[CW] Origin of 'ES'?

[Neal McEwen]

Will White wrote:
> 
> Does anyone know the origin of using 'ES' for 'and' in CW? Obviously, it is
> shorter to send, but why not the Spanish 'Y' or French 'ET'? It *looks* to me as
> though it is derived from another language, rather than a contraction or
> abbreviation of English, like GUD for good or ABT for about, but who knows. ANy
> ideas?

   ES came from landline telegraphy.  ". ..." is the "&" in American
Morse code.  American Morse code was used by Americans during the infant
years of wireless telegraphy.  When American ships could not communicate
with British ships, we transitions to the International Morse code. 
Many of the first wireless operators came from the ranks of the landline
telegraphers and hence ES snuck into radio usage.
-- 
73 de K5RW, Neal McEwen, at "The Telegraph Office", nmcewen@metronet.com
         A WWW Page for Telegraph Key Collectors and Historians
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