The New York Herald Newspaper, November 29, 1851, Page 2

‘THE TELEGRAPH IN THE UNIVED STATES. The Magneti or Morse’s, Bleetro-Ch emical or Bain’s, and Prinfing or House’s Lines. Length of the The of the Wires, the Rates of Toll, asd cha! Connection of the Telegraph wih the Press, &e., dc., wee @ifferent telegraph lines in the United States ition jasohann ny and worked under three dif- arent: patents: first, Morse’s; 2d, House’s; and, 34, Bain’s. We believe that Professor Morse, by disposing of interests in his patent to other parties, Des retained only about one-fourth of it in his own right, the other three-fourths being represented by three other parties, some of whom probably have eld part interests to others. ‘The plan under which nearly all the Morse lines ve been constructed, have been to have half of he capital stock required to build a line assigned to the owners of the patent for the privilege of asing Morse’s instruments ; thus: if a line cost two Bundred dollars per mile to build it, it is estimated 2 ee ees aa orate ey dollars per mile is issue 0 patentecs, ends sscmed on the whole amount, of which the patentees receive half, and of this half Mr. Morse receives one-fourth or an eighth of the met receipts. ‘The principal parties in Morse’s patent are :—Dr. New Jersey Siaeseontaiay ooe coe jew ; Amos Ken: 1 1g agen' and attorney for Morse; and F. O. J. Smith, of ead er ot oe oe _ now ewns the pri stoc! e@ Morse line ex- r from New York to Boston; and, we believe, also the Merse line thenee to Portland, Maine, > m ement of these two lines, bi ith, was such as to ag great dissatis- to the press and to the public, and also to the ether joint proprietors of the Morse patent, in- el Professor Morse himself. line was erected from New York to hia ; another from New York to Boston ; and a third from New York to Buffalo—te be work- ed by House’s printing telegraph. Recently, Mr. House disposed of his whole patent to a company, wader ane granttwo, if not all the lines nam are worked. Third—The lines built unier Bain’s nt, be- tween the princi cities, added one-third to the espital stock w was conveyed to him for the use of his patent ; that is, if a line cost two hundred dollars per mile, one hundred dollars was issued to the patentee for stock. Other lines, between places ” ef jess importance, were farmed out at reduced rates. In some cases, we understand—short lines, | between emall places—the use of the twas granted for as small a sum as ten dollars per mile. The Bain lines extend, on the east, from New 6 York to Portland, west to Buffalo, and south to Washington, under the management of three se- | ies. Besides these three patents, we =~ com) ve heard of a however, have not, sofar, appeared ina regular working form. 3 F. O. J. Smith and others sued the proprietors of the House line, extending from New York to Bosten, for an infriogement of Morse’s patent. ‘The cage was, in the spring of 1850, argued before Judge Woodbury, of the United States District | Court, who decided that it was no infringement of Morse’s patent. Judge Kane's recent elngular decision in Philadelphia has, in several important points, been contrary to that of Judge Woodbury. We have previously stated that the aggregate length of tele jphs in the United States and Canada about 12,000 to 15,000 miles. To arrive at an approximation of the amount invested im them, let us assume the lower estimate. Ex- elusive of stock issued to patentees, the average coet of all the lines, including instruments, may set down at about $175 to $200 per mile. Twelve thousand miles, at $200 per mile, makes an aggre- te of $2,400,000. If we add one-third more for use of patents, we shall have a representative capitsl of $3,200,000 for the entire cost of the pre- sent telegraph lines on this continent ‘The amount of dividends deslared by the different Kines has varied very much. On some they have been very large; while on others, where repairs have been beavy, they have been small. The heaviest have been made on the Morse New York and Buffalo, and on the O'Reilly line from Philadel- ja to Pittsburg and Cincinnati. The heaviest we reached frem 16 to 25 per cent per annum, while some have been as low us 4 per cent per arrum. The Washington lines have done well, andthe earnings of the Morse line, from New York to Washington, bave been large; but much of its earn- | ings the past year was epent in rebuilding the line and keepivg up communication across the Hudson river ‘he Washington and New Orle: Morse line bi lways done a good busivess when at wor! een very liable to interruption from t! in the Southern pine forest, through and from the frequency of thunder etorms. It is believed that interruption from thunder storms can be prevented b; ——a wire on to) ef the poles the whole length of the line, wii ground connections, at suitable intervals, which would convey the atmospheric electricity to the earth, and leave the other wires beneath it free from interruption. All the companics between the Principal places have two wires on the same poles, ard in rome ¢ three and four. Each compasy employs men, at ‘uitable distances, to leck after the condition of the wires. In the thickly populated country of the north, these gvardemen are placed at long intervals; it may be of forty, fifty, or one hundred miles a, On lines ing through the dense southern forest, it has n found necseary to employ them at intervals of about every twenty miles, and to make it their duty to traverse and examine the lin quently, and eepecially during or after The expense of guarding and repair i cording to circumstanc ine The local expenses at the stations, or offices, alro vary A large expense arises from the use of acids, and the decomposition of metallic zinc, in the batturies From tome data gathered from inquiries made in the proper quarter, it is estimated that the zi cups employed in the batteries average about t ty-five to thirty for