[SOC] [OT] Well Almost But Actually it is about Telegraphy

[Bob Krueger]

To:  Ian C. Purdie
Read your website OM, Great place, will pursue it to the final item!  Thank 
you.     Bob, WB9UKQ


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian C. Purdie" <ianpurdie at integritynet.com.au>
To: "Second Class Operators' Club" <soc at mailman.qth.net>; 
<glowbugs at piobaire.mines.uidaho.edu>
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 5:10 AM
Subject: [SOC] [OT] Well Almost But Actually it is about Telegraphy


> Watching Cable TV here - satellite in my case - there was an instance a 
> very
> short awhile ago of a fellow using glass negatives [olden days 
> photographic stuff].
>
> It reminded me of my formative years back in 1958 at Sydney University 
> when such
> technology still existed among the 100+ year old buildings and its 
> fittings [I
> kid you not]. Yep, in the Department of Chemistry and Physics you could 
> still
> use this primitive technology.
>
> There was back then and, probably still is, an actual Post Office on 
> campus.
> Unbelievable in today's climate - hey this is almost 50 years ago [God I 
> feel
> old]. Anyhoo, in a "framed" situation the Post Office had this beautiful 
> cartoon
> by one of our [back then] famed cartoonists on the wall.
>
> It featured a white man coiled entirely by a huge, huge snake and about to 
> die.
> Adjacent was an aboriginal type fellow [they never did this here] with his
> tom-tom beating out:
>
> "Is Boa-Consrictor one word or two words".
>
> Boa was preceded by the CW as if the operator was interrupted. [Logical] 
> BTW
> Telegrams were paid for by the word at that time. Sheez I feel old.
>
> Anyhoo my OM [VK2ARP - SK] was not only a Postmaster with his own Post 
> Office at
> that time in 1958 but an old 60 wpm professional telegraphist firstly from 
> the
> WW1 Navy [at 16], then the Post Office [Western Union] and later the 
> infant
> Royal Australian Air Force in 1930 just after its inception then back 
> again as a
> Post Master in his offishul "retirement". Got "shafted" in 1974 when they 
> found
> out he was actually 74 and past the obligatory 65 years retirement age.
>
> I thought this cartoon was a hoot so I secretly borrowed it [remember I'm 
> not
> much more then than a kid]. I then secretly made a glass negative followed 
> by a
> blow up in the Department of Chemistry and Physics Lab.
>
> Ah the olden days! Dad thought the cartoon was all right, didn't crack him 
> up
> though and it only featured in *HIS* Post office because my mum took into
> account all my efforts etc. [Mum's do that jazz].
>
> Oh well!
>
>
> 72/73's
>
> Ian C. Purdie
> Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33°14', E151°34'
> VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
> http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/
>
>
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