Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-17
PRIVATE LINES
OF 1ELEGRAPHIc COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
A Feasible Scheme Which Can Be Put In
Operation ut q Moderate Cost-SOme-
thing for the Young Folks
"Details.
fCor. Detroit Free Press


In the state Of Indiana there is a telegraph
line in operation which places three or four
farmhouses in communication with each
other The benefits thereby derived are Of
great value, and the young folks take great
pleasure in this mode OF communication
The FREQ Press some time ago mentioned a
line which is in operation in the southern
part Of this state. 1t is several miles in
length, and places eighteen or twenty resi-
dences in communication with each other
The line runs to q village and is connected
with doctors Office there, thus giving each
-office, or house, provided with an instru-
ment direct connections with the doctor, q
great advantage in case Of sickness or an
emergency. In case of fire or burglary. any
family can summon and obtain assistance at
once from the neighbors.
Farmers have no idea Of the feasibility Of
a scheme of this kind, and the cost is very
slight, compared with the benefits they may
gain thereby
We Will suppose that there are four or five
farmers, who wish to build a telegraph line
and connect with the postofiice or telegraph
Office. Suppose the line is to be about one
mile in length Let us figure up the cost
No. IL galvanized iron wire is very well
mile of it would cost about SIS The glass
insulators, and brackets to fasten on poles
and attach the wires to. will cost
but a few dollars. The poles are q
small item to farmers, as the wire
need be carried only high enough to keep
it out Of easy reach of mischievous boys, ex-
cept in passing over gates, roadways or any
where that people ere liable to drive under
n In oh, ,.ia 10. trh
to clear a man standing upon a load Of hay.
Your boys will be glad to have the privilege
of cutting tn. poles, and to assist in building
the line, because they are to have lots of fun
in chatting over the wire, playing checkers
by telegraph, etc, during the long winter
evenings.
The gravity battery" as it is called, il
the best and cheapest kind TO use for this
purpose. You will need five Sells or jars
Of this battery for the line ami an additional
cell" for every instrument attached to each
line, half of the battery to be attached to
each end of the line, and none anywhere
else. Thus if your line is connected with
five buildings, you will want ten jars which
viii cost you about IS cents each.
The best instruments to use are those in
which the "sounder' and key" arc on one
base. In case you have children who are
apt to NEEDLE with it, you can make a cover
to lock over it, after the fashion Of q sewing
machine. The instruments will cost you
about s. each II will not pay to get the
cheapest, neither will it be necessary to have
the high-pricsd ones.
You will also need "cut-out' and eight
ming -arrester7 combined, SO that You can
switch off the instrument during heavy
thunder storms, and eifectually protect your
property. There are several kinds of cheap
ones which will answer very well, and cost
about 81 oh.
During my five years experience as tele-
graph operator on different lines. know Of
only one instance wherein an Office was dam
aged by lightning and that was probably
due to the OPERATORS neglect in not cutting"
or switching out hi instrument before go
ing home in the evening
To sum up the expenses would lie about as