A poem about a couple of telegraph operators sending a running commentary on a horse race which is how it was done before we had a Nation Wide Broadcast Radio system. Probably from the 1920’s era in Australia and to save time on the key lots of abbreviations were used. See if you can follow the flow and excitement of the race and the temperament of the operators.

A bit more “history” , I found this poem first on the Packet Radio BBS back in the early 1990’s and as you know that system of communicating is not used very much these days. I was looking around in my old 486 computer that still runs today and came across it saved in a file . See how you go working it out.

Well I remember Charlie Teede who used to work the races

No need indeed to ask for speed He’d pace it with the pacers.

Lord help the man who broke him once or questioned his creations

On him a flood of scorn was turned the atmosphere with brimstone burned

And Pitman green with envy squirmed at his Abbreviations.

TE FIELD GOT AWA TO TI   AS TY SETTLD DWN

TE SHICER 1st TO BK TE LINE  WS FLWD BI JO BROWN

IN CLOSE PROXIM WAS TIRED TIM TN CAME ARBTRATN

BHND TE BUNCH WS CNTR PUNCH GD LUCK & HI TAXATN.

 

TY WHIZZED ALNG WT GRT SPD WN

C T R B

TH TOP WT JUMPD ES GOT ON TRMS WI SHICER

BI TN  HIS BUNDL DUMPD WE LABLD HIM A TWICER

As Pitman scrambled after Charlie like a trailer around a bend

He gave ok, but queried,   C R T B — U send,

now what is that enlarge a bit my friend.

The sounder nearly rattled loose as Charlie scorched the line.

U ORT T B ON TE RABTPROOF OR UP AT DOODLEKINE

CHASIN PODDIES RND TE YD SHD B UR CHF PASTIME

T THINK U CDNT WRK IT OUT IT NRLY MAKS ME SIK

ANI OLD JILARU OR ROUSABT CUD RITE IT W A STICK.

FANCI A MAN WO CALLS HMSF A TGST ASKG TT

A RECORD OS VACUUM IS LOCATED NEATH UR HAT .

 

D U WANT IT IN OILS BI LAMBERT OR CARVD ON MARBLE STONE

OLE WINJA MORTILL CD TKE IT DWN   UD NVR HR HIM MOAN

NOT SPELT OUT LKE IVE DONE FR U BT CUT DWN T TE BONE.

 

WL I MST SA ITS TE BEST DISPLA OF IGNRCE IVE EVER HRD

OF ALL TE SQUTRS IN TE LAND UR CRTNLI TE BIRD

ES ANI HRSH RMKS IVE MIST TY ALL CN BE INFERD.

 

WY  C R T B — ITS KNOWN BI ALL

WT WD U HV ME SEND ?

ITS CMG RND TE BEND U GOAT

ITS COMING ROUND THE BEND !