Sparkle Schoolhouse

FIFTY Study Page: Nevada— " The Telegram"

FIFTY: Nevada— "The Telegram"

Each story in the FIFTY collection focuses on a remarkable American from a different state. Below are some recommended topics to inspire further investigation of the history and geography of the state, as well as themes that can support our children's growth and development.

--- James H. Guild has a unique challenge: his telegraph company has been asked by the Governor of Nevada Territory to send the longest telegram ever sent - over 250 pages of text! He agrees to the task, but knows that the only two operators that can handle that amount of work … can’t stand each other. One is a republican and the other is a democrat during one of the most contentious elections in American history: Lincoln vrs McClellan. And the fate of the union rests … on them getting the job done.

*Note: Though this is historical fiction and the characters have been developed to accommodate a story, their attributes and development may be useful as reference points and inspirations. *

Nevada History - History of Nevada Territory - History of Morse Code and the Telegraph technology - The Presidential race between Lincoln and McClellan

Nevada Geography - Map of the United States distinguishing between those of the Union and those of the Confederacy.
- A Map of the Territory and the State of Nevada

“The Telegram” Study Topics - A study of how the different communication systems: pony express, telegraph and telephone - changed national historical events.

Topics for Reflection

From a Child Development Perspective:

In this story, your child might learn that:

• Sometimes we have to step outside what is comfortable for us and take risks when the needs of others are at stake. And sometimes you don't even ask why, you just do it! This is what James H. Guild had to do when it was made clear to him that the fate of the entire United States was resting on The Carson City Telegraph Company.

• Where there is urgency and real need, we should respond without hesitation. Sometimes we are asked to respond to something even if it requires great effort or personal cost, and sometimes we have to trust that we will be rewarded sometime in the future, if at all. W The Governor of Nevada had a request of the Carson City Telegraph Company, and he knew that the task was an arduous and costly one. All that the Governor could do was promise that he would be able to pay the fee later, and James had to trust him at his word.

• In life and in our work there is a code of ethics that we abide by. That means that we make decisions that keep our actions good and pure for the benefit of others. Even in the telegraph industry, there was a code of ethics. You did not read the telegraph contents, you just sent it. We have to take a code of ethics very seriously, and only under the most extreme circumstances do we question our commitments to them.

• Sometimes we use the word "hate" when what we really mean is "I don't understand you". We must be very careful when we use that word. It is so strong and leads to dire misunderstandings and even acts of aggression. Certainly in times of war, individuals may stand so squarely on the other side of an issue that their passions lead them to think that they truly hate. It is important that we look at that word when we use it and try to soften it and understand the perspective of the other.

• When we are called to serve something great and good, there are instances where we must put our personal differences aside. This actually helps us to remember that we share the same goals as people in wanting the best for all, even with our ideas about how to get there may differ. Hodge and Ward stood on different sides of the issues which were involved in the Civil War. Their skills were required to do what was needed to get the telegraph written. Other than their opposite position in the war, they actually had a lot in common even beyond their skills at deciphering Morse Code. In looking past their differences and coming to work on something in collaboration, they could connect more with what binds them rather than emphasizing what separates them. Doing good work together can be like adding dish soap to oil and water when you wash the dishes-it can be the emulsifier that brings two opposites together, so that they can not only coexist , but also be useful.

• Sometimes even if we can't find common interest with an individual, we can be reminded that there are values that unite us as people. Hodge and Ward were reminded that The President of the Union had asked them to do a job based on what was written in the Declaration of Independence, namely that we all deserve life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All of us do, not just some. They had to put aside their small individual differences and their small individual opinions and do work for the "Union". And in doing so, something great happened at their hand. Nevada territory became a 36th State in the "Union. Because they could unify, so too could others.

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