THERE was a large number of sailing craft on the Hesperian canal, on the planet Mars, all headed in the same direction and all evidently bound on the same mission. There were also some small steamers which kept up a fusillade of whistles extending “73” in Morse signals to the other craft. On board these vessels there was a lively lot of men, with a fair sprinkling of ladies, all beaming with smiles and good nature. This gay crowd was en route to attend the gathering of the railroad and commercial superintendents of telegraph which was booked to occur April 22.
The meeting was to take place in the Telegraphers’ Tabernacle and everybody was asked to join, for as I mentioned before, there is no class distinction on the planet Mars. There was a long list of names and a long array of forms and faces very familiar to the denizens of Earth.
The first one to alight from the steamer was Chas. W. Hammond, whose once serious face was now wreathed with smiles and good humor. He stopped to shake hands with his many friends who gathered around him and to crack some of his old jokes with them, for he is as dearly loved on the planet Mars as he was on Mother Earth.
“Hello, there, Charlie,” exclaimed James W. Stacey, extending his hand to Hammond. “I have not seen you since you came down to Houston to visit,” and the first superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe telegraph system smiled at his former colleague. Merry sallies passed between these gentlemen and the crowd proceeded up the little hillock to the Tabernacle.
“Well, if there is not my old friend and patron, Henry W. Wynkoop, all the way from Crestline, Ohio, and O. H. Booth from Mansfield, Ohio,” and both gentlemen, arm in arm, bowed their acknowledgments to a host of their former co-workers.
And here we have still another Ohio railroad superintendent as the form of Wm. Kline, Jr., came down the line accompanied by George A. Beach. Mr. Kline was for many years with the Lake Shore at Toledo, Ohio, and has graduated more first class operators from his road than any other superintendent in the country, all of whom esteemed and loved their chief.
George A. Beach, also from Toledo, where he spent so many years with the Wabash Railroad, accompanied by Joseph Keenan was surrounded by a number of old friends and colleagues.
Frank Vandenburg, from the Southern Pacific, San Francisco, and Col. John J. Dickey, of the Union Pacific, were recounting the happy days spent on the Pacific Coast.
“Yes, I remember how you favored big batteries, big relays and big operators,” ejaculated Col. Dickey, addressing Vandenburg.
“Yes, and I recollect how you used to like to attend the yearly gatherings of the old-timers,” returned Vandenburg, with a broad smile.