Around AA - Items of AA Information and Experience

Marc Eisen, Clark, N. J., writes: "The origin of the word 'grapevine' as meaning an underground channel of news, which C. D. (May 28) asks about, appears to be in Civil War America. It was used thus in the Atlantic Monthly in 1863; 'It's all a nightmare, all a humbug and a bore; just another foolish grapevine,' The Southern Historical Society Papers in 1864 quote: 'Many grapevine telegraphic reports are afloat in camp. None worthy of credence.' In his book The Story of the Mine, published in 1896, Howard Shinn explains: 'That curious and vivid Western phrase, "grapevine telegraph," originated in 1859. Colonel Bee constructed a telegraph line between Placerville and Virginia City, attaching the wire to the trees; their swaying stretched it until it lay in loops on the ground, resembling the trailing California wild grapevines. Frequent breaks occurred from falling trees and avalanches, till the line became almost useless, being sometimes beaten into Sacramento by the Pony Express. California and Nevada newspapers took it up, and whenever a journalist wished to cast doubt on the freshness of his opponent's news he forthwith accused him of running a grapevine telegraph.' "