Thomas Ahearn #2 Traditional Cache

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Hidden : 2/5/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


Thomas Ahearn (1855 -1938) was a Canadian inventor and businessman, born in the Lebreton Flats area of Ottawa. He had many accomplishments in several different fields; this cache is in tribute to his contribution to telephony.

At the age of 15, Ahearn joined the JR Booth company to learn about the field of telegraphy. Ahearn worked for free, just so he could learn. By 1877, after reading an article in Scientific American concerning Alexander Graham Bell's pioneering effort to develop a telephone system, Ahearn built the first long distance telephone route from Ottawa to Pembroke using two cigar boxes, a series of magnets and wire, and existing telegraph lines. Later, to settle a $16 hotel bill in Ottawa, Ahearn traded his cigar box phone.

Ahearn was offered the role of manager of the Ottawa office of Bell Telegraphone Company. He developed more experience and contacts in the telegraphic industry over a number of years, and inevitably met Warren Soper, who was the manager of Dominion Telegraph in Ottawa. In 1881, Ahearn and Soper both resigned their respective positions to form a new electrical contracting company called Ahearn & Soper.

In 1877, a temporary telephone linking Government House with the Public Works Department had been put in. After experiencing recurring failures with the telephone, Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie asked that it be taken out. As the story goes, Lady Dufferin, wife of the governor general, asked to be given a private line so that a talented employee in the Marine Department could continue to serenade her guests via the telephone. Ahearn arranged to have a telephone switchboard installed in the Parliament buildings in 1882, with 50 lines to various offices.

Ottawa's first telephone directory came out in 1879 and listed 8,550 subscribers. Before this, residents' addresses and businesses could be found in the various city directories that had been published since 1861.

In 1927, Ahearn, with Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Justice Minister Ernest Lapointe, made the first transatlantic telephone call to Britain.

Sources: (visit link) et. al. Mysteries of Canada has many fascinating articles that would make great subjects for caches. Check it out.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nyrknaqre...

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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