The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-04-08
THE NEW TELEGRAPH.

the New York Times.

Mere About the WOndersuf AEens
that is as Hand.
From the New York Times.
A new telegraph company was or
ganized in this city on February 2S.
under the name OF American Rapid
Telegraph Company, with Hon. Ed
win Reed, Of Maine. retired shipping
merchant, as president; Hon. Thomas
Wallace. OF Connecticut, as vice presi-
dent, and Maj. l.. q. napgood, of Bos-
ton, as treasurer. The enterprise has
been kept successful secret, il APP
pears. for a long time past, for the COM
pany controls, and claims to have thor
oughly tested. numerous novel tele-
graph patents, among which may be
mentioned a new wire OF cast-steel.
plated with copper, the invention OF
Prof. Moses q Farmer, Government
Electrician at Newport, which, though
but one-fourth the size now used, has
a breaking strength OF 5000 pounds,
aud offers not more than five or six
ohms resistance; an improved duplex
system by which two messages can be
sent simultaneously over the same
wire, not only from either end, but
from intermediate or way offices; q
inultiplex system quadrupling the
above; metrical system for ocean ca
bies which, il is claimed, will increase
the hourly transmission from 1000 to
10000 words; machine which, with
one battery TO operate IL, will print
messages in lines aud pages. book
form; a machine which generates in
stantly sufficient electricity for circuits
Of ! 900 10 1900 miles; new speak
ing telephone, audible at distances OF
300 miles, and a number OF others. -
But the principal invention upon which
the company bases its claim 10 exist
ence is a sort of improved automatic
transmitting machine which, it is as
serted, is capable of being worked at
the rate OF 900 words per minute
60 times faster than the Morse instru-
ment now in use-on 500 TO ], 900 mile
circuits. A popularity OF the machine,
and its apparent improvement, is the
use OF double row Of letters, one
above the other. In the old automatic
machine there was but one row, and
whenever il was attempted TO do fast
work the letters ran into each other so
as 10 be indistinguishable. The entire
arrangement is worked with q crank
No skill is necessary, and the speed
that can be attained is only limited by
the ability OF the receiver TO register
the dots and dashes Of the Morse al
phabet distinctly. The message after
being received, has 10 be translated
and printed in Roman characters.
That will lie done by girls on type
writing machines at about twice the
speed Of ordinary writing.
The company proposee 10 have but
one rate for ordinary messages this
side of the Rocky Mountains, viz: %
cents for 80 words, and cent per word
additional. Press messages viii be sent
at the rate OF 10 cents per 100 words.
Arrangements are made with the Post
Office Department by which the COM
pany will issue stamps similar to post
age stamps. A business man can then
inclose a letter of 30 words in an enyel-
ope, put on a 25-cent stamp, and drop
il into any lamp-post box. The letter
carries will make collections every half
hour, and at once deliver such letters
10 the telegraph company. The latter
will bind himself to deliver then in
Chicago within two hours OF the time
Of posting Ia the latter city the copy
will be sent TO the post-oflice, aud will
be delivered by the letter carriers
there. The company will pay TO the
post-ofiice authorities / cents per let
ter for collecting, aud z cents for de-
livering-the same as they now receive
and they will be at no cost for trans
portation. Night messages of the same
lenght, deliverable before 3 o clock next
morning, will cost but 10 cents. Each
3 additional words will cost cent extra.
The company confidently expect with
in three years to telegraph ordinary
business letters. TO and from all points
OF the country, for 10 cents. Press
bureaus are to he established in the
principal cities. Here "the fullest and
most reliable details OF all news OF
public interest" are 10 he received
"hourly from all parts Of this country
and Europe" and "the special report
ers OF the press Of the country" are to
have free access 10 IL, and Twill be
permitted 10 compile for the journals
they represent such portions OF the
general news OF the world as they may
desire, and the same will be telegraph
tu, ulIcCl W tuc coltOAS COhCtAhcbf NJ
a speed OF at least 1000 words per
minute" The cost to-the company OF
sending 900 words is estimated at 20
cents. "No one reporter" will be al
lowed ITO hold q wire, 10 the exclusion
OF other reporters, over 20 minutes, or
say 10000 words at any one time.
Poles are being cut for the company
in Canada. They will be Of cedar, ex-
ira strong, and will set five feet in the
earth. Building will be begun as soon
as the frost gets out OF the ground.
The post roads aud highways will be
followed and the railroad routes will
he avoided. IL is claimed that Unit
eel States law passed in 1866 gives right
Of way over highways and post roads
free. The first line will be built from
Boston TO Washington, by way OF this
city and Philadelphia, aud the second
from this city TO Chicago, by way Of
Buffalo. Three wires only will be
strung. IL is claimed that one will be
capable OF sll the present business be-
tween these several points. The com
pany expect TO have both lines COM
pleted and working by January |, 1880.
The system thereafter will be extended
in all directions. The capital Of the
company is Sl,000,000. The cost OF
the line, fully equipped, is estimated
nj $500 per mile. The officers declined
to make public the names OF the stock
holders for the present. The only
New Yorker mentioned as owning stock
was Mr.. James Il. Brown.