Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-27
NEWS SENT TO MILLIONS.
WORK OF TELEcRAPH COMPANIES
DURING A POLITICAL CONVENTION.

WORK OF TeLEcRAPH COMPANIES
DURING A POLITICAL CONVENTION.
The Elaborate Bulletin and Ticker System
1.-The Employes...Providing light for the
HAIL.
millions Of men In these United States
became aware inside of twenty-four
hours after action by the two conven-
lions that Mckinley or Bryan had been
nominated as candidates for the presl-
dency is one that no human being can
answer. But 1t is not unreasonable to
assert that nine-t enths. or even great
err proportion, were informed at some
minute in the period indicated who the
nominees were. This marvellous
achievement was accomplished pri-
marily by that elusive element cleo
tricity, plain and practical men being
its masters.
According to Mr.. w. b. Somerville,
the veteran superintendent Of the
press bureau of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, that corpora
TONS wires carried out of Chicago,
from the beginning to the end Of the
Democratic convention, more words
and figures than were ever transmitted
from Chicago or any other city in the
world on any occasion. The Western
Unions comparatively youthful rival,
the Postal, is said also to have exceed
ed its previous records In the num-
Der Of words sent by its operators from
Chicago during the convention. Both
companies sent millions Of words from
st. Louis regarding the doings of the
Republican convention there. But the
total was not as great as at Chicago.
Considering, then, the ramifications
of these two corporations and the
speed with which controlled electricity
travels over wires, is 1T not likely that
the curiosity Of practically every man
in the nation as to the important fea-
lures of these political meetings was
gratified in at least one day? Thirty
six years ago, when Lincoln was first
nominated in the "Wigwam" at Chi
cago, one operator was sufficient to
send from the Insignificant headquar-
tiers Of the telegraph company the
news Of the convention. During the
convention at Chicago, this year, near
ly 600 employees of the Western Union
Company were engaged in some capac-
ity in handling convention matter"
Col. r. G. ClOwry, vice-president and
general superintendent Of the Western
Union in whose district the two con,
ventions were held, remembers tina.
the employment Of four operators in
proscenium box at the old Crosby
Opera house, in Chicago, where, in
1868, convention was held, was con-
sidered great feat of telegraphic en-
terprise. The development from those
times, 1t can be seen, has been remark
able.
I'VE hardly thought" said Mr.. Son.
erville, the other day, that the work
our company would have to do during
the Chicago convention would exceed
that done at the st. Louis convention,
for the reason that the Chicago papers
would not require our services. When
conventions are held In other cities
than Chicago, the papers of that city
take about % per cent of all the words
sent out, New York another %, and the
rest Is distributed all over the country.
But we never did as much as at Chi
cago this year."
What is the effect upon commercial
business during one of these conven-
tiOns, so far as telegraphic companies
are concerned?" Mr.. Somerville was
asked.
why" he answered, 1.-The CONNER
cial business seems to fall off. l pre-
sumo that is due to the general interest
among those business men who at 9TH
er times use the telegraph wires in the
proceedings of the convention, and
that they let what can go over for a
day or two. No, l do not think the
companies lose money through the
conventions. OF course, their receipts
from the newspapers are very large.
But the companies, or at least our CON-
pany, are put to great expense be-
between Chicago and st. Louis we had
sufficient wires, but to serve the Chi
cago papers this year we had to build
n number Of new wires. Then there Is
growing up an enormous free business
during these conventions on the part
of the Western Union Company. In
Chicago l sent bulletins from the con-
vention hall which gave information to
the public in over 10000 cities, towns,
and villages in the United States-in
fact, wherever there Is Western I'm
ion Office"
These bulletins were posted outside
Of all the telegraph Offices, in Ex-
changes, in hotels, sent out on the
''tickers," and passed around from
hand to hand everywhere. Mr.. Somer-
vile was on the platform Of the Coli
scum, and during the important cpl
sodes he sent them out at the closest
intervals, practically posting the peo-
pie in all parts Of the country on what
had just transpired In the convention.
Probably in no previous conventions
or similar gatherings was the tele-
phone ever so extensively used in the
dissemination not only Of bulletins,
but of regular reports of proceedings,
as it was ut Chicago and st. Louis this
year. The Chicago Telephone Com
pany, profting by the experience Of
other wears nroyided FOR tho nuhIfc