The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-08

How News Will he Scattered and Dis
trfbuted by Telegraph Companies.

NEW YORK, June lone of the big
gest features in connection with the two
national political conventions at ST. Louis
and Chicago will be the telegraph service"
said bright official of the telegraph COM
pany, to a reporter. Ever since the dates
were selected for both conventions the off,
cials of the telegraph companies have been
on hustle, and it will continue until the
presidential candidates have been selected"
he continued. Very few newspaper readers
realize the enormous work that is Lone at
these conventions by the telegraph COM
pa, les. Many miles of additional wire have
to be strung; new loops and instruments
placed In position; the best sending talent
In the telegraph profession secured and con-
solidated IN the two convention cities and
firally, every official must be on the alert
to see that every subordinate under his
eye does his work well and with great
promptness.
In st. Louis new hall is being con-
structed in part of the city where none of
the lines run. This will necessitate the
building of an entire new line. not a one or
two wire line, but the placing of poles heavy
enough to carry at least half dozen wires
In Chicago we are better fixed, as the hall
will be more centrally located. Ten or fif-
teen years back set of twenty instru-
ments was enough to carry off the business.
but this year fully 150 saunders and keys
will have to be mounted. Each instrument
calls for separate apartment besides
separate wires from the switchboard.
Every city from the Pacific coast to the
Allan atlantic tic possesses % Sc one or more telegraph
late the key at the rate of from forty-fiye
TO nifty words minute. and IL the code
is used, as high as sixty words a minute
can be sent. These men are kept track of
and as many of them possible are sent
on to the convention cities to help out The
art OF receiving from a telegraph instru-
ment can be taught, but the art of sending
In the highest style must come naturally
AS result there are a dozen first-class re-
ceivers to one frst-class sender. No matter
how the messages are sent, there are men
well enough up in the business TO receive
them. The necessary requirement at such
times is speed, and the man at the other
end of the line does the rest
1T Is expected that from 500 600 to $50 600
words will be sent out of st. Louis and Chi
cago daily during the conventions. and from
this can be seen the vastness of the task
before the telegraph officials. 1t will not be
question of financial returns much as
the accommoda tion of a class OF people who
mold public opinion and as a consequence
must he looked after. Every paper in the
country of any consequence whatever will
ents on the ground. and they will begin ar
riving q week ahead of the day set for
the opening of the convention. Each one of
these gentlemen will be expected TO furnish
daily at least column of reading matter
or about thousand words. and in a ma
jority of cases the matter sent will reach
as high half page. Many of the larger
papers will have from one to half Il dozen
special wires. and the shrewd ones have
already secured their operators, so as TO
rush things at the highest rate.
Nobody but those who have gone
through conventions telegraph man.
ayers can conceive the strain under which
they labor. III is even more difficult than
taking care OF election returns. when re-
ports come In as fast As distance permits
the more remote localities giving ample
time for the reception of news from nearby
points. IL Is so different in a national con-
vention. as the proceedings must be flashed
across the continent constantly. States may
be broken and combinations go awry In the
twfnking or an eye, and the newspapers
: in good faith may become mere rubbish