The Imaginary Emperor by Steve Bartholomew

Author:Steve Bartholomew [Bartholomew, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-611-871-08-1
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Published: 2011-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

In October, the telegraph line finally saw completion, running all the way from St. Joseph to Sacramento, with a relay line running under the bay to San Francisco. The last Pony Express rider dismounted and drew his final pay. The service had been losing money, anyway. The lean, daring riders were replaced by men wearing sleeve garters and eye shades, tapping away all day and night in the back rooms of the Pacific Telegraph Company.

In Missouri, there were still no major battles, though news of the front further East was horrifying. Marina and Randall continued to perform, traveling about the state with the permission of Randall’s officers. Several times they appeared before audiences that included General Fremont. Still, Randall had to report back to his unit in Springfield after each trip. He was assigned to put down his fiddle and pick up a rifle, leading his squad on patrol through the green and pleasant countryside, where leaves were turning to autumn brown. Elsewhere, there were stories of rebel bushwhackers lying in ambush, most often up near Kansas.

Marina, when she heard of the telegraph, took the first chance she found to send a telegram. She walked down to the office near the railroad station, where a clerk instructed her on how to fill out a telegraph form, printing in block letters and counting words. The fee was much cheaper than Pony Express. She felt happy, and happier still that she could share with someone half way across the continent. There was no doubt about which friend would receive her first wire message.

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