The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-12-18
A TRIIMrn oF Tnn rrLhrmoNn.


How EIretion Hcws WAS Distributed
b. Means Of the Telephone
Tho telephone. which has long been
eupefsedng the telegraph FOR the
transmission Of various classes Of com.
mcrclal aud domestic intelligence. has
probably never scored more telling
coup than the demonstration OF lts SUI
I,eriorliy Tor the dissemination Of cleo
ton news. which was given on the
night Of Nov. .. ThlE was rendered
possible only by tllc gerry complete ar
nngcmcnia which had been made by
The long .taucc system for the col
lilo, - the returns and the prompt
~ tfrtlng Of them IA all directions
from and to other cities The plan con-
colyed and carried ont BY the New
York local telephone company was 20
supply the presidential election news
gratis 10 "a the clubs and hotels OF
The city; O. an persons having tcle-
phones who expressed beforehand q
tcslrc 20 be so served. and % % an
fAgcr an the inquiries Of persons who
90 nny time OF the evening might wish
10 know the prugrcss ~ the count To
this end q special draft OF about 900
men was made on the stan 81 the COM
pany. This extra corps was ordered TO
lc on duty from 3 p. m. on the day OF
election 10 %. On. the next day. There
was 90 be- no interference with the reg
ular work ~ the exchange. The news
was 20 be- received over the long DIS
ianco wires and then distributed en-
lircly by the impgoviscd contingent
which was divided between the Coft-
landt street ard rhlrty-cighth street
exchanges. Some q the Instruments
were devoted exclusively 10 the news
napcft. while others were fca'ryel ilf
Individual communication with many
prominent members on blih political
uaglioa. including Mr. Mckinley hiM-
SELF 4 he result Of the acr,ice was
revelation. II WIS early seen IN hotels
end other places where both telephone
and telegraph bulletins We're bclng
noeied that The latter were In nearly
every ease from twenty 90 forty min
uirs behind those OF the telephone. and
before long che people iockgd 20 wneic
he telephone wiuFns were being gifea
uni. aud stayed there one very no
tlcrahle feature was the greater Clear
nees ard authority of these rcturna.
from which the element Of error Ia
transmission was practically excluded.
Tho ordinary New York subscribers
aud other temporary participants wer'
ersfU-Ti Together. each twenty telc'
nh0nts being connected AZ the c1'
change end {, n slngls telephone, from
which bulletins were read aud ~ ina
w1y the interest aud value n the r.
turns were lmmrnsurahly Increased.
Fer instance. on one up town circuit
almost cvcrT member had some partlc'
ular KNOWLEDGE OF experience 81 inc
fcclion if0n which The returns came
or had possibly recently visited the To-
caliiy, and tins some one was con
r.anily able. i0r the general benefit So
funplfmcat ihs returns hy detailed To-
formation GU timely comment. wAicl
added immgnfc.y 10 the siguilcanc,
Of tie bulletins. on one ~ the circuit
was p'nl3f d. II, ihc proprietor ol
which had afrlcycr pericfmcr maxim
music iqrIH.c rest oi the group IN ih.
lntcrvalaN eiwcuu bulcdft one wei
inowiR cabinet minislC-, who wa
glvinE rye dinner party az his Lon.
Island , linf was able % furnish nv
----f~ayfy al - evening with the hies
returns. gwen while ihe party was
dlrner the must interesting or Import
ant bits 90 Intelligence were read on
from tine % time. About IL o'elocl
thcrc came over the wires rlim1r iha
Nr. Mckinley had been shot Tie wa
Immediately asked irlm the Cortland
street exchange as 90 the truth OF IN
r,nort. Ills only renly was "Wh
ehot ueT In many LARGE apartment
houscs-the bulletins often coming j
M the rate OF two or three q minute
were hung up In the entrance hal
which vas made the scene OF an c'
tcmpore conversazlOnc that was la'
ticluatcd Ia with the greatest enloi
mont bv the house residents ~ bot
sexes. The srrylcc, which include
over IirD hulieilns. was not confined
New York city. hut was extended
many distant points In the counlr'
The ronipleie success ~ She schcn
win Enthusiastically lead 90 the adol
tion OF the telephone Tor the mai
Transmission Of an fuiur presidents
. election returns. aud ON every occasio
where Important news has TO h. di
Nominated speedily throughout the Ct
Nre community.