Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30

| the officials of both telegraph companies
have been on a hustle, and it will continue
until the presidential candidates have been
selected" he continued. Every few news
paper readers realize the enormous work
that is done at these conventions by the
telegraph companies. Many miles of addi-
tional wire have to be strung; new loops
and Instruments placed in position; the
best sending talent in the Geographic pro-
fession secured and consolidated in the
two convention cities, and, finally, every
official must be on the alert to see that
every subordinate under his eye does his
work we'll and with great promptness.
I'm St Louis a new hall is being con-
structed in a part Of the city where none
of the lines run. This will necesstate the
building of an entire new line, not one or
two-wire line but the placing of poles
heavy enough to carry at least a dozen
cables in which are half-doZen wires. In
Chicago we are better fixed, as the hall
will be more centrally located or should
Auditorium Hall be used, would be in
clover, as already numerous wires are run
ming into that building.
Ten or fifteen years back a set of twenty
instruments was enough TO carry off the
business, but this year fully hundred and
fifty saunders and keys VIII have TO be
mounted. Each instrument calls for sep
arate apartment, besides separate wires
from the switchboard.
Rapid Operators.
Every city, from the Pacific coast to
the Atlantic, possesses one or more tee-
graph operators who have the ability to
manipulate the key at the rate of from
forty-five to fifty words minute, and if the
code is used, as high as sixty words min
ute can be sent. These men are kept track
of, and as many of them as possibie are
The art OF receiving fforn a telegraph IN
strument can be taught: hat>the art OF end
ing in the highest style must come naturally.
AS a result, there are a dozen first-class
receivers to one tirst-c1ass sender. No mat
ter how the mesSaSeSfare sent there are
men we'll enough up in the business to
ceive them. The neccssary requirement ut
such times is speed, and the man at the
other end of the line does the rest. ~
at is expected that from 5cn, eco to $50, coo
words will be sentout Of st. Louis and Chi
cago daily during tho conventions and
from this can be seen the vastness of the
task before the teIegra phi officials. 1t will
rot be question Of financial returns SO
much the accdS mod a ton of class of
people who mold pubrc opinion, and as n
consequence must sbe looked after.
Every paper lnsthescountry of any con-
sequence whatever will have from tc
five special Correspondents on the ground.
and they will begin arriving week ahead
of the day set for the opening of he con-
vention. Each one of these gentlemen will
be expected to furnish daily a least col
umn of reading matter. or about thous-
and words. and in majority of cases the
matter sent will reach as high as half a
page. Many of the larger papers will have
from one to a half dozen special wires. and
the shrewd ones have already secured their
operators. SO as to rush things at the high
est rate. ~-1=er'
AssOcfated Press Serpice.
1.-The press associations are in. almost the
same boat with us. The amount of matter
the Associated Press will rush out OF ST.
Louis and Chicago win be something ire
mendous This organizatio has on its pay
rolls the best Geographic talent in the
country and the very cream of this talent
will be sent to the convention citiesl., Or
diI.arily the Associated Press has two wires
running out OF st. Louis and Chicago but
during the convention weeks several adj
dtioral wires will be called into service
The daily report of this organization
averages about $4,000 words, and with the
extra wires the number of words sent will
be more than doubled. This service re-
member. is all in addition to the special
matter the newspapers will receive from
their individual representatives.
Through the great service furnished by
the Associated Press and private CORE
spondents the newspapers outside of the
convention cities will have as much, If not
more, than the papers printed on the spot.
Nobody except those who have gone
ayers can conceive the strain under which
they labor. 1t 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.
PrOmptness in News Sending.
TT is so different in national conven-
ton, as the proceedings must be flashed
across the continent constantly. States
may be broken and combinations go awry
In the twinkling of eye, and the news
papers must know this instantly. Fore
casts made in good faith may become mere
rubbish before the ink is dry on the paper
telling the supposed fact, ami one single
ballot may change the entire aspect of the
situation.
The Western Union will gather together
fully seVenty-five expert teleg"aphers from
New York. Cincinnati, Philadelphia and
Bos >on, and the Postal company will have
almost the same number, obtained from
the same cities. ALI these men are code
senders, which means they abbreviate
words to such an extent that thirty addi-
tonal words can be sent a minute, and
each one Of Them cap handle fully $500
words an hour on the wire. This extra
operating force MUST De provided with in
struments, typewtiters desks, chairs and