every one hundred miles of pene oe wires throughout the United States. On routes where there are two or three separate tele- graph lines, under diferent patents, the number of zine cups required will be double and treble the quantity named; but on some single routes, with emali stations, the quantity is, of course, much lees. But, for the sake of calculation, we will as- wame that the average is thirty to the hundred miles. Now, assuming the entire length of lines to be 12.000 miles: to work them will require 36,000 zine cups, which weigh two pounds each, making @ total of 720,000 pounds or 360 tons of metallic tine. These inc cups undergo total decomposi- tion, and have to be entirely _— with new cups every six months; henee, for the year, the consumption of metallic zinc will be 720 tons which, at eight cents per pound, or eighty dellars per ton, will cost $57 600 ‘The next heaviest expense connected with the working of the batteries arises from the consump- tion of nitric acid. This is poured into percelain cups, in which is placed slips of platina foi), andthe whole placed in zine cups open at bottem and on one side. The zinc, with its enclosure, is set in glace ups about the size of large tumblers. Altogether, they form the regular cups of a battery; the piatina foil at one end of a range of them forming the pori- tive, end the zinc at the other the negative pole ‘The nitric acid is poured into the interior porcelain @up; and sulphuric acid, in the proportion of | part of acid to 12 or 16 pounds of w: poured into the glase cup, and made to surround the zinc shell or cup. Thus prepared, it forms the constaat bat tery of Mr. Grover, of London, and without which electric telegraphs could not bave been worked — acid, of best a quality, costs about 11 cente it takes about | lb. to every eight porce it 12) pounds to every 100 cups wn that it is estimated that 360,000 zine cups ar ce, to work them, they require an equal nm reelain cu; ‘Thur, to fill them once, for operation, 15,000 Ibe. of nitric acid, which, per lb., will cost $4,900. This acid loses its pow, and requires to be entirely renewed about twice month in the main batteries, and daily in ai local batteries of only two or three cups ea Henee the contumption will cost, for all the lines, $117,400 per annum, which may be considered alow ertimate The next expense is thac of sulphuric acid; but as it is only ueed in small proportions, and differs in etrength and quantity used by each battery, we cannot arrive eta probable estimate. Acs it only corte 6 or § conte per lb-, the cost is emall in pro- portion to that of the nitrie acid, and we will ba, over it. To each battery of 100 cups ateix ie vary is employed to rule over the a purpose of causing them to resist deco: by resisting the twe rapid a tion of the acid meroury corte about $1 25 per Tb., and if six Ibe. per 100 cups per annuin be em- it will cost $7 50 per the 100 cups, of annum. cos in New York employ on an average The four young men in cach, a# operator \d clerks Thoee acting ascleras are generally also capable of Writing with the instruments. In country offices, o ‘aces of small note, one or two operators are nt. The wages for their services differs in different offices. The chief operator re- coives the highest wages— varying, ly, from $1,000 to €1,200 per annum. Some companies also empio person known as the superintendent of thelr Tince, who has the ‘tomediate control and » ropervision 9f bu Wagle. J+ in customary With other projected improvements, which, | most, ifnot all reached the hour { day’s work, if required ties to keep the oi press or other aa their lines for a longer period, to charge those gi the order extra their services; and as two have tosit upin cach office, the usual charge is 50 cents per hour for each ag or $l per hour for each office. The offices in New York manage the delivery of their own messages, or penny post system. For this purpose they employ, on an a about er boys ps for ee offices, mi an of al bi fe My ah BA eee oem for iv ws a 0 within aban’ ® mile oie oes. £ ons Celene tenerac aad = 0 charge 12} cents for each despatch. distant parts of Brooklyn or Williamsburg, the is 25 cents. Each boy carries a ‘sail Wook or po nae The envelope containing the m is with the address of the to whom itis directed, and the name of the office at which it was received. The time it was received is inserted, with snecinne-fommbence st Giant, aap che date a the head of the despatch. When the boy delivers the despateh, the recipient is requested to write his name and residence in the boy’s book, and the pee time at which he de- livers it. These books must always be produced at the office when called for. Besides the help previously referred to, many of the offiees employ what may be termed @ battery man, whose oy it is, Cao Hie go to remove the nine eups from the acid or cups, and, after cleansing in clean water, to set them by until they are required for use next day. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PRESS AND THE TELEGRAPHS IN THE UNITED STATES. Soon after the first lines of telegraph were pat in operation, it became apparent that they would ne- cessarily become important media for the transmis- sion of news for press. Atthe commencement, the popers. proceeded to soaies them with some caution hesitation ; their tehes were usually brief, and as much conde! as possible. The expense was heavy, and only a few papers in each city at first employed the lines to any material extent. Among the ear- liest and largest patrons of the telegraph was the New York HERALD. When the tele, was set to work between New York and Pb Iphia, and afterwards had ro, as far South as Richmond and Peters. urg, in Virginia, the Mexican war was in full blast, and hence its utility tothe press in forwarding of army news was such ar, in a measure, to force them into its employment. “ The free use made of telegraphs by the New York HERALD seon