The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-16
COST AND PROFITS OF TEL
EGRAPHY.

The figures from the official re-
ports of the Western Union Telegraph
Company may help us in our search
tor cheap telegraphy. The volume
CT business transacted by the COM
pa1y has increased from 1867 to 1880
from ak million messages to twenty
nine million, or almost fvefold. If
all these messages we're sent by the
single Morse system. the length of
wire ought to have increased in come
thing like the same proportion, for it
can not be imagined that the opera
tors have gained very much in skill
in that time. In 1867 there were
IS. 29l miles of wire. In 1880 there
were 233, 5S4 miles of wire. The
messages Increased nearly fvs-fold.
the wires over which they were seLt
did not increase quite tbreefold.
Clearly the Duplex and the Quadru-
pick have proved CT benefit to some
one. In thirteen years the capacity
/ OF ell the wires OF this company has
doubled. What of the price OF tele-
grams? In 1867 it is reported at an
average toll of 104.7 cents per
message. In 1868 it had fallen to
1913 Cents. 10 1875 it had come
down to 81 cents, or nearly one half.
Before the creation of the present
Western Union. the average rate, 1t
is said, vas 81 20 per message. At
the time of the two tariffs cited, ia
1848 and 1852, there were a great
number of competing companies,
and to send q message any great dis
lance required the payment OF
number of tells. By the oonsollda-
ton into one great company one toll
was established, to the great gain OF
the company, and also to the public
In 1876 the average price is reported
at 81 cents-a gain Of nearly one
halt since 1867. The Quadruplex
was introduced the year before, and
in 1878 was in general use on all the
main lines, and the compauy's plant
was doing nearly q fourfold duty
Did the price fall in like psoportionH
It does not go appear.
In 1867 the price of the raw ma
terial from which sulphuric acid was
made was $61 ton, and the selling
price of the acid was q cents per
pound. Ia 1879 the raw material
was S23 ton, and the acid II cents
per pound. The difference IN the
price of acid and the cost OF material,
Iit must be remarked, was also al
tected by Improvements In the pro-
cess of manufacture, the gain being
estimated at about fifteen per cent.
Sulphuric acid and the metals zinc
and copper are the chief costs OF a
oa1,ery. and yet the acid has fallen
since 1867 from q II cents pound.
Il wseer, we need seek no further In
III direction. for within two years a
70 wonderful step has been taken
q his fsId OF science. The dynamo
- trio machine, driven by steam
o4rr. a.s replaced the battery, and,
uo9rd,ng to good authority. reduced
ne. expsass OF OBTAINING the required
0rreRs Of electricity at least one
.,ii Ia addition to this, it ID said
= st sin ether directions the cost oil
rau,rnIt,iDg kilograms has been
greatly redaeed within a few years.
Foc instance, more perfect Insulation
as been secured, and better methods
Construction are emploAed. The
| , ladruplex system acts as police oy
ir-v'pg the operators up to their
work. No man can loiter over his key
wnile seven others are watching
him. The price of wire has also
, fallen materially, and, with perhaps
the exception OF poles, everything
) used in teIsgraphy is much cheaper
: now than in 1867.
2 Between 1867 aud 1875 the report
shows q gain OF nearly oae-halI.
Between 1875 and 1880 the average
D toll is reported to have fallen from "a
3 cents to As 8 cents, or only 1914 cents
!; In this time the Quadruplex was
l generally introduced. the price oil
materials continually fell, and the
!. battery was replaced by the dynamo
|. machine.
] Suppose that by some mechanical
a marvel the capacity of the Oroton
+ aoueducs had been suddenly quad
) ru pied, and without in any way IN
E CT asing the size Of the pipe. Clearly
G if there were sufficient water 10 the
r Croton River, the people would ge
: four times az much water, and the
Y Water Commissioners would be fully
!, justified in reducing the waier-rate'
: to one half. This is precisely whs
the QuadruPlex has done tor th'