Words and their Stories: The Grapevine
<p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="exciting">exciting</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="reports">reports</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="secret">secret</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="hush">hush</span> <span word="hush">hush</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="whispered">whispered</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="others">others</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="honored">honored</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="excited">excited</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="information">information</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="wait">wait</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="ears">ears</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pour">pour</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="into">into</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="information">information</span> - <span word="secret">secret</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> – <span word="begins">begins</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="spread">spread</span>. <span word="Nobody">Nobody</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="far">far</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="old">old</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="inventor">inventor</span>, <span word="Samuel">Samuel</span> <span word="F">F</span>. <span word="Morse">Morse</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="largely">largely</span> <span word="responsible">responsible</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="birth">birth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>. <span word="Among">Among</span> <span word="others">others</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="experimented">experimented</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="telegraphy">telegraphy</span> – <span word="sending">sending</span> <span word="messages">messages</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wire">wire</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="Morse">Morse</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="completed">completed</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="telegraphic">telegraphic</span> <span word="instrument">instrument</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="worked">worked</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="message">message</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wire">wire</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Baltimore">Baltimore</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="message">message</span> <span word="was">was</span>: "<span word="What">What</span> <span word="hath">hath</span> <span word="God">God</span> <span word="wrought">wrought</span>?" <span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span>-<span word="fourth">fourth</span>, <span word="eighteen">eighteen</span> <span word="forty">forty</span>-<span word="four">four</span>.</p><p><span word="Quickly">Quickly</span>, <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="telegraph">telegraph</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="another">another</span>. <span word="Men">Men</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="poles">poles</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="strings">strings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wire">wire</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="carrying">carrying</span> <span word="telegraphic">telegraphic</span> <span word="messages">messages</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="workmanship">workmanship</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wires">wires</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="straight">straight</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="results">results</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="strange">strange</span>. <span word="People">People</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="telegraph">telegraph</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="directions">directions</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="crooked">crooked</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="vines">vines</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="grapes">grapes</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="on">on</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="grapevine">grapevine</span>.</p>
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