caused several other papers to adopt asimilar course. It was finally joined in its tele- Sie yh arrangements by two or three other New (ork papers, who ultimately adopted a plan of running a daily horse express between Mobile and Montgomery, in Alabama, (about two hundred miles), to expedite the news to the Southern termi- nus of the Southern telegraph line, in advance of the mail. This, however, when the line was ex- tended sufficiently far South, was abandoned. ‘When the line was extended east to Portland, in Maine, the press then, which comprised all the chief morning papers of New York, run an express from Halifax, on the arrival of each steamer, to An- napolis, from whence a steamer conveyed it to Port land, from whence it was conveyed by telegraph to Boston and New York. The leading Boston papers also participated in this arrangement. The cost of ood the news in this manner averaged near 1,000 per steamer. When the wires reached St. obn’s the anyones were reduced, and finally, when they reached Halifax, the expe: ere reduced to | the simple cost of transmission, which were finall, reduced to about $500 per steamer. Mr. D. H. Craig, the present general agent ef the Associated Press, was the special agent in these enterprises. At the outset there was a want of system in the collection, transmission and distribution oftelegraph news for the press. It became i pone that the employees in telegraph offices could not be expected to collect news at important points, and forward it. Their occupation confined them to the immediate —-* Faecal cya Hence, the Le paca hang graphing brought into requisition telegraph repor- ters. bey 3 the eatlicat who enga otis that bu- sinees was Alexander Jones, of New York. Hecom- | menced with the commencement of telegraphs, and when the whole system was new and imperfect, and in a manner without organization. He early invented a kind of short hand system, or cypher, intended greatly to abbreviate commercial ne transmitted by telegraph, a notice of which ap- peared in the ERALD, in 1847. This was 80 venyete, et that the receipts of produce and the saies and price of all leading articles of breadstuffe, [ghee &e , could be sent from Buffalo and Al- any daily, in twenty words, for both cities, which, when written eut, would make one hundred or more words. This plan of abbreviation, or some modification of it is continued on the same rou'e, besides others, to the present day. ies of the cypher, either in manuscript or in print, were placed in the hands of correspondents who could either compose or translate messages for the press. | Another party also contrived a cypher, but on an | entirely @fferent plan. Mr. Jones printed two or three modifications of his own cypher, and at consi- derable expense, the last book forming about seventy octavo pages of printed matter. Wit year or two after the commencemtnt of the bu’ ness, an association of {three or four reporters was formed, who employed others in various important localities to forward and receive news for the press. Their services were either paid for at stated weekly salaries, or in news, such as steamer and other news, forwarded in exchan; cbarged so much per week paid tolls and all other expens of reporters only lasted about t it was ditsolved, and, as far as New York cerned, Mr. Jones became the agent of thi York Associated Press, for all news a1 of @ commercial and miscellaneous throughout the | nited States. A committes ef the association attended to the foreign news received by steamers at Halifax, which was the more neces- sary, owing to difficulties which had arisen between them and Mr. F. O. J. Smith, the President of the Morse Eastern ag ap lines, whieh it is unneces- sary to dwell upon in this article. The same ecom- mittee also attended to the long congressional re- ports while the reporters §. This association ter morning papers, viz. :— Heraco, Sun, Tribune. Journal of Commerce, Cowrur & Enquirer, He received and distributed all their news, thus paying all tolls and other exp neces- #ary to conduct the business. The agen’ employed reporters in all the principal cities inthe Uaited | States and Canada, and, on receiving it in New | York, would wake about cight or nine copies of it, | Expras, and the remaining copies for reforwarding to the press in other cities and towns. To this had daily news, ship newer, Kc. His remuneration for ser- vices were made to depend chiefly upon what he could obtain from papers in other cities, such as Boston, &c., for the news of all kinds reforwarded, including the local intelligence. The agent hadan cffce separate from the prees, but centrally located, where he emplayed generally an assistant, besides one or two otber parties either as clerks or aids, with an errand boy ortwo. A cypher was devised for Corgressiona!l reports, but the press greatly augmenting the length of their renorts, and the telegraphs proportionably reducing their tolls, such cyphers became uanec aad were laid s, the usual asbington— porting Congressional progeedia plan was to employ two reporters in ether fer the ~cnate would be rent by ¢ by the other The plan upon which the members of the asso- ciated press act, in running extra ho is, The reports pf the House e line, and those of the Senate | by the sick and dying. | write with a pen or The association thus formed” consisted of six | on manifold paper—six for the New York press, | to beaddedthe New York local and commercial | one for the House of Nepresentatives, and an- | that any cne of them may order any pi ii of news, such as procesdings of conventions, Kc, and the others are to exert: option whether deoline it, but one xpected to bear the erally, however, empley ¢ and special reports the earliest telegraph fi if the telegraph lines phia to Cincinnati agency of the New wiat ta, after the ex Yor a of the pres: which was then ox iting much pub! and Mr. Jones was then engag ing and reporting, and the Ne orrespondents in getting | » one of his best and priocipal . editor afd proprietor of per, Pequested him to ba Me. Ch r the Herat pa- | eon Jed 4 spe bad a regular and effici ployed in Cincinnati, a a tad a Mr. Thompson in Philadelphia ia co-opera- tien with him, for some papers thi and whick, agreed, if the speech was first received, to share | Benn the expense with the Hera The Zridwme, ia | ew York, and the North American, in Phila- d agreed to for a report of rom Lexington to Cincinnati was eighty miles, over which an express bad to be run. Horses wore placed at every ten | miles by tho Cincinnati agent. An expert rider | Was engng: a short hand reporter or two, ftationed in ngton. When they had prepared his speech, it was then dark. The express man, on reoriving the epeceh, proceeded with it at once | for Cincinnati. The night was dark and rainy, yet | he accomplished the trip in eight hours, over a | ft ogb, billy country road. The whote a; b was | Buveiied at be fekale pee ah am wah mo! » although the wires were interrupted for a by short time in the pight, fae Finavon, oceee. mg of the limb of @ tree having 1m Bcross m. An ent tor in the Pittsb recta the line amidst dark- ‘ness and found the , and the cause of the fh "end ftasbed the bie ovThe Facrican and Now York Tyibwne WP et ‘and failed to get their report, and the latter purchased s copy trom the RALD ‘The expense, in securing the Men. by express te! . of their revenue from the press. le ex- pense, te of all kinds, have some years cost the New York Associated Press (six in number) probably about $5,000 each, era total of it $5, 000 per annum. The aggro for the eaten lt lhe has not snuena less than about 000 to $25,000. During long sessions of Congress it exceeded this amount. In may be remarked in conclusion, that the New Yorx Heap has paid out more money for telegraph news than ANY OTHER PAPER IN THE WORLD. in oe first plaee it has, dross eae time, ig long and expensive reports of meetings, speeches, Cale ke. esr ihe aaeaerane ere cely partici) or have, by declining lo 80, wn the whole expense on the Hera.p. Besides, the Heratp is the only one of its associates which ublishes a Sunday paper—hence it takes all the Giserenh news which is received on Saturday after- noon and night, and pays the whole expense of the tolls, which is often quite heavy. TELEGRAPH MATTERS. 1. What is the greatest distance fro which elec- tric messages are transmitted ! 2. What are the tariffs of transmission ? . What classes of despatches are entitled to pre- cedence ? 4. What is the preeige Zamber of words (acci- dents apart) which are transmitted along le wire per minute! If the different in their rate of tramemission state it 5. At what rate can despatches which arrive in telegraph ¢; jamal such as Moree’s or Bain’s, be re- duced to ordinary writirg ! 6. What quantity of telegraphic matter formsan average per day! 7. Give examples of days on which you receive extra quantities ' i you receive telegraphically telegraphs i 8. To what extent do the debates of Congress ! | 9. What convention exists between the New journals for telegraphic ne To what extent isthe te! yh used for com- ial corres ? This id be best illus trated by the expense incurred by two or three of the areaneet commercial houses. . 11. Is the telegraph extensively used for social correspondence ? 12. State the cases in which there are competing wiree, and illustrate the effects ef competition by examples ! 13. Are interruptions frequent arising from atmos- pherie electrieity ! 14. Or from other and what causes? 15. How many breaks are there in the communi- cations between the most distant stations, eto. ! 16. Is it practicable for corre: nts to keep the subject of their derpatches concealed from the employées of the telegraph, and is this object eften or ever practically attained ? ANSWERS TO THE FOREGOING QUESTIONS, MADE BY MR. O'REILLY, TELEGRAPH LINE OFFICE, 180 BROADWAY. 1. The actual distance from which messages have been, and are now transmitted, on this line, is 1,100 miles, from New York to Louisville. To do this, it is found necessary to place two batteries in the circuit, at distances ef four hundred miles apart, for the purpose of raga 5 the electric current, part of which escapes from defective insulation and atmospheric cause. There is no doubt but that, in @ more advanced ny of ar i gg pare may be but a short time hence—that New Orleans and New York will be placed in instantaneous commu- nication with cach other. To enable this to take pee requires, in the first place, a line substantially uilt, and thoroughly insulated. It may be re- marked, that it is but two years since, when to telegraph three hundred miles, on a single or un- broken circuit, was considered a feat; now, from im- provements made since then in telegraph, one thonsand one hundred—easier than three at that time. In our Cincinnati office, two years 0, and up till very lately, the; used a separate battery fer each line. From a se; of experiments made, one single battery, of no agord strength than those formerly uted, now wor! vo distinct and separate lines, with age inution of en and ata great saving of expense to the cfice. 2. The taritis depend, in a great measure, on the competition which the li have te mect. From New York to Pittsburg, the rate is sixty cents, fur ten words, distance four hundred miles; ten words to Cincinnati, distance seven hundred and eighty iles, is but seventy-five. Owing to the competi- n existirg among four or five lines that connect uppati with New York, by adding the rates and 1p three or four of the lines, it would give, ‘That ten words of # message, ture of sender and recipi —— messages.) is (ransmitted, ver four hundred miles, at the York 10. ingle cent; two hundred miles, single cent; ene hundred milee, about four miles a single cent; and lesser distances in proportion. . Classes of mi are government m furtherance of justice, in detection &e.; then death messages, which inclu titled to precedence, and messages for the criminals, s cases of | sickness, when the presence of a party is requested Important press news come | next; if not of extraordinary interest, it takes its turn with the mercantile een ge 4. Average number of words may be stated at twenty to twenty-three per minute—a higher rate could be obtained—but as nearly all operators copy from their instrument, and reduce messages from ordinary writing, the above is considered rapid enough, a8 an expert operator can indent his Morse @haracters on his register faster than most men can pencil. The Morse instrument is the fastest; Bain’s, a little behind it; and House's instrument not so fast as either. 