The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-16
THE NEWSGATHERER.
Something About The Telegraph Service That
Furnishes ALI the News

TDeae are but few readers of THE CALL
and other newspapers who have any clear
conception of the amount of work that has
to be done on modern newspaper to bring
the readers into touch with all parts of the
world and lay before them in a carefully
prepared manner all the news of the day.
The following selections from an article con-
tributed by William Henry Smith, manager
of tn e Associated Press, to the August
numb er of the Century, give some very in
teresting facts in relation to the Geographic
service to the newspapers:
The records of the Western Union Tele-
graph Com pany may be consulted to show
the extent Of the expenditures by the iudi-
vidual newspapers of the Associated Press.
for Geographic tolls alone, on this, the largest
telegraph system
During the year ending June 80, 1890. the
western Union Telegraph Comp any deliv-
cred at all stations 800, ,43S words OF
regular" or Associated Press report. This
was delivered 10 an average of two newspa-
pers IN each place, at an average cost of 10
cents per 100 words for each place. This Is
rendered possible only by the great number
OF places served on a circuit-irom thirty to
forty bring supplied In some cases at the
same time. During the same period the
company handled 207, OPS, 09i words Of spe-
Gals, at an average cost of 81 cents per 100
NOIus. IHeSe USureS do not lncIune
reports transmitted by the Associa-
ted Press over its leased wires or
special correspondence sent on individual
newspapers leased wires. Estimating these
two classes and the reports OF the outside
press. there was delivered TO the news
papers during that year an aggregate
amount of 1,500,000,000 words of telegraph
news. On the regular service little more
than % per cent is handled by the telegraph
company. in the daytime, while on the spe-
clal service only about per cent of the
volume is handled in the daytime The day
rale Is twice the night rate. On the Asso-
ciated Press leased wires the proportions are
"a per cent of day report to &c per cent of
night report, and the difference in cost the
sane as by Western Union lines. The
local press receipts by the telegraph COM
pany for the year ending June 80, 1880, in
GLIDING regular, special and leased wires,
were S1.S4S,2 47 %.
1t should be borne In mind that these fig
uTeS do not include tolls on other lines or
cable tolls, or the wages of correspondents
and operators, or miscellaneous expenses,
or the sums paid for news by both individ-
ual newspapers and the Associated Press,
which would aggregate very large sum.
one very interesting feature of the news
service, of which the public has no knowl-
edge. Is telegraphing in cases of storms and
Interruptions. 1t is on such occasions
that the utility of a vast system is made
manifest. During the blizzard in the month
OF March, 1858, for instance. the Washing
ton report was sent to Philadelphia via New
Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago and
Pittsburg; while New York City received it
from Albany, it having reached Albany
via New Orleans, st. Louis, Chicago, Cleve-
land and Buffalo. A more extraordinary
case is that OF Boston, which received con-
densed report from New York via London,
1t being sent by one cable from New York
to London and thence back by another cable
which lands in New Hampshire. Boston is
frequently served with New York news via
Montreal, and Albany via Pittsburg and
Buffalo, the route being via the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad 10 Pittsburg, thence across
via Cleveland 10 Buffalo and thence down
the New York Central to Albany.
Figures will give clearer idea Of the OK.
tent of the work performed daily by the
Associated Press than any other description
Tho New York Office handles daily from
} 1900 TO 100000 words, equal to from fifty to
seventy columns of matter. On January
10, 1891 "a date taken at Tandom) this news
amounted to 5000 words. OF course of
this mass OF material no paper prints the
whole, but most OF it finds place some
where. To meet the requirements of the
service the Associated Press adapted the
Typewriter to receiving directly from the
Morse instrument, and a special paper was
made which facilitates the handling of re-
ports. These details may seem OF small mo-
ment but they go to show the pains taken to
IuSuie pc! ieSt hOlh' Inc agents OIL the
Associated Press. who are selected for
character and ability, are instructed to get
all OF the news, but if need be to sacrifice
the STORY to tie facts-in a word, to tell
the truth. They are required to treat all
political and religious events with judicial
fairness, and to omit social happenings hay
ing an immoral tendency. We do not find
that anything is lost TO thorough journalism
by such limitation, but on the contrary
much influence is gained thereby. The
Associated Press enjoys the public conf
dence in its reliability TO degree unap-
preached by any other organization, and
this enhances the value of the franchises of
the papers supplied by it. This confidence
is based upon an experience OF forty years.