[CW] Good ops

Wed, 28 May 2003 11:44:14 -0400

United Fruit had some wonderful operators - they were very selective about
their "sparks" - you had to copy 35 wpm to work for them, and also when you
worked for their coast stations.

United Fruit became United Brands, which rolled off their telecommunications
branch into a separate unit called:  Tropical Radio Telegraph, which later
became known as just the initials, TRT, which I believe exists today on the
New York Stock Exchange.

W8GJX - Helen Schmock

Licensed since 1929 as W8GJX, Helen Cloutier Schmock - these are both her
married names - the first man she married was a bigamist, her later husband
knew a good thing when he saw it, and married her.  Helen also worked for
some steamship companies, getting her valued six month's sea service on the
Great Lakes.  She was the first woman member of QCWA and she was a member of
OOTC.  She is a recent Silent Key (SK), living to the ripe age of 91.   One
of Helen's sons is Jack Schmock, W1DXQ.

Jack, W1DXQ was the man in charge of Fire Alarms in Quincy, MA where I grew
up,  and he told me that his mom could carry on a conversation while writing
down 35 wpm.  He tried it and he was just like me - either he could talk or
write.  He also said she had the best fist on a bug he'd ever heard - 35 wpm
solid and not break a sweat.

She wrote two books that I know of, "Sim Barton, Girl Radio Operator" and
her autobiography, "I Never Shot a Rabbit".

73

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
Pre-Retired Radio Officer
U.S. Merchant Marine

-30-

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry W. O'Dell" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 9:57 AM
Subject: [CW] Good ops

> Ah, the old days. Best cw op I ever saw was a woman (W8ZGT), who
> worked for the United Fruit Company in Jamaica -- yes,the real
> banana boat swing. Ran the shore station, route from Central America to
> Tampa.
>
> She could carry one two qso's at about 35 (writing them down -- try that),
> and talk to you at the same time.
>
> Said that after 20 years you sort of got the hang of it. Only problem was
> the Tarantulas from the Bananas.
>
> 73 jerry w8gnd
>
>
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