The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-08
TELEPHONE POSSIBILITIES.
FIELD FOR USEFULNESS PRAc.
TICALLY UNOCCUPlED.

FIELD FOR USEFULNESS PRAc.
| TIcALLY UNOcCUPIEp.
rho Union of Rapid Telegraph With
the Telephone as a Distributing
| Aoent-A Combination Between the
| Phonoqraph and the Telephone.
In commenting upon the possibilities
of the long-distance telephone In an
unoccupied field, the Electrical World
and Engineer says: 1--WE have often
speculated on the possibilities Oh rapia
communication as compared with the
facilities which are actually available.
Great as have been the improvements
in both telegraphic and telephone
| methods, there is still a field for use
fulness that is even now practically
unoccupied This is to be found In
union Of rapid telegraphy with the
telephone as a distributing agent. we
have on the one hand several beautifui
methods of very rapid telegraphy cap
able of greatly increasing the capac-
ity of every existing wire as means
of communication, and, on the other
hand. a considerable network OF long
distance telephone lines, beautifully
proportioned for rapid work, and IN
utilized during material part OF
every day. One of the chief ooJec-
tons raised against rapid machine
telegraphy is the difficulty OF provld-
ing adequate facilities for handling
promptly the volume of business piled
upon the receiving offices, and the ser
ious dislocation Of affairs in case of
temporary hitch in the transmission
of messages. In long-distance tele-
phony the main practical hinSrance
to efficiency is the trouble in getting
hold of the man at the other end
of the line. Every one who has ever
had occasion to use long distance
lines knows how busy they are dur
ing a considerable part of the day,
and the irritating delays that come
through no fault of the telephone
company, but merely because SO many
persons are anxious to talk, at once.
During the night, however, long-dis-
lance conversation is far from active
. for obvious reasons, especially after
ten of eleven o'clock, and the costly
lines are earning far less than is de-
sirable on the score Of general econ
omy. A line does not deteriorate from
,, use, and the larger proportion Of the
time 1t can be kept busy the greater
it's net earning capacity. