The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-03
A Warrington Operator che Cham.
pion Of the world,

-
Tho new ofiOe Of tho Western Union Tele- |
graph Company, on tho corner Of Fourteenth |
street and Pennsylvania avOuuc, is nearly |
completed, and during the present week will
be occupied by that company as their main
office In this city. As this Is branch OF in
dustry aud enterprise In which all our cIti-
zcns are Interested, We devote considerable
space TO description Of the new office and
the manner in which its business is trans
acted.
The Office was planned by General T. 7.
ECkert, the genera. superintendent oil the
companies lines, a gentleman whose great
experience enabled him TO anticipate every |
requirement Of q complete telegraph office, |
and the PLANS have been carried out by Chas. |
A. Tinker. The manager of the Washington |
denartment, In the most thorough manner. |
The office wires have been laid and the In |
struments (Which were manufactured under |
his supcrintendencc) have been placed in
position by Mr.. NJ. V. b. Buell., the electri-
clan Of the ''norihern division"
THE RECEIVING ROOM.
We will take our readers nrst into the
receiving room," which Is located on the
ground door fronting on Pennsylvania ave
nue.. This room which Ia "a by Is feet Is
divided In the middle by a handsome black
walnut counter, deliberately pannelled and
beaded. upon which Is o hammered glass
screen set In a walnut sash with two open
lngs through which messages for transmits
sion are passed TO the receiving clerks.
For the convenience Of the public there
are solid walnut desks, supported by elegant
carved scroll brackets, placed on either side
the room where message blanks, pens, ink,
&C., are placed for the use OF customers.
The floor is handsomely inlsid with walnut
and ash. The portion of the room behind
the counter will be occupied by the receiving
clerks, Mcssrs. Reynolds and King, two
young gentlemen well and favorably known
10 the patrons Of the telegraph. 1t has been
fitted up to meet every requirement Of the
business, connecting directly with the de-
livery department in the rear, and with the
operating room on the floor above by dumb
walters, speaking tubes, &c.
The manager has his desk In this room,
where he will be at all times accessible to the
public. Upon his desk Is placed an instru-
ment, and the wires are so arranged that by
communicating with the operating room he
can be almost instantly placed In commun-
cation with any city in the United States
that is within Geographic connection. This
is so arranged as to enable parties to hold
direct conversation with friends at a distance
without being compelled TO 20 to the operat-
ing room, or the operating room being dis
turbed by the presence Of q stranger. AS
for instance, q business house In New Or.
leans becomes embarrassed while the princi'
pal Is In Washington, n telegram summons
him to the telegraph office, and he takes his
seat by the side OF Mr.. Tinker, and convcrses
with his partners In New Orleans, who arc
by the operator there, with almost as much
freedom and readiness as If they were face TO
face. The interview closed, Boston, Chi
cago, St. Louis or any other city can be called
in at a moments notice.
Here, too, Is Cashier whitney, the fnan-
cial man of the establishment, with his new
safe, manufactured expressly TO meet the
requirements of his business.
4 letter box opening, ingeniously con-
structed to work both ways, leads to the
Office of the Associated Press-which adjoins
the telegraph office on the east-through
which messages received for the Association
arc dropped, aud through which messages
for transmission are also received.
THE DELIVERY ASD RECORD DEPARTMENT
This is also located on the ground floor IL
the rear of the receiving room, and II
entered by the private door on Fourteenth
street. Upon entering this door we pas
directly into the messengers room, comfort
ably pre- yided with seats for the messenger
when not out with dispatches. At the desl
fronting the door Is the well-known face o
John Happ, whose long experience as ''de
livery clerk" has famlllarzed him with tn
residence of nearly every citizen of Wash
i1gton as well as the stopping place OF {
great number Of visitors. Directly at hi
left elbow Is a pipe through which message
recorded and envelopei are dropped by th
clerks in the operating room.
These he takes, checks the numbers, ant
entering the number in messengers book
starts him out to carry JOY or grief-as tn
case may bc-to the recipient.
On the right of the delivery desk are til
record clerks desks, where the general cler
cal business Of the Office Is done. Messr'
J. c, Noycs, T. d. Allen and Edward Gu
ran arc the principal clerks Of this brancl
This department TOO is provided with speal
ing and drop tubes connecting with tn
operating room. Adjoining this room Is tll
one In which are disposited the transmitte
messages, old records, and such other pa
pcrs as may be needed for future reference
II has been fitted up with shelves, plgeo
holes, &C., especially adapted to the pecu
liar nature of the business.
THE OPERATING ROOM.
This Is entered by a stairway leading froi
the delivery room, and Is to be kept entirel
closed to the public. Here We also have In
proyements In keeping with the advance
made in the telegraphic art. The monst'
"swltch board" Into which all the wires al
received and by which they can be throw
to any instrument and into connection wit
any part ofthc country, would probably fri
attract the attention Of the visitor. 1t
placed on ono side of the room, and is abot
Six feet high and as many wide, made {
hard wood, with narrow, brass strips, abol
two inches apart, running down the who
front. intermediate rows of little button
called " switches run horizontally aero,
the board. The strips are Il continuation ,
the various slime wires" running into ii
oliCe. Two, however, connect with the tw
main batteries, the "ZlnC pole" of one an
the "plutina polc' Of the other.
The rows Of switches represent the dl
fcrcnt Instruments, and by simply turnin
one of them on to one Of the pcrpendlculH
strips, the instrument Is connected with I'll
wire of which the strip is the terminus.
The reader should understand that a larg
amount of business passes through this oiliC
which Is not taken down or "received" here
us, for instance, business between Richmon
and Baltimore, or New Orleans and Ne
York; hence the necessity for some such a
rangement, so that, In caso wire upon an
section gives out, 1t may be replaced withou
delay. Charleston might be writing wit
Boston, and the wires between Washingto
and Philadelphia give out or break dow
Washington throws his switch on to anothI
strip, Philadelphia does the same, ant
presto! the former stations are workin
again.
The instrument tables are somewhat il
gcniously arranged. There are eight larp
tables about six feet long by three feet 81
inches wide, made of black walnut legs an
cops, with ash rails, beaded with walnut an
put together with iron screw bolts, maxim
them very firm aud sOlldi the top of I'll
table lie divided into four equal sections
plates Of hammered glass about twcl,
inches high, with walnut rails upon the to
in which arc set the hooks where messag
for transmission are filed and from whent
they are taken In order and sent by the op
rntor. The wires leading TO the instrumen
from the switchboard are all convey,
under the floor aud pass up through PHI
10 the centre Of tho table from which the
branch TO the four sets Of Instruments upo
each table.
new feature for lighting at night hG
been introduced, small gas-plpe passes u
through the middle Of the table and abo,
the rail dividing the sections and one ligl
serves for the four operators. Gleason
noiseess patent lever argand burner Is use
with the porcelain chimney and shade, viii,
gives beautiful steady, uniform aud bri
liant light, and yet one peculiarly soft al
not trying TO the eye. This viii he We
IA tina ln