The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-29


gether, and in the Western world tme
is'olten outstripped in the race, items be.
ing published in this country several
hours ahead OF time. To accomplish this
feat requires no extra effort. The light
ming will flash over the wires with the
speed OF thought, leaving the tardy sun
behind TO come along in its own good
time.
And how is this news handled? One
section OF country will explain for the
world. The press dispatches published
daily in TnE APPEAL are plucked from all
parts OF the civilized world, collated in
New York, and sent West. The first great
distributing point is Cincinnati. Here a
Geographic circuit is made up covering a
vast area OF country, extending from New
Orleans to ST. Paul. One operator in Gin.
cinnati sends the same item at the
same time to Nashville, New Orleans, Vim.
cennes, Memphis, Chicago, St. Louis, Indian
apolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Madison,
Terre laute, Evansville, Lexington, and.
when the weather is clear and the wires
working well, to Galveston, I'll Paso. San
Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin.
| Waco and Houston. Tex, besides TO other
points in several other States. What a
power for good or evil is in the fingers of
that telegraph operator! What flood of
light and intelligence he sends FORTH How
extensive his domains-broader than an
hundred principalitiosl How numerous
his subjects, beside whom the 5000, 600
armed men of Europe appear few. How
insignificant TO him become towns and
cities, States and Territorcs-nay, whole
sections OF the continent. To him there
are but two figures OF sufficient importance
Tor considention-the East and the West
and each OF these comprises half of the
unlted states. A state or two, more or
less, makes small difference.
And who are the men who handle this
vast ocean OF intelligence? The six who
send 1t out OF Cincinnati are Messrs. j. :.
wilson, Dave Drewey, Charley Christie, l..
II. Cogley, Gus Rose and James Watts.
Those who receive 1t and write 1t down on
manifold with typewriter are: j. II.
Payne, +. X. Morris and 4. r. Coinage
at Nashville; l.. j. Richie, w. II. Lewis
aud G.. T.. Bacon, at ST. Louis; ]. g.
Smythe, Jerry Cook and Frank Holden.
at Chicago; l.. 4. buckley aud two assis.
tanls at Milwaukee; Lot Lee, J. NJ. stan
ley and q. J. Foster at indianapolis. Geo.
Allhands IAN appropriate name. by the
way, j. u. Welch and w. Il. Wallis.
Louisville; L. w. Corringlon, W. A. Bar
and Chris j. Riley. Memphis; and num-
Der OF Others at various points. Twenty
hous out Of twenty-four this news comes
pouring in, and at night two wires are
called into requisition. On an average.
about $4,000 words day are sent and |
received. Thirty thousand words Just |
think OF III A fair speaker uses about |
ninety words minute, and TO do this hc |
must keep up lively gait Yet il would |
take him over five hours and half TO
tell all the news that is received. And
this Is only one source OF Tm APPEALS |
news. There are, besides local nows, |
special telegraph!c service aud eorrespon. |
dence to be considered.
Since the introduction OF typcwrters. re.
ceiying press is not so difficult rs when il /
had 10 be written down with n pencil or .
stylus. Then the receiving operator had /
10 do the bulk OF the work. Now the /
crunch comes on the sending operator
Formerly the rapid senders, like FL /
Smith, Patsey Ayers, I'd Schimmerhorp
aud Walter Phillips, would give the rcceiv.
Ing operators the buck ngue. now the
fastest can do his best and the receiving
operator will sil cross legged and languidly
peck on the little disks OF the tyne.
writer
To economic time lords are not sent in
full. Thus - will stand for "the," "tr'
means hat" Jimmy means ''im.
and so on, but the receiver
don't care, no writes out each word in
hull. Sometimes rain storm or thunder
storm intcrleres with the adjustment Of
The delicate balance OF the multiple instru.
nents now In use, and then the operation,
nave - break" !. O.. open the circuit and
ave the matter repeated. Sometimes an
ambitious youth attempts TO do work ior
which lac Is not suited aud delays the
business by this breaking" Sometimes
IN operator will come 10 regard the man
hat is sending rs his mortal enemy, and
Will break him and declare that the
stuff don't come" This often creates
ncrriment all over the country. Saw the
Interruption comes from an intermediate
flee. the sending operator In Cincinnati
inows that II the stuff reaches beyond
lac interruption, II must certainly reach
he intermediate point and 10 ascertain
lac distant Offices will be called up and
skod.
Cincinnaii-"To Galveston; How do
ou got mc?"
Galveston-"Clcar as n bell" =
Cincinnati-"To 81. Paul. How do /
omo7' {
st. Paul-"smooih as goose grease; let ,
VI come
Cincinnati-"To San Anionio Docs il q
ONE rocky 10 your
San Anionlo-"No sir; It's plain rs
rini. Rush II, 30 we can get 30 early" Z
OF course the intermediate Office II
royen In error and discounted. II lac is
n old timer and has "been there, " lac will q
SIX some Of the distant points to "nl him
q" which OF course they will refuse 10 do.
The sending operator has forgotten
where lac left OF at, and asks, Say, 81.
'aul, 10 start him.
n. Paul will declare that his last sheet
gone-iho las, sheet containing the last
iord-is gone 10 the printing Office and lac
irgets what II was. The other offices
I'LL say the same thing. for, while they
I've 10 tantalize a brother who Is il, the
jumps they always desire b. help him out I
{ his difficulties, 10 that when no ono will
III the sending operator where 10 resume,
Q must begin where cause Of the inter.
upton directs. The statement "my sheet
gone" Is a pure and pleasant fiction.
he truth Of the matter may be that the
ire was actually interrupted; that the