr Dermody resides re at nt 1066 1065 fourth Twenty fourth street Is a believer In the Own Own Your Horns Home Hom move movement ment and has hILS eight children One of hi his sons Charles to In Inthe roI the navy during the tho war sar and ro- ro remained re remained I In service when ft hen peace wa was declared He H was as working himself ell to the position of ot pattern pattern- patternmaker patternmaker maker maler on the tho supply ship of ot the Atlantic fleet Ho He Is a 2 member of the tho th Weber Web club Ogden chamber of at com eom- commerce com commerce merce Elks Elk club an and Rotary club I i I I |