John F. Shaffner
1926
Telegrapher at Union Pacific Depot in Dillon, Montana
John F. Shaffner (my grandfather) secured a position as a student telegrapher in September of 1907 with the Pennsylvania Railroad when he was 20 years old. By December of 1907 he was classified as a "telegrapher". Grandpa wrote that in the years following the turn of the 18th century, the country was in a real panic, jobs were scarce and wages were low. Work day was usually 10-12 hours usually from 7 to 6. He had worked as a printer previously earning $2 a day. When he became an apprentice, his wage was increased to $3.00 a day. John's first position as a telegrapher was at a tower a few miles out of Muncy, Pennsylvania and that is where he began to court Della Kurtz who would later become his wife. He worked for the railroad for 5 years (until February of 1912) and then a short time (5 months) for Congressman Lafferty from Oregon. He was anxious to go west so wrote to the Northern Pacific asking for a job and was offered a position on any division between St. Paul and the west coast. He chose the Yellowstone division and was even a pass to Glendive, Montana. When he got there he was put on a train for Sims, North Dakota where he remained for 2-3 years. He began with the Yellowstone Division in September of 1912 and worked until June 1917. When he moved to Dillon he began with the Oregon Short Line and then the Union Pacific Railroad. He worked as a telegrapher until 1944, for 33 years.
A telegrapher often got the news before the newspapers did. Grandpa stated they were not connected with any newspaper, they didn't make public announcements, unless it was an emergency. He remembers getting the news of inaugurations, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, when Woodrow Wilson was elected President. When they got the news of Pearl Harbor attack, it was announced to people that were around the depot. Since there was no television, the baseball scores were sent by telegraphy. He would get the scores and give them to the theater which would announce them to the audience. He stated there were telephones but the news and such all came in by telegraphy.
John F. Shaffner
1989
Donnee Stibal (John's granddaughter) wrote in his scrapbook beside the picture that Grandpa was cleaning house and wanted to give it to the museum for the old depot where he originally typed with it. She took him down to turn over to them. John Burrows understood the Morse code when Grandpa typed out a message to him. She thought the typewriter was made of iron as it was heavy. Grandpa typed letters on it until not too many years ago.
Donating his Typewriter
The newspaper article in the Dillon Tribune
21 November 1989
Page 10, image 10