5. The messager, as quick as they are written by an operator at the extremity, are pgopied at the other extremity by the receiving operator on a printed slip of paper, prepared for that purpose; then paesed from the operating to the receiving room, enveloped and sent out for delivery. So that -~ delay need take place if each one attends to their uty. 6. That is a question that cannot well be an- ewored here as or this line, as we are at the extreme point, and we are but one of the feeders to the line. New York, Philadelphia, messages for the West and South, all pass through the Pittsburg office. From the last report of the line from Louisville to Pittsburg, presented to share- holders by the superintendent, the following statis- tics are stated:—lt may be mentioned that this tection is 459 miles long, distinct as a property, but under one management and Baltimore Bratietics of tHe Yean 1950. aso Cincrs- watt Tecpore Number of words transmitted . 3,002,760 Number of derpatehes recorded 64.559 ‘There are eaciusive of tree matter. mecessertiy large et all times Average hours of labor, fourteen hours per day The record of despatches tor 1#60 on the paper of the registering instrument covers a length of 1704}, miles Caen Receirtsat tHe Direreest Or rices ce te Peeve were, Crscewvats axp Lovsvitr Tecrorarn Company we Year 1860. ween M8 surg N Washington sooeee Wheeling y Bteudspvilie Springteld. Pictsburg Tctal receipts for 1860 Rr eo on Deerare mee 1850 Pittsburg Fpringtield Bteubenvilie Dayton Wheeling Uinetnaati NW Lawtenceburz Madison Columbus Louinviile Total number of entries for 1960... .. Jongressional reports no with Washingtoa ter on this line are as sed to @ great extent—conveying and = of markete; and, customer, is completed There Wall street, that rec six to ten messages per , throughout the Jl. Yetto a great extent. It oftertimes oecurs that a party desires to “‘ converse” with another, 200 or 00 miles off. An hour is appointed to meet in the reepective ofc A they converse through the operator. | have known instanc ear boate being sold over the wires, the one party being in Pittsburg, the other in Cincinnati. bach party the 8, brokers, send, on an & purchase &e, in wrote down what they had to say, higgled awhile, | and finally concluded the sale. Their correspon. dence waa filed away, like other messages, and kept for reference, if ever called in question It ie often used by parties when from home cor- responding with their families. Sometimes it is the meseenger of @ woe deep and afflicting, and anon that of hoart{glt pleasure. In the garly part le cent; three hundred miles, | year, the Astor House, of New Y. and t House, of Cincinnati, had a of tele; ic parties. An sccount of one of them, taken from ne Cincinnati Geass, \ is a ded— parties conversin; adoul report -cboas twice the pos of Ireland :— Bouse, in , had ® famil: mhey “valke fa family matte! y tions, Sonen' Hotel, shomesene. ‘ou all ready.” Pittsburg answers—‘ Glasees c! I. hiladelphia—“ Corks just popping,” and New York re- sponds—™ Aye, aye.” m The ritowlag toasts were then drank :—‘The O’Rielly el legraphic yur thanks for exc fa. between the tities of Gotham and Por! ” To this toast the Operators made appro- peinse eepanaes, ponpize Se bate ood Bere Hones : cham e ‘pain’? of tI — elie wisbt be all “cham- mand con. ones ei Sho teliasineg toa : “The mmnah enh hace jouses— of one gooseberry make ‘night caps’ for their enemies.” Drank with three cheers. oe pres bt al re) ee neo 50 comp! to )perators, that they witbheld the report, regarding it as“ private and confidential.” Here ended the first telegraphic party. 12. Where two sharp competing lines are in one ety strenuous efforts are made by both to be “abead,” especially on the arrival of a steamer beating important commercial or political news. One illustration will suffice: } | mitted by telegraph, without re-writing, is on the | lines between New York and Buffalo, a Some time back the Asia arrived at Quarentine about 8 P. M.—was detained an hour by health The mnt of the New York Associated to gain but a fow minutes, had a beatin the Asia broughtto. A small bag containing latest news was handed her over the steamer’sside. By great exertions shoe gained New York balf an hour abead ofthe Asia. ‘The bag was opened—a copy of her news was handed to us—to work we went. It was being transmitted over the wires amid the thundering of the Asia’s cannon, ag ske rounded the poin:; and a complete synopsis of ber commercial and political news was received in Louisville, 1,100 miles in the interior, before the ship had actually reached her dock. I may add that tae pe iy would be more extensively used than even now by the mercantile community, if its correctness and ar? was improved. These inaccuracies arise altogether {rom the carelessacss of operators, and not frem any defect inthe medium employed. These annoying drawbacks would near- ly all, if not enoily ceases by the enforcement ef amore rigid discipline, and imposing a greater responsibility on the operators. Whichever line takes the leadinthis much called for reform, will meet its due reward from the public. One line from this city (old Morse) has commenced punc- tuatisg—putting in periods, paragraphs, and notes of interrogation, where lege Dre ereby render- ing messages @ great deal c! ¥ 3. Interruptions from atmospheric elestricit: have been greatly reduced of late, and it i: confi- dently expected that they will, at no distant day, be entirely overcome. Cae of the means used at present is, by putting on a lightning arrestor near to the recor instrament. This arrester 18 formed of a little brass ag surrounded by a semi- circle of small points, like needles, that approach | wie close to the ball. These points carry off the | ighthing to the earth before it reaches the instru- ment, causing but amomentary interruption. The | diminution of interruptions by thunder storms has been reduced thirty per cent by this means alone. | Other causes of interruptions are accidental—trees, &c , falling on the wire and snapping it. } 15. Ifa line is well , it will work 500 miles | onasingle circuit. There are two lines in New York that work to Buffalo, the distance about 50) miles. Some lines thatare in bad condition work but 300 miles, and others with difficulty, 300 mi es. 16. Yes; quite re retry and coming more into use every day. modghts of the despatches be- tween New Orleans and New York, in cypher. For instance, merchants in either city agree upon a cypher; and if the New Orleans correspond- ent wishes to inform his New York friend of price ard prospect of the cotton market, instead of saying, “Cotton eight quarter—don’t sell,” he may use the following :—Shepherd—rum—kiss— fla&h—dog. The one message willcome as correct as the other, and be wrapped in mystery to ali through whose hands it may and be only ia- telligible te those itis intended for. Ihave man, | times seen messages written in German and Frenc' sent over the wires,'and it wa: office. The operators are not vi kind of messages; they prefer the E the business season at New Orle: many messages, written in cypher, fond of those lish. During a great wires are overcharged with atmospheric eli A word on all news, messages, of what’ it off on these pointe and passes to ome = - Interruptions most frequently oosur from connecting Boston with Halifax chargo in the caused by hail storms, orthe | the Press at. a fixed rate per steamers prestration of wires and all, by the falling of for all messages not exceeding 2,000 words. Oi Tica" sot madersiond. fens sais. ssecior,.|- chun do tale: amen ate ak un and, tl we: a, tween whether you wish to know how many times emmunt: those for the press. we ae cations are rey between distant points, or how The following is a schedule of telegraph ghargog by the O'Reilly many times 8 are interrupted. The latter I or newspaper messages, datablished could not answer; and the former I am unable to - state positively, but believe that despatehos are re. | OFF!cH# ax» Taniry or Picea, sy Hovse’s Teinonariy Mee ae serous artes ae | A mma ee uence uMeep fo gity and and four between here and St. | busty to tne, in omy a,c ‘en Ten Kas Your sixteenth and last question I answer, by say- e = = aeeeabseeetensscensesetescecetess |g Oe DOMME MOOTRI ECC RReNCR we wes, adg ing that itis practicable for correspondents to k Pizian, Mich. te subject of their itches re the operators Risen. Obie : and clerks—this is at d by the use of cyphers, } which are quite extensively used between brokers and the like, both for the purpose of concealment, and to save é: , a8 they substitute a word for asentence. I believe this is principally done for the latter, as persons using the telegraph must care leas about having their business exposed to opera- tors and clerks, or rather are better satisfied of the fact that telegraph operators and clerks, from their constant g and reading of messages, become as it were dormant to the subject mentioned in the despatch, they having no interest inthe matter. [ cannot illustrate this fact; but I know it to be one from experience. During the past four years | have had charge of one or more lines, and never as yet heard of the contents ef a despatch being divulged. In great haste. J. Mc Kinney. ANSWERS FROM HOUSE’S PRINTING TELEGRAPH, 21 WALL STREET, NEW YORK. 1. The longest line we havo is five hundred miles. es are transmitted that distance daily, and might be two or threo hundred more. . Twenty cents for ton words, and one for each added, any distance under 150 miles; thirty cents and two, 150 to 300; forty cents and three, 300 to 500. 3. Ist, government, (free); 2d, police; 8d, death; 4th, press—all others in order received. 4. Thirty words when written in fall. of abbreviations used in news messages—say fifty Bosuetocomanecunee 1 1 1 A system = te aii ote werds per minute. feunington, Vi": ‘ 3. Not applicable to this line, the slips being de- | Berntycty, an pacman recorded by telegraph. A specimen is 2 enclosed. a 7. On arrival of steamers; any sudden rise or fall XN A in soy leading article of merchandise. Newark, 01 rn yn laving no office at the seat of government, Ror Bedocl, ai. 1 10. The receipts from twenty leading commercial New Buitalo, 1 houses doing business through us, average $500 bnew each per annum. 11. It is to quite an extent. 12. There is competition on nearly all the routes. Its tendency to reduce rates has been equalized by an increase of business. Betweon New York and hilade!phia, for instance, where there are now three lines. Probably either of the throe lines do mere business than when one only was in operation. Rates are unchanged. 13. A heavy thunder storm in the immediate vi- cinity of a line causes interruption, by char, the wires with electricity, destroying the effect produced by that from our batteries. ther interruptions occur from falling trees, moving buildings, and carelessness on the pert of the people in the country towns through which our lines pass. we SMUSHESSSHSSSSSUSSHBSESSSRSSSANSSSRAUSERSLEE SES SARS KER SSES ES SESE MESSE RESSENS AEE SSRESE SRS SSSAES CKO AEN ORCAS PAD RAN RRR ANTON ASA RRENE nel ce RON CNARMMRA EN TAN AAKERAEAARMANK wm 14. Our system requires a complete circuit, way stations forming @ part of, not breaking the main 1 circuit. : 15. It is practicable, though not of frequent oc- 1 currence. Correspondents often receive their own “ oil known only to the dispatches, the contents bein; Half operator writing them at a distant station. in this city on the eve of a steamship starting for England. They are mailed, and their answer may be Srought back, by the returning steamship to Halifax to New Orleans, couched in the same mysterious language. They traverse the wires from Halifax to New Orleans, impervious to the eye of | the most curious. ANSWERS FROM BAIN’S TELEGRAPII OFFICE, 29 WALL STREET, NEW YORK. to your first question, I would say est distance that messages are trans- tance of about five hundred miles, and the Morse and Bain lines on this route, transmit despatches daily, with- out a repetition, and on a single circuit, without & repeating magnet. Several lines have worked | longer distance by the use of rey magnets, as they are termed, which is done by making an eleo- tro-magnet in one circuit, break and close the next circuit, making the same vibrations on every mag- net in the second circuit. as made by the operator in the first circuit. Under this arrange: number of circuits may be added on, until i reached round the globe, and the writing in the last circuit would be as perfect as in tho first. Mes tages have been transmitted in this way, overa thousand miles without a repetition. in- | form a very large portion of the business | / | The same. 2. The tariffs of transmission vary materially in | different sections of the It would be dif- | ficult to arriv: an e per mile throughout | the United States ery line makes ten words | its maximum for one price, and the tariff from New | York to Boston is twenty cents for the first ten words, and two cents each additional word, a dis- tance of 240 miles, while the tariff from Now Y to Washington, 250 miles, is fifty and five | Competition has done much to reduce the rates on | every route, except between New York and Wash- | ington, which remains the eame as whem the first line started. The tariff from Now \ ork to Buffalo, 500 miles, is forty and three cents. 3. believe the rules and regulations of every company gi’ ence only to the press and | police, or cficial despatches 4. The difference as to rapidity between the in- struments in use, is but little, if any, taking a day through. The House instrument, | think, is capa- ble of transmitting more word: in a minute, than either of the others, but to balance ita great deal | of time is consumed in adjusting the instrument, | as the instruments receiving and sending are re- got torun alike. From seventy-five to one hun- red letters per minute, is probably @bout the num. ber,tranemitted in ordinary business messages, on an average. The “ fast method,” as it is termed, in- vented by Mr. Bain, is capable of transmitting cor- rectly 1,000 letters per minute, but the procets of preparing the mosssge to be transmitted, takes quite as lorg as to transmit it by either of the in- struments 5. Despatches are transferred to writing aa fast as they are received. They are either copied by 3 an hour’s practice would enable a person to write z a their own dispatches. 1 } 4 ANSWERS TO TELEGRAPH QUESTIONS MABE BY MORS- i 4 . ; 4 E’S NEW YORK AND BUFFALO LINE, 16 WALL ST., rts . Fy NEW YORK. w zg 1. Messages by telegraph have been actually 98 12 ‘ tranemitted over one contiuued circuit through ‘ay ‘iss @ 1,500 miles of wire. They are sent daily, and in the 100 1” 6 ordinary business of this line, 540 miles in a single 1 M4 . 1 ® ¢ circuit, without any re <eee lo a3 2 Tariffs of transmission have no certain stand- 50 10 8 ard for computation. Competition reduces them . } Fi ¢ § materially. The average estimate may be as one ahs 1G Wn cent (bi nny) for ten miles on local business, and 45, 8. N. De. peven tenths fs cent for ten miles for through busi- 1 4 Ohio. ‘ } s q ness. The tarifis annexed tothe list answer the " 103 a eee inquiries. 0 woe 3. Reports for the press, communieations relative 3 : 85 ag to sickness and death, and police messages, are en- rio ‘in titled to precedence. Y 2 1 Postise Mich...... 135 5. When intelligence is abbreviated, reports are 4 1:0 6 Port Chaton, Pena. sent at the rate of S00 words per hour; when not pny ae Bors Hope, Une. is abbreviated, about ten words per minute. | have | Coylersville, ¥. 5 B sent forty messages in forty consecutive minutes. Demariocs ow * 4. Motse’s or Sain’s telegraph cypher can be and 18 4 are reduced to ordinary writing at tbe instant they rtf are received—a copyist writing down words di lw te him fi he lip ef paper by the operator; and os | 166 4 kilful and rapid penman to keep pace graphic transmiseion and reading olf by AOL MARATKAR SENN AMO ACNECNEmALEE the operator receiving, or read by bim to a copyist as fi received. 5 and 9. I suppose, refer entirely to the New York jHerato, and which you ean answer more correctly than | 10. The telegraph is used by com: almost as great an extent as the mail. teial men to This can be | ter illus id by the number of messages sent | and receive: ‘ween cities, where close commer- | cial inter durirg the hours between 10 A. | M. and 5 or instance :— re trans- | mitted daily, een the citi York and Boston, between 50 and 600 if, not three-fourt! tween the hours I know of #0: houses which pay from $60 to $*0 per month to t telegraph; and | do not know but there are others who pay more. The amount paid by a commercial house is governed by the excitement there is ia th market, of th ticular article they may be di ingin. Ifthe ” in the m: ket, money {s lavished upon the telegraph freel, 11. Many despatches, of an entirely social cha- racter, are daily transmitted over every line; and, | | since the reduction on many of the a hoy teneively used by the travelling