Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-13
bout Telegraphing.
EMPLOYEES AND THEIR wAGEs-THE BAT
TERIES-CARLE PRACTICE.

EMPLOYEES AND THEIR wAGEs-THE BAT
TERIKS-CABLE PRACTICE.
GNeao York Correspondence Troy Times
o. of the most interesting places in this
city is the telegraph building, corner of
Bro adway ard Dey street Formerly this
spot was occupied By the Eranklin House, a
tie wi h electricity it seems proper that the
telegraph building should be is successor.
As a specimen of grand commercial archi-
lecture this rdcture has no superior, and
the fact that its cost was q, 600 600 shows how
mt CHI can be laid out on space not exceed
lions carried on i6 this estsbIisSme1t are Of
an extent that would perplex an ordinary
observer. IL may, however, be suggested by
the fact that the services of 325 capable en-
ployes are required beside operators. The
room occupied by the latter is of vast size,
and is on the sixth floor. Here 265 skilled
persons watch the clicking of the machines.
A large portion of this force Is composed of
young women. The best operators receive
Sll5 per month and work entirely by ear.
There is a great surplus of talent III this de.
pariment, and many Intellectual applications
for EN- plOyment are made daily.
The contest between the cheap materials
and the immense results In telegraphy is
very striking. The power is obtained sim
ply from sulphate of copper, blue vitriOn,
water and zinc. In the battery room there
are IA O6O cups in use, each containing the
neces sary elements. The heaviest battery
contains $50 cups Tor cells and Is used solely
for Chicago dispatches. They consume 20
barrels of blue vitriOl every month and
5000 pounds of zinc. On one OF The upper
floors restaurant is In operation, where ne
employees have u first class dinner at "A re3-
sonable price. They purchase tickets in ad-
vance, and these tickets are currency for
dishes which are supplied on the European
plan. This system is becoming very general
in all large establishments. During hot
weather ton Of ice is consumed in this
establishment daily, nearly fifty water cool
ers being IN use.
The cable battery contains dozen cells.
| need hardly FAY that the method used in
cable practice differs from ordinary tele-
srapby. The term applied to this method is
"iLduction." l have not space for its expla-
nation, but one of lis features is the retiec-
ton OF the needle. The cheapest message on
the cable Is IS cents, and is limited to one
word. Some of our readers may think that
one word can be OF lille use, but If properly
as an ordinary sentence. I'll can be effected
by the method called packing Let Us sup
pose that New York banking house ar
ranges with lis London CORES poJdent a
vocabulary of words, each of which has
specific meaning. The London house may
telegrB ph. Tor instance. the word "thunder :"
and the New Workers, by reference 10 their
book. Will ind the meaning of thunder to
be "lhe Bank of England has advanced its
rate OF interest to three per cent" All this,
which at loT = rate would cost SJ.1j, is OBJ
tanned for a mere tTille, and the system GER
family shows great ingenuity. The cable
cyphers, as there are called, are very numer-
Gus and are in charge OF very expert opera
tor. The difference in time between New
York and London is a curious feature in
oct an biography. The London banker is IN
the full swell OF traffic when the New York
agent Is first thinking If 'getting up" AT
noon the London markets are cabled TO thus
city. where they arrive at seven O'Clock in
the morning of the same day. The London
agent of the New York press telegraphs the
most important news issued IN the London
Times at six O'Clock in the morning. II
reaches here at one O'Clock the same morn
Ing, just In time TO be inserted in the New
York journals, whose readers have the same
matter that the Londoner digests with his
breakfast. This is doing little better than
even "tak king time by the forelock." IL is
getting ahead of him In a proiigious man
ner.