Evening star., 1901-04-10
NEWSPAPER
A MOST SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION IN
BUDAPEST.
The Days News Told as 1t Occurs to
$500 Subscribers Sitting
in Their Homes.

We are very apt to claim pre-eminence
! for America in the matter of inventions
! and of novel mechanical applications. But
/ the Hungarians have had for eight years
in actual working operation a development
! of the telephone of which few people i'll
! the United States know anything, even by
report-the telephone newspaper, or Tel
efon-Hmmondo, as it is called, of Buda-
pest.
For quarter of century one of the
/ favorite dreams of the modern prophets
has pictured the home equipped with ap-
paratus by means of which one can hear
| concerts or listen to the latest news, while
/ sitting comfortably by his own tireside.
! This dream is a fact today in Budapest.
I Music Geographic news hot from the
wires literary criticism. stock quotations,
! reports of the reichsrath-the whole flood
of matter that fills the columns OF our
! newspapers may be had for the mere llIt-
/ ing of a telephone receiver.
! i went to Budapest last May, expecting
/ to find this unique newspaper OF which
| l had heard 50 much, rather fad Tor a
! few score of people who had sufficient in
! terest to keep it as passing diversion. 10
| my surprise | found 4 great journal, with
| all the equipments of a firSt-class paper IN
/ a very lively city of nearly 6ooUO people
| all the equipment, that is, except presses,
| paper and printers ink. Telefon- -Hirmondo
| has 6 100 subscribers. The staff consists
| of a business manager. an editor-in-chef,
| four assistant editors and nine reporters.
Started Eight Years Ago.
| This novel and interesting enterprise was
! started about eight years ago by Theodore
| Buschgasch. who had been Interested IN
| electricity and had patented some lnven-
| tiOns. Mr.. BuschgaSch died March 10, 1880
| and the present efficiency OF the paper IN
| all that pertains to it's technique is largely
| due to Mr. Emil Won Szvettes, who Is known
/ on the staff as technical director. HIS skfi
| and energy have produced great results
| The concern is owned by STOCK company
/ with a capital of tDO,OpO nOrlnS tapoul S-9o,-
| 0U0D.
| Telefon-Hirmondo occupies commodious
/ offices the third and fourth floors OIL
/ fine building one of the hneSt avenues
/ of Budapest 1t divides the entire city into
! twcnty-seven districts, and the main wire
| runs to each district. with branch wires TO
! the houses. An accurate map OF the sys-
| tenn hangs in the central office. The COM
| pany owns it's own wires and plant through
! out. and has the same right to place wires
| that is enjoyed by the telephone and tele-
| graph companies.
Twentyseven copper wires run from MI
| crophone receivers in the Opera House to
| the central office. There the current passes
| through q patented device which Increases
| the sound, its distribution to subscribers
being regulated by another ingenious con-
| trivance, also patented. The paper has oJO
! kilometers of wire and {, 200 receivers-that
| is, one for each subscriber It's spools may
! De seen every NueIe uIucI the COIulCtS Dl
| the houses. The stentor or reader talks
| into double receiver or phone, and the
| subscriber has two earpieces like those
used by the telephone clerks The sound
of the readers voice is greatly strengthened
by the machine; and by making a receiver
in the office the last on the circuit the man
agement may at any time test the working
of the wires.
The Actual Issue.
1t is most interesting to follow the &C
tual Issue of the paper" A complete pro-
gram is tackled to the wall above each sub
scriber's receiver, and glance at this tells
Just what may be expected al any hour,
every day except Sundays and holidays
having the same program. The issue begins
at 1880 am and ends about 1880 pm.
unless concert or some other night event
is being reported, when it keeps on TIL
later. Stock exchange hours are: A. M, 10
to 1890 IL to Ills, 11.30 to 1145.
These reports reach subscribers several
| hours ahead Of the evening papers Quo
tations are given again in the afternoon,
while reports of the reichsrath and politt-
cal news occupy the time from 11:45 to II.
When the refchSrdth Is not in session, the
time Is filed by fuller reports of general
and foreign news. General news, Of course.
comes all day at intervals At 1:3O and at
pm. is brief resume for those who
missed the first news. From to there
are concerts, varied by literary criticisms,
sporting events, and so on Special items
for Sunday are: II to t1:39-news, 4:30 to
"a concert, and every Thursday evening at
6 there is a concert for children. The writer
was invited to witness a performance in
the concert room of Hirmondo, but unfor-
tunately a violent thunder storm interfered
with the use of the wires.
Thoroughly Independent.
Telefon-Hirnondo is Independent In u
sense not known in America it has no lead
ing articles, no editorials, no opinions-un-
less it's short notices of literature and art
/
alone is responsible IN case of action against
the paper for libel. He has already had
two or three lawsuits, but has won all of
them.
The mechanical processes of the paper are
about as follows: The news Geographic,
exchange, specials and locals is secured by
! the ordinary methods known in all news
paper offices. The reporter who has fin
| ished his assignment writes out his matter
| In ink and submits il to his chief, who
| signs it on the margin of the printed form.
| This signature fixes responsibility A clerk
then takes the copy and carefully copies 1t
with photographic ink on long galley slips.
| These are transferred to the stone SO as to
appear in parallel columns about six inch
| IS wide and two feet long. Two pressmen
| take several impressions On a roller-move-
| ment hand press. Common printing paper
| is used Each sheet is submitted to an
| assistant editor who, with the aid Of a
| copyhoider. exactly as In proofreading, YER
lies its correctness. This sheet constitutes
| the file, and duplicate is cut up into con-
venient strips for the use of the stentors.
| Each sheet comprises q certain part of the
program, and the whole number of sheets,
| with hour dates, constitute the days file.
The stentors are six in number in winter
! when the paper is likely to be crowded with
| important matter, four for duty and two
| alternates. In summer four suffice. The
| stentors have strong, clear voices and dis
| tlnct articulation, and the news comes from
| the receivers with remarkable strength and
! ciearness When all six stentOrs are pres
| ent, they take turns of ten minutes each;
| If for any reason only two are on duty. a
! half hour is the extreme required of one
| reader.
Women Employed.
| The only ladies employed on the staff are
+ those engaged in the concerts, and Mr.
| Horvath called my attention to the fact
! that in no other newspaper office in the
world could be found such a staff
In answer to my inquiry as to expenses
| Mr.. Horvath kindly assured me that 1 was
! free to investigate His brief reply was:
| I'VE have no secrets" The current ex-
penses are between 5000 and 10000 forns
| per month GO forin is about ~ cents). This
| includes, of course, interest on the plant
| The fixed charges-that is, those which