Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-17

oAOAS CONSTANTLY WOTkllE al the senQtnE
end Similarly, at the receiving end allow
ing a speed Of twenty-five words per min
ute for translation and transcription, sixty
six more operators would be required to
turn the messages received into English
for the transmission to those to whom they
are addressed. II these 1872 operators worked
the usual number OF wires (say about
twenty when quadruplex and duplex cir
cults in the usual proportion are counted
on), the messages received at one end would
require no translation, but would be i'm
mediately licked off upon the wire by
operators and sent to their recipients in
the form received at the other end. The
effect would be, consequently, that the So
called high speed service would Introduce
two elements of delay--in preparation and in
translation. Hence, viewing 1t from
purely practical standpoint, 1t would in
all probability be slower than the present
system. The method employed by the sys-
TEN described last week included a photo
graphic apparatus for receiving the mes
sagcs, consequently necessitating the de-
volopment and fixing by Photographic pro-
cesses OF the record as received. Nobody
who has had to do with telegraphy and
Photography can fail 20 recognize that this
would introduce an altogether impossible
therefore be argued that such a system
as that described has no single advantage
over ordinary telegrapny, while 1t intro
duces numerous complexities and points
OF weakness which are entirely unnecessary.
The saving on the wires required would
not pay for the Photographic films IL the
system were worked steadily at any reason
able proportion Of its capacity"
Farm Telephones.
The organizer of successful farm tele-
phone service tells how simple system
can be installed at low cost. The hrst
requisite Is to secure at least one man who
has sufficient practical knowledge OF cleo
tricity to superintend the work OF IN
stalation. Telephones to serve the purpose
fairly we'll can be bought for S11 to Sl2
wholesale, and an extra quality can be Sc
cured for S15, with two-jar battery power
and with adjustable arm attached to trans
mitter. The cheaper instruments, however,
will last for years for farm work; they are
easy to handle and adjust, and carry sound
perfectly provided the battery Is Kept IN
working order. Too many telephones should
not be placed on one circuit or the talk
will be weak, from the resistance being eX-
cessfve. One farm circuit, which runs a
distance of three miles, has ten instru-
menlS on IT, Ills is dDOul All IL Sub WI ~
especially as it is wired with common No
IL galvanized wire, which is liable to rust
and thus involve greater resistance to the
current Copper is now being substituted
for iron on some lines which were orig
inally put up at the lowest possible cost
Copper is a better transmitter of current
and does not impair the distinotness of the
talk by corrosion. The average cost of iron
wire for farm lines is about 81 per mile
while No IA copper can be had for $2l
The poles may measure six to eight inches
at the base and four inches at the top. and
twenty three feet long. They should be
put three to four feet in the ground and 175
feet apart. Locust poles are very service
able. When the instrument has been put
up in the house and an insulated wire run
out to meet the line outside ground con-
nections should be made by putting copper
wire or rod down, say, four feet, into damp
soil outside or in the cellar. This is needed
to make the circuit only when cne line
OF wire is used instead of two. 1t is com
mon practice to start out the line wire slack
from the house to the first pole near 1t,
so that the vibration from the main wire
will not be brought into the house, to the
possible annoyance and disturbance of nerv-
GUS people.
LIecJr1caA UOoub III
Prof. F.B Crocker, who has Just returned
from a trip around the world, makes note OF
the cheering outlook for American electrical
goods in the far east He considers that the
United States has better opportunity to ex-
tend it's trade in that portion of the globe
than any other country, even incluing Eng
land and Germany. The reason OF this Is
two fold America is much nearer by sea
than these countries are to China, Japan or
the Philippines Americans themselves, as
people, have not yet realized adequately their
opportunities in this field. One point which
has been clearly established is that in the
quantity and quality of electrical apparatus
America leads the world. The Japanese,
who are very wdeawake nation, have rec
ognized this; but in China and India, where
the English influence is much stronger than
American, the assumption is often made that
England must be the best place to obtain al
most anything, including electrical goods.
What particularly struck Prof Crocker was
the fact that in the Chinese and Indian cities
visited by him electrical plants were being
largely installed or had been contracted for,
employing English machinery, but when, a
few weeks later, he reached England he was
astonished at the large number of important
installations that were being made with
American apparatus. There are few quarters
OF the world where electric light Is more de-
sirable than in India, where also the electric
fan is rapidly supplanting the time honored
punkah The use of the telegraph and tele-
phone is also extending in the Orient, the
very natural indisposition Of dwelers in hot
countries to walk even the shortest distance
being a powerful influence in the utilization
of these appliances. These are important
! facts which Prof. Crocker commends to the
notice of American manufacturers OF cleo
trical goods Another valuable hint Is that
| the way in which goods are packed makes a
great difference in their marketability in the
east. American firms have been accused of
much carelessness in this particular to their
very decided disadvantage, but the Germans
avoid this mistake by humoring the whms of
their customers, and this is often the secret
of their securing orders when American
agents fail
Russin Catching On.
A notable example of electrical develop
ment in foreign countries is the appica-
tion on the Russian river Volga of suction
dredges. The Volga dredge is electrically
self-propelling and controlable. 1t is in
two parts, the electric installation OF each
ha1 aonsistipp af nj rato n