public, who de- spatch to their friends their progress, &o | 12. There are competing lines now in operation on every important route in the United States, ex transmitted | cept to New Orleans by way of Charleston and Sa | vannah. The effect, on some routes, has been to double, if not treble, the business. In 1449, when there was no competing line between New York ard Boston, the Morse line transmitted, on an ave- rage, between two and three hundred mossages daily, while the average now transmitted on the three lines is between five hundred and six huadred. tio may be applied to ali the other routes where the tariff has been lessened by the competition 13 and 14. Interruptions of a few hours’ duration are quite frequent during the hottest portion of the tummer reaeon from atmorpheric olectricity; but less #0 sinee the inventions of several ingenious pro- teetors have been put in use. There protectors are made so aa to bring several eharp points of metal conreeted with the ground as near as possible toa plate pus in circuit with the wires, 49 when the “ wo 4 w 2 the receiving operator 3 =: 4 6. Three thousand words of public business mat- 18 4 » ter, and three thousand of reported, aud about one ob rio thousand words relative to line business, in the daily > 3 is adjustment of accounts, may be considered a fair % 4 ey day’s work. 3 4 Me . During the sittirg of conventions, or elections, Ei 4 rrival of steamers, often from two theusand 53 7 » to eight thousand words are reported. w § n occasions of market excitement, the priv Fs ; 4 sages are nearly doubled ® 5 or . Debates o! ee pot ived atan average % 6 - 1 of about 4,500 words per day, and transmitted at 18 2 ‘Ss the rate of 1,600 words per hour. : 16 6 1s FP 9. Two conventions exist betwoen the leading 7 4 16% WwW New York prees (seven morning papers now forming 3 H s § one, and two or three evening papers the other), oO 4 my We who employ correspondents at important distant ws » 2 ints to collect and forward the news, and other ws ba a 3 jocal agents to receive and re-write on manifold ted postion tl iB Ss ra copy for each paper in the association, dis- 2 2 Rk a, VE. oc tribute the fame, and re-send the same news to the Ae | > 19-5 press at other points. 170 _"o 3 10. The telegraph correspondence of two or three 10 9 1” o rivate houses we could mention, amounts to about ee 1 3 3 1,200 per annum. vr 3 we ¢ 12. Between New York and Boston, and New 1 7 we York and Huffalo, and south to Philadelphia, there 1 4 2 20 1 are three competing companies, and six wires for ot ‘S i each route. ‘Ihe tariff from New York to Boston 1” 9 7. @ 2 has been reduced from 50 to 20 cents per ten words 1 4 9 . } s a for private messages. This is the greatest reduc- 10 2 1% § tion made by competition. 20 1 16 7 13. During the summer, interruptions occur about 8 + . 16 7 twice a week by atmospheric electricity. Some- ‘se -i8 ¢ times the irregularity of current thus is en- -1@ 8 1@ 10 tirely overcome by the adjusting skill of the ope- 1 x 8 1% ¥ rater. Scmetimes, during thander storms, it is i | “38 6 | dangerous to attend to the instrument. Interrup- 135 7 » | tions from the falling of trees, wearing out of poles, #3 #¢ or the effect of violent storms, occasionally occur 3 3 we ua ht or ni breaks occur between New ® 4 ®» 6 Orleai d (Quebec, when messages are re-written. 1w 9 2 2 In good weather, only fuur or five interruptions 1g ; S occur between same places. 105 we 15. The concealment of the subject of despatches @ 5 6 | is practicable, and although (unless sent in the 4 2S | cypher of s correspondent) they are necessarily * 1 16 G known to the operators and copyist of the companies, Ty 10 6 et instances have been rare in whieh publicity 18 16 6 ve been given to them. ‘ie ig | RATES OF CHARGES ON MES*AGES BY THE TELE- | ase 1% | GRAPHS FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC PRESS. 4 ‘8 On reports of Congressional ee oe iw 0 news from Washington to New York, five cents +s De er word, up to the first 500 words, and one-third i 4 6 ees for all words over 500 and under 1,000, and os two-thirds redactien for ali words ever 1,000 and w ec «€ to any quantity above that namber. Between Phi- 1 4 H ladelphia and New York the House line charges a 4 one cent a word for the press. The Bain and wo 8 | Morte lines charge sometbing higher. 1 a3 | telegraph lines, whose princijal office is at 18] 3 » & | Broadway:— | 2 »e Per Word Per Word 8 wa NewYork to Pitteburg de Whiladelphia to Pitts os te 2 Philedelp pease, Oe 1 | ly 1% bo Other deepatebes be- ae 175 3% Ss tween thatand New ’ i 6s 6 Tork viesee 8 $ | Sees, Boe is @ 6 8 2 | Faekeon, Mick * 3? 3 3 14 10 6 ; ; 14 : @@ in, Ind. 4 4 1 bio 1% Louisville, Ky. 5 4 ' 1” € Nashville, Ten : 6 6 8 ¢ M is, Tenp,..... 6 ” S$ Jackron, Mise, a | ‘ a? Viekeburg, Mies. 8 5 Bi New Orleans, La. 8 1 6 H i Bf 3 wo #8 etches between othor places:— ‘we & Per Word. Po Wo € 200 miles or under.....16, _ 400 miles or over _ 900.20 5 To orover 500.0. 1.000 « «7,000.46. : iso “ 1000.5e. 2000 “ « 1600.60, 1m 4 Messages exceeding 1,000 words will have re- | ‘w ductions of one-third on all words exoeeding that | ia; g 6 number, and on all words exceeding 2,000 a re- a duction of one-half ° The Morse Washington and New Orleans Soa- 46 board Line, whore office is at the corner of Hanover 19 ¢ | street and Exchange place, make no deductions in eo: faver of the press, a or short, and have but “ ¢@ ore list of prices for ail messages, which are as Bz follows :— a is os i im # z » 2 9 m 2 it % G H oo 3 oaville, Ohio mm & . 2 Avenicas TruronartaWesrens, 8 rier Sobel the ‘these Uisce, 0 Hl ce | tw York, Albany and Butlalo 7 ich of the three lines, Morse’s, House’s and | ¢fiive, No. 16 Wall ettect (up stairs —_ Ppin's, from Now York to Boston, presy | “This cig rotated lige having three. wis 9 ie Ope EE EO EAE RE oe eNO aR SEE PTEVEE SACL) SSUES eT a OORT PLE Cem BERT SNL ne Oe eee a ee Te TTT nt ee a vO