CONSTRUCTING THE LINE.


The next day was a day of hard work for the Board of Managers. Mr.
Lyons, who took the greatest interest in the enterprise, got another
operator to take his place at the Hetertown station, and came over to
help the boys.

Under his direction, and with his help, they arranged the instruments
and the batteries, sunk the ground-wires, and, in a general way, put the
office-apparatus in working order. When night came, there were still
some things that remained to be done in the two stations, but the main
part of the office arrangements had been satisfactorily concluded, under
Mr. Lyons's supervision.

Now, it only remained to put up the wire; and this was a piece of work
that interested the whole neighborhood. There had been lookers-on enough
while the instruments were being put in working order, but the general
mind did not comprehend the mechanism and uses of registers and keys and
batteries.

Any one, however, could understand how a telegraphic wire was put up.
And what was more, quite a number of persons thought they knew exactly
how it ought to be put up, and made no scruple of saying so.

Tony Kirk was on hand--as it was not turkey season--and he made
himself quite useful. Having had some experience in working under
surveyors, he gave the boys a good deal of valuable advice, and, what
was of quite as much service, he proved very efficient in quieting the
zeal of some ambitious, but undesirable, volunteer assistants.