New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
ONLY FIFTEEN MINUTES TO CALCUTTA

WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE TRANSMISSION
OF CABLE MESSAGES
How soon will this reach Calcutta ~ asked
white haired man be slipped ten word message
through the receiving wicket Of the downtown office OF
a cable company.
sCan't say exactly" said the receiving clerk. It's
o'clock now and there's work enough on hand to
keep the wires red hot till midnight Wen get 1t Oh
by "a. NJ"
am sure you'll send it as sooD as possible but that's
not exactly what mean. When will it reach Calcutta
| retired from business many years ago and have
forgotten some things about cable telegrapby with
which was once familiar"
awhy if it leaves here at 2, it'll get there before
33C anyway
You are joking yonDg fellow. l remember well
enough attn. week for message from India or
Hong Koig; doubt the world moves faster now
wonder what he would have thought, sara the
clerk to reporter If had told him that bis message
would be IN Calcutta in fifteen minutes iron the time
rleft here And yet that is not underestimate OF
the time if no unusual delay occurs in Transferring
from system TO another. The New-fork merchan:
of to-day does fully appreciate the wonderful
system OF submarine lntercommunlca 100 wnlcn Is
always at his service; but old city men snow well
enougn tn, annoyance and losses on European and
Asiatc Business CAUSED through native OPERA ors whea
messages had to be handed from one government 10
anntber before they reached their designation.
Twenty years ago eight DAYS delay on Ind messages
was quite common. kilograms THAI mad 10 pass
until the tt rbanrd operators had cleared their lines
and their work OF mutlatOn often cost the merchant
b message and the pric- OF "A repeat ~hen .he
receiver unable to translate the manged EhgiIsn
delivered 10 him in Bombay or Calcutta.
Now all this il chan red. British ana american
operators are to be found in all parts OF the globe
much to the surprise of outsiders. who wonder why
natiyes cannot be trained 10 take charge OF caDle
circuits Oar operators proceed to foreign stations
and in the most unhealthy climates mantuy do their
! duty Mutt lated messages are no longer common
and tbe merchants of this country reap the Oeneht.
The other day was asked why hplf-0reed Spahldiu
could not be trained, TO take Appointments az Such
places as Vera Cruz anc Panamf. where Ango-Sa1o
! cannot live The real Spanard does not make model
generator What the Mexican operator would be IKE
will NOT venture 70 suggest. | have heard on good
authority that II is nothing unusual tor Spanish
operator to give NJ A. wait while he saunters 10 a
| neghborIng restaurant to indulge IN cigarette :
returning go with his work hen ne has uniohed
! hi, refreshments. Il j. wonder that cable CON-
| names are clad to secure English and American
operators to do their work tor they seldom iorsaAe
/ their posts while they leg I" stand n VIII e-s
the account IN IT, I IBUNF last week OF the murder
| OF Sergeant Collins Persia, when on tour oil
| INSPECTION Of his lines over the mountains .
aDo YOU remember wnen IrOquOis won the DERBY
The news was the streets hare Nineteen srconus
after he passed IN Ter the WIRE and before they knew
! il in London Special arrangements were made, 81
! course an all Other business laii aside mat tlIue
h.. never been beaten, but down here on the STOCK
Exchange every day sent ana the answer
received from the London Stock board INSIDE three
minutes. without exciting any 60 nnent, anu nv
/ minutes ellpses between message anu answer al
manner of maedicOns invoked upon the head Oh the
blameess operator.