Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-25
ABOUT TELEGRAPmISG.
Employees and Thar Wsgas-The
Battertes-CabIe Practice


One Of the most interesting places
in this city is the telegraph build
ing, corner of Broadway and Dew
street. Formerly this spot was oc-
cupied by the Franklin House. a
very popular inn. From Franklin's
connection with electricity it seems
proper that the telegraph building
should be its successor. AS a
specimen Of commercial architec-
ture this structure has no superior,
and the fact that its cost was
So, 100000 shows how much can
be laid out on a place not exceed
ing so by $50 feet. The tele-
graphic operations carried on in
this establishment are of an extent
that would perplex an ordinary OBJ
server. 1t may, however, be sug-
gested by the fact that the services
Of 325 capable employees are required
beside operators. The room occu-
pied by the latter is of vast size,
and is on the sixth floor. Here 265
skillful persons watch the clicking
of the machines. A large portion
of this force is composed Of young
women. The best operators re-
ceive S115 per month and work
entirely by ear. There is a great
surplus of talent in this depart.
ment, and many Intellectual appIi-
cations for employment are made
daily.
The contrast between the cheap
materials and the immense results
in telegraphy is very striking. The
power is obtained simply from sui
phate Of copper (blue vitrioD water
and zinc. In the battery-room
there are $4,000 cups in use, each
containing the necessary elements.
The heaviest battery contains $50
cups, or cells, and is used solely
ior Chicago dispatches. They con-
sumo twenty barrels of blue vitriol
every month, and five thousand
pounds of zinc. On one of the up
per floors restaurant is in opera
tion, where the employees have a
first-class dinner at reasonable
price. They purchase tickets in
advance, and these tickets are cur
rency for dishes, which are sup
piled on the European plan. This
system is becoming very general in
all large establishments. During
hot weather a ton of ice is con-
sumed in this establishment daily.
nearly fifty water-coolers being in
use.
The cable battery contains a
dozen cells. l need hardly say that
the method used in cable practice
differs from ordinary telegraphy.
The term applied to this method is
"induction." l have not space for
its explanation, but one of its fea-
lures is the DETECTION of the needle.
The cheapest message On the cable
is seyenty-five cents, and is limited
to one word. Some of our readers
may think that one word can be of
little use, but if properly handled
1t may convey as much information
as an ordinary sentence. This can
be effected by the method called
packing" Let us suppose that a
New York clearinghouse arranges
with its London correspondent a
vocabulary of words, each Of which
has a specific meaning. The Lon
don house may telegraph, for in
strnce, the word " thunder" and
the New Workers, by reference to
their book, will find the meaning of
" thunder" to be "the Bank of
England has advanced its rate of
interest to three per cent" All
this, which at long rate would cost
1915, is obtained for mere trihe.
and the system certainly shows
greatingenuity. The cable ciphers,
as these are called, are very numer.
GUS and are in charge of a very ex-
pert operator. The difference in
time between New York and Lon
don is a curious feature in ocean
telegraphy. The London banker
is in the full swell Of traffic when
the New York agent is first think
ing of getting up" At noon the
London markets are cabled to this
city, where they arrive at z o'clock
in the morning of the same day.
The London agent of the New
York press telegraphs the most i'm
portant news issued in the London
Times at 6 O'Clock in the morning.
1t reaches here at l o'clock the
same morning, just in time to be
inserted in the New York journals,
whose readers have the same mat
ter that the Londoner digests with
his breakfast. This is doing a lit
tie better than even "taking time
by the forelock." 1t is getting
ahead of him in a prodigiouS man
ner.