There have been a number of theories and explanations as to where the slang phrase HAM or HAM RADIO originated. While reading a volume entitled The Victorian Internet, as authored by Tom Standage and available through Berkley Books, New York (ISBN: 0-425-17169-8), I came across this remarkable paragraph:
There was also a dark side to telegraphic interaction: the best operators often felt nothing but scorn toward the small-town, part-time operators they often encountered on-line, who were known as "plugs" or "hams" Speed was valued above all else; the fastest operators were known as bonus men, because a bonus was offered to operators who could exceed the normal quota for sending and receiving messages. So-called first-class operators could handle about sixty messages an hour-a rate of twenty-five to thirty words per minute-but the bonus men could handle even more without a loss in accuracy, sometimes reaching speeds of forty words per minute or more.
It appears from the book that the description relates to a time in the late 1880's or 1890's just prior to the automation of commercial telegraph stations and ultimately the telephone, when telegraph operators were highly skilled in their profession.
By the way, this is a fun read! The parallels between the Telegraph Era and our own Internet Age are amazing! You can find this volume at your local library if you wish to not make the twelve dollar investment.
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