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

EMINENT TELEGRAPHERS. 837
ANSON STAGER,
Ef ~jio.
THE subject of this memoir was born in Ontario county, State of NewYork, April 20th, 1825, and for the first twenty years of his life he resided
in the city of Rochester.
At an early age, and during the progress of his education, Mr. Stager
entered the printing establishment of Mr. Henry O'Reilly, for the purpose
of learning the "art preservative of all arts." His expertness soon
became observable by his employers, and to him was intrusted service in
the business, which, in most instances, required greater experience. His
singular and perfect discriminating powers, gave him the advantage of
readily determining matters, requiring the exercise of that peculiar talent
necessary for success in the art of printing.
In 1846, Mr. Stager abandoned the vocation of printing, and adopted
the telegraphic profession as an affair for life. He gave this new field of
labor his whole mind, and he was not long in attaining an eminent position as a practical telegrapher, and to this day he holds the recognized
honor of being the most expert manipulator in the service. He has been
ambitious in the perfection of his profession, and his labors have been
crowned with the most signal success. IIis career is worthy of imitation.
He bid adieu to the art of printing, though with some reluctance, and
followed in the service of his old employer, Mr. O'Reilly, in the then new
and novel enterprise of telegraphing.
Mr. Stager entered into the new service with energy, and having become " quite an expert," as he was then called, he was placed on the first
link of the O'Reilly lines, between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, in October, 1846. On the extension of the line west of the Alleghany mountains, he was transferred to the Pittsburg station. When the lines were
extended west of Pittsburg, their manipulation at Pittsburg was placed
under the care of Mr. Stager, and in their management he exhibited
administrative abilities fully equal to the important and responsible
position.
When the O'Reilly lines were extended to the Mississippi in the west,
to the Lakes in the north, and to the Gulf of Mexico in the south, the
Cincinnati station was the most commanding on those lines, requiring the
first skill in manipulation and talent in administration. In the selection
of the superior men for that station, Mr. Stager was among the first chosen,
and at an early day thereafter he was made Chief Operator, having in
charge the manipulating department of the respective lines centering in
Cincinnati. No operator ever discharged the trust reposed in hint more
faithfully than did Mr. Stager, reflecting not only credit upon himself,
but upon the enterprise.
Through the indefatigable energies and superior expertness of Mr.
Stager, the modes of operating the apparatuses in the transmission and
reception of despatches, both as to celerity and correctness, were perfected, so much so in reality that the Cincinnati station was then, and
since, considered the model station on the American lines. He practically combined mechanical contrivances, coupling circuits together, so
that the necessity of re-writing was dispensed with. This is not novel at
the present moment, and its universality takes from the feat the greatness
of the then recognized achievement. Those of us who commenced to toil