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

before the ink is dry on the paper telling
the supposed fact, and one single ballot
may change the entire aspect OF the situa-
tion-
'The Western Union will gather together
fully seventy-five expert telegraphers from
New York. Cincinnati. Philadelphia and
Boston, and the Postal company. will nave
almost the same number. obtained from
the sameo cities. All these men are code
senders, which means they abbreviate
words TO such an extent that thirty addi-
tional words can be sent a minute, and
each one of them can handle fully $500
words an hour on the wire. This extra
operating force must be provided with in
last, but not least boarding and lodging
facilities. and it keeps. the managers of the
9s fop fg Battle Meeko Toyn al
tween time and electricity.
Another snug income that must be
looked after is that derived from the no,
tells. Ordinarily one operator can be placed
in a hotel and easily handle the business,
but at such times the politicians want to
keep their friends posted at home or keep
in close tab with their political leaders.
who may be located a mile away at an
other hotel. Then, again. the shrewd news
paper correspondent wants 10 be Johnny
on the SPOT and If he learns a piece of
news at the hotel telegraph Office cannot
be too close to meet his desires For these
reasons the force s vii & be frehled m an a. roine n
throughout the entire twenty-four hours
Both the Western Union and Postal COM
panies maintain bulletin in wire & at the sIIy cInr
comes the first announcement of the sue
cessful candidate.
ITO guard against lam at the nails
posed that a corps OF bicycle riders be
pressed into service 10 carry telegrams
woT Il fhe is beeSed 10 greater speed cam
attained in working off business than could
possibly be done il ali the dispatches were
to be sent from the halls of the conven-
tions. as at the main Offices there are al
ways hundreds of wires available and op-
orators always ready to be pressed into
service.
II have been in attendance at several of
the late conventions. and among other
things. noticed that there is very little IN
dividual writing done by the delegates. The
great bulk of the business is newspaper
specials and queries back and forth: or
course, now and then delegate who has
sick wife or child at home. or perhaps who
has an important business deal to look
after will use the wire, but the indivlduai
convention man pays very little toll to ,,e ane
nation Is made the delegate refrains from
using the wires to announce the fact to his
constituency as NE xnows essases mess w are
flashed all over the country, carrying the
news more rapidly than his money could
pay for.
1.-THE telegraph offices in both the con.
vention halls at st. Louis and Chicago will
be located directly under the speakers
stand. and pneumatic tubes go down from
the space above to the operators below.
In this way a special correspondent sitting
at a table directly In front of the speakers
can have man sort his copy. dump II
into pneumatic carriage. and like flash
IL will bob up at the operators right arm
There will be no time lost in counting
words as that will be attended to after,
.syard the operators retaining the copy ana
sending ii to the main office for checking
off, That scene under the stage Will be
well worth going miles to see couple OF
hundred operators at work. the same NUM-
ber of saunders and keys chirping out the
pleasing metallic ring. and the numerous
messengers rushing here and there. the
noise being entirely lost on the conven-
ton people outside owing to the heavy par
titions and ceilings.