The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-29
AN ELECTRIC PRINTER.
MEssxo m SENT AND RECEIVED By
rHE wHEArsrONE system
Msrse systsu Outdone--The Latest frseti-
eel Advance fade In Printing TeiegTa-
pby--Jektrng Both systerDs.


graph printing apparatus. 1t has beer
frequently referred TO in the daily press
but no elaborate detail OF It's working ha
been made. Through this system mes
aases may be sent between the large
cities at the rate OF about go words q
minute and a speed OF so words a min
ute has been known TO have been made
in test cases. That IL has not come int'
more general use IS on account OF IL
elaborate machinery and demonstration
Of real speed when the occasion demands
IL Will be remembered that the appa-
ratus that Prof. Morse set UP at the very
fnccution OF telegraphy was printing
machine resembling somewhat IN niIlia'
ture the lately patented threshins ma
chimes. A paper tape that hdd Deeh Plo
pared was run through the machine, anu
the characters were registered thereon Wy
indentation. The telegraph operator ina
could register a speed OF thirty-nVe "oius
a minute In those days and then read
what he had sent was wonder. Al that
time all that was necessary 10 nj one 10
oct as receiving operator was a kno"i-
edge Of the telegraphic signals ana their
meaning, which, at most. was matter
of a few hours study. Then by transmit
ting the characters at very SLOW rate
"a soced the veriest student OF telegrapny
could make a correct translation OF the
nessace sent. This mode OF telegraph
Ing was in vogue a long time before re-
ceIying operators began to ma out tnat
they could distinguish the telegraph Sig
nails by sound alone. The idea OF re-
ceiver combining his attention wholly 10
the sound. however, was not entertainer
for some time as such proceeding was
considered too risky, though operators
were allowed to copy messages from lhe
sound and then compare their copies
with the signals registered on the snps.
When II has been coDclusiyely proved
,hat operators could interpret the sig
nails by sound as well rs by sight the IN
etrilment was abolished and comnunlcd-
ton was carried on entirely under tne
new system. Although the pennsylvania
railroad is considered one or the most
progressive in America they had the pa
per slip register in use on their main
line up until about ten years ago. inns
was no doubt done TO keep down the
salary list of the operators, as new
man could learn TO read by sight INSIDE
of four months, and as a consequence the
waiting list was always large.
The mode of first registering the Morse
alnhabet by indentatiOn was no doubt
faken advantage OF by Sir Charles Wheat
stone who. some thirty years ago, per-
fected the system of telegraphy bearing
his name, of course going further by
sending and receiving AUTOMATICALLY.
This system is in general use In the Bril-
fish empire and upon the continent and
no doubt fits to nicely the ideas OF
speed held by the members of the busi-
ness and social world OF the old country.
Some years back set of Wheatstone in
struments was placed In the big western
Union building up on Fifteenth street,
but Manager Marean quickly compre-
hended its weakness on account or speed
and they were removed about three years
ago. This will appear strange TO those
not acquainted with the business OF the
Washington office, as, Of all things, the
Wheatstone idea would seem TO flii
long-felt want on account of the press
matter going out from that Office. But
Mr.. Marean has had dealings with press
correspondents. yea, these many years
and no one knows their impetuous ways
better than he.
Imagine a press correspondent with the
knowledge in his head that his matter
was being delayed about ten minutes up
stairs to be perforated. Then collect a
dozen of them in the office under the
same circumstances-Stti Bulls brave
warriors in the height of a war dance
would not be a marker TO II. The press
correspondents know the value of time.
and also know that first-class man at
both ends of wire will handle his mat
ter In such style that It will be in the
Office for which 1t is intended while an
other mans copy is being perforated Tor
the Wheatstone instrument
Some years back when the system was
in use between Baltimore and Washing
ton a trial was made between those two
points on q press message Of five hun
dred words. The copy was given TO the
lady perforator and the sending Morse
operator at the sarle time. The item
circuit just ten words ahead of the Morse
circuit. but the time where the beat"
counted was while the perforated mes
sage was being written on a typewriter in
the latter office. This delay became
known TO customers and a typewriter
message at that time was looked upon
with much dsfavor This was especially
noticeable among stock brokers and IL
was known among the telegraph craft
that Wheatstone messages were frequent
ly written out with a pen 50 as 10 de-
celve.
The wheatstone system has been in use
on eastern circuits for about fifteen
years. and about six years ago put in
use on the long western circuits. On
the latter circuits a speed OF about $50
words minute is registered, but this
Is not considered an exceptionally high
speed for the system. In France, Ger
many and England, where the intervals
between stations are comparatively small
in comparisons with distances in the
United States. the average speed on unab-
breviated matter Is between $50 and 800
words a minute, while 1t is asserted that
in France the 1000 mark has been reached
with abbreviated words. In the trans
mission of dispatches by the Wheatstone
system abbreviation may be practiced
with impunity, as the signals are in
scribed on a roll OF paper at the recev-
ing station and the receiving operator.
or copyist. may study the characters
at his leisure. The characters are reg
istered on the slip and may be referred
TO fequently, so there is much less dan
ger OF authorizations being incorrectly in
terpreted than in the Morse sound sys-
TEN.
1t used to be a great source OF amuse-
ment. UP in the Western Union office,
watching the lady Wheatstone copyists
going around amongst their companions
carrying couple yards of tape messages
and beseeching them TO help out on a
more than usual difficult problem In tho
abbrcviation code. More work was done
on the Wheatstone machines in this city
In the way of sending out messages than
receiving. Washington Is about three
fourth sending office and one-fourth re-
ceiving. This overbalance IN due princi-
paliy TO the enormous amount OF press
matter sent from this city TO all parts
OF the country An operator receiving
by sound. especially on the press circuits.
must be a man OF quick Judgment. and
must bend every energy 10 the work
in hand and then I'LL out the abbreviated
words as the sounder rattles them Off