The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26

words in three minutes; the same amount
of matter sent by telegraph at ordinary
rates would have cost three times as much
as the telephone message.
Another way in which the long dis
lance telephone is a great convenince to
business men holding responsible posi-
tons is that il permits them to travel and
still keep in touch with their home offices.
l know of men in business in New York
who. when they are away. call up their
offices every morning, have their malt
read to them over the telephone and die
tate the answers IN the same way. At the
same time they receive reports and give
instructions about the general business OF
the Office. If it were not for this facility
they would either have to neglect very inn
portant interests outside or upset the
regular machinery of their offices for
few days at time. Not long
ago the head of big New York firm was
on flying visit to Boston and met with
an accident there resulting IN q severe in
that he must keep absolutely still for sew
eral weeks. He had long-distance tele-
phone set placed in his room at the hotel
and kept in constant communication with
his office the whole time; had letters read
to him, dictated others, talked with his
clerks and assistants. and managed his
business almost as easily as II he had been
in his accustomed place.
Next year will see New York and Chi
cagO in telephone communication. EX-
periments were tried some years ago over
some of the heavy copper wires owned by
the Postal Telegraph Company. and it
was found that there was no particular
diff Guilty in speaking between New York
and Chicago when the line was perfectly
quiet. The experiments were made at
night, at an hour when the telegraph
wires were idle and there were no induct-
i've noises. The question of providing tele
phone communication at such distance
is mainly a commercial one. Will suffi-
cient business be found at the rate that
must be charged to give profit on the in
yestment? Between two such important
centers as Chicago and New York., 900
miles apart-the probabilities are that the
lines will have all the business that they
can carry very soon after they are open for
public service.
The natural inquiry is, eff within a few
years IL has been possible to make the tele-
phone talk to q distance of 600 miles,
how long shall We Rave to wait for tele-
phone line to London or San Francisco ?'
There are two ways in which the problem
may be solved. One is by the invention of
a method of screening the conductor from
the influence of the earth's magnetism so
as to do away with the retarding effect
of capacity. A wire completely screened
would practically have no capacity, and it
would be possible to talk over such wire
to almost any distance. The other solution
would be telephone repeater, acting-in
the same way as a telegraphic relay-to
throw fresh power into the line at certain
intervals. A method of screening sub
marine conductor has recently been sug
gested by a well-known electrical inventor,
and without doubt other inventors are at
work on the telephone relay, so before long
we may be talking from New York both TO
London and to San Francisco. But. IN
fortunately for the commercial success of
such enterprises, no sooner do we overcome
the obstacles that the earth offers to the
telephone current than we meet with
another interposed by the sun! Of course,
the greater part Of the business done by
the telephone is done during the busy
hours of the day say between a. m. and
5 p. m. Now London time is five hours
fast of New York time and San Francisco
is four hours slow of New York, so that
the business hours of London and New
York overlap during only three hours of
the day and those Of New York and San
Francisco during four hours. Therefore,
the London-New York telephone line
would have business day of three hours
and the New Tork-San Francisco line
would have business day of four hours.
A Water Famine.
w. E. Wilson, the water works superintendent,
requests all those who in the habit of Sphinx
ling their lawns and gardens to refrain from
using water for this purpose for a few days. This
request is made for the reason that one of the
pumps at the Lake Washington station is badly
in need of repairs, aud must be stopped in order
that the repairs be made. Careful use of
water for other purposes is also desired