New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
THE BULLETIN SERVICE.
THE WORK AS IT IS DONE BY THE MAGIC
LITTLE TICKER N KEEPING THE
PUBLIC INFORMED REGARDING
THE ROWING OF A RACE
AND OTHER CONTESTS
AND OTHER CONTESTS.

OF the many thousands Of people who were
watching the bulletin boards IN the several
boroughs yesterday during the race for the COL
lege championship at Poughkeepsie, few stopped
to think how the information displayed upon
the boards had been secured. In sporting af-
fairs the great American public looks for re-
suits and quick returns, generally gets them,
and IS not troubled further. Occasionally
thoughtful man Will stop and consider. and pos
sibly ask his neighbor where the information
displayed comes from; but the chances Of his
getting a satisfactory answer are as one in
thousand
But there was one thoughtful man watching
the bulletins which told the advance story of
the recent YaIe-Harvard race at New-London
who was not satisfied when he asked the ques-
rion repeatedly and received don't know for
an answer, and he appealed to The Tribune
The Information displayed on the majority Of
the bulletin boards. and on the little ribbons
CT paper on the tickers IN the clubs and saloons,
is gathered in a businesslike and systematic
manner by q company with headquarters in
Broad-st. This is the company which controls
all Of the little tickers which daily supply the
telegraph information tickers with news re-
garding stocks and sporting contests of various
kinds.
A member Of the company who was seen yes
terday said: I'VE send man to all Of the i'm
base ball games, prizehghts and rowing and
yachting contests in which there is any Ma
tsoual interest We send a man TO the contests
and ne wires the result 10 this office, from where
II is distributed by telegraph 10 the various
tickars IN this district. There is pressure OF
letter On the Lransmirter in this Office, and
an instant later that letter is printed on the
r. bon Of every ticker in service IN the district,
which includes New-YOrk, Brooklyn, and far
west as Paterson and north as far as Yonkers"
But how did you manage TO get the returns
from the recent Harvard-Yale boat race at
New-LOndon. where the distance necessary 10
be covered was four miles, asked the reporter.
Why. We covered that race just as We did
the varsity struggle at POughkeepsie to-day.
Now We sent five expert operators to Pough-
ke-psie Yesterday. One of the men was IN
charge Of the force, and ne distributed them,
Eav along the shore Of the EudsOn River any
where from half a mile to one mile apart. To
each man was given a letter "a his special sig
nal For instance, the man no was stationed
sr the start was known as A, and t was his
du-v 10 telegraph the Introductory incidents, in
c1udfng the start and the actual race as far as
he could see it, Then operator B, who was
stationed say half mile further along was
informed by A TO look sharp
This was the signal for operator 3 TO gran
his field glasses ard scan the river for the ap-
uroaching boats. As soon as ne could see them
he began to telegraph their positions He con
+iu,led 10 telegraph until the boats mad passed
him and were getting out OF his vision, when
he in turn notified TO c as the cue for the third
man 10 begin This system was continued TO
rbe finish where the last man was located. ana
he telegraphed the actual result al tne InIsh
and tae condition OF the crews. we 90 not use
telephones in this work at all ouL Special wires
are run to the points desired The service is
generally accurate and quick Ihere Is an
other distributing centre at Boston: one aI
PHILADELPHIA and another at Chicago