The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

672 CONSTRUCTION OF THE AMERICAN LINES.
fliction. In Europe, where society is taught to reverence the
law, and yield in all cases to the decrees of fate, however unjust at the time, in order to attain the greatest good for the
greatest number, the lines are not so much jeoparded, nor
liable to malicious interruptions. A universal respect for the
telegraph throughout the world, is a "consummation devoutly
to be wished."
ERECTION OF TELEGRAPH POLES.
The implements necessary for the erection of a telegraph
pole are, the pike-pole, fig. 3, made of an ordinary pole, about
ten feet long, with a sharp-pointed iron fastened in one end;
Fig 3.
around this end of the pole is placed an iron band, to prevent
splitting; the rest-board, fig. 4, being a plank about six or
eight feet long, ten inches wide, one inch thick, and concaved
Fig 4 Fig. 5 at one end, to allow the pole to lay in it; the
-g' ~'D' foot-board, fig. 5, about five feet long, ten inches
wide, and two inches thick, on one side a little
hollowed; the cant-hook, fig. 6, made of timber,
five feet long and about three inches square at
the largest end, with handle end round; and
about ten inches from the larger end a flat iron
hook is fastened with a bolt. This iron hook
can be moved, as will be seen, by the holes in it;
the bolt is held firm by a screw nut, at one
--- _ end, and a flat head at the other end. The polelifter, fig. 7, made as a double cant-hook, excepting that the
hooks are placed near the centre of the lever. This wooden
rod or lever is about six feet long. The rammer is made of a
Fig. 6.
round piece of wood about six feet long, about two and a half
inches in diameter at the little end, and about four inches in
diameter at the larger end. Around the larger end is placed a