CHAPTER XI.

CLEVELAND DAY ON THE PLANET MARS

The bulletin board, which was the azure blue sky of Mars, contained the names of many new arrivals by fast express train from the terrestrial planet. These bulletins were seared into the bright sky by an electric pen wielded by wireless telegraph, which left an impression plainly visible and legible to all on the planet, and as there is no slumber or tired feeling on the planet Mars, all of its sojourners were on the _qui vive_ in anticipation of meeting old friends.

“Ah! There’s Nelson A. Buell, of Cleveland, Ohio,” cried out A. H. Vanduzer, and instantly the Cleveland fraternity marshalled into line, as one great body, to welcome the arrival of one of its loved members while on Earth.

It was easy to recognize the face and form of the former manager of the Cleveland office, with his Napoleonic face, from which radiated love and kindness for his brother man.

There was a long list of friends and former associates to greet Mr. Buell, operators, linemen, clerks and messengers being in the gathering.

Among those assembled to greet the newly arrived were the following:

E. P. Wright, A. H. Vanduzer, Chas. H. Lapp, L. A. Somers, A. J. Desson, Nick Kerver, C. F. Stumm, Geo. T. Lowe, George Phillips, S. B. Roberts, G. H. Wadsworth, E. T. Tindall, O. A. Gurley, E. C. Stockwell, W. R. Williams, Richard Babbitt, D. C. Shull, J. N. McNamara, Marshall S. Green, Thomas Callahan, John J. McCart, George E. Hinman and his brother Walter, W. H. Eckman, Jas. P. McKinstry, George W. Baxter, Dan R. Francis, Harry Collins, George Melton, George Winston Patteson, Frank G. Beach, W. H. Spencer, Ed Schemerhorn, Hank Cowan, Charlie Phillips, Ed. C. Jenney, Ed. B. Beecher, J. H. Wade, Anson Stager, Wm. Hunter, Charlie Gorham, Hank W. Stager, Tom Miles, Thos. H. Gould and others.

Many telegraph people from adjacent cities were also in evidence and such dear old faces as Zeke Butman, of Fremont, Ohio; Dewitt C. Hill, of Painesville, Ohio; William Bryant, of Erie, Pa.; Ed Burke and P. F. McCarthy, of Sandusky; John A. Townsend, of Dunkirk, N. Y.; Frank Ross and John Owens, of Columbus, Ohio; Henry W. Wynkoop, of Crestline; Wm. Kline, Jr., Charles O. and George M. Brigham, of Toledo, and Mark Luce, of Titusville, Pa.

Mr. Buell’s arrival was hailed with much delight and when he announced that the next meeting of the Old Time Telegraphers was to be held in Cleveland, the enthusiasm became greater, for all remembered the previous meeting of that Association in the Forest City in 1886 and the good time everyone had upon that occasion.

“I will never forget the ride to Rocky River,” said Mr. Stumm.

“And I will always remembers the trip to Put-in-Bay and Kelly’s Island,” remarked O. A. Gurley.

All of the members had something pleasant to relate and all gave out the hope that their wishes in the matter could reach their former earthly colleagues.

“That matter will be attended to in the highest style of the art, as I will write the subject up and hand it to Fred Moxon for transmission to his earthly partner,” said George Hinman, as he proceeded to sharpen his pencil.

Late copies of Telegraph and Telephone Age, brought to the planet Mars by Nelson A. Buell were passed around and eagerly scanned and the doings of the Pleiades Club were favorably commented upon.

“While the secretary of the Old Timers, John Brant, is reading felicitous telegrams at the Cleveland meeting from terrestrial friends, I hope it will not be amiss for us to extend our congratulations to that honorable body and I suggest that a committee of the Cleveland Old Timers now here assembled be appointed to draft a suitable and loving message for our friends to be read on the occasion of the 1917 reunion.”

Thus spoke E. P. Wright, and cheer after cheer greeted his suggestion and Gen. Anson Stager, Jeptha H. Wade, Frank G. Beach and Thomas Callahan were appointed such committee, which showed the democratic spirit of the assemblage.

“I believe that I will send a private wireless message to my old friend, Allen A. Briggs, and tell him what a nice place it is up here,” said Hank Stager, and many others fell into line to do the same stunt.

Presidents Garfield and McKinley, both members of the Ohio Society, stopped to read the bulletins and to shake hands with Nelson Buell, whom the late presidents remembered particularly well for his ever-gentle courtesy when they met in the telegraph office.

“We will watch with keen interest the occurrences at the next Old Timers’ meeting, and while not regretting being present, we will extend our hearty congratulations to our worthy brothers in session.” This seemed to be the consensus of opinion, heartily expressed, which was handed to Mr. Moxon, with the remark, “More to come.”

And so it appears that the doings of our earthly brothers are being solicitously watched over by those engaged in the same line of business and who have gone before us, and we are never for a moment left alone, even to our innermost thoughts and desires.

The railroad superintendents of telegraph as well as the commercial superintendents are forming an association on the planet Mars and a report of the meeting and the names of those present will be the topic of a future chapter in the Pleiades Club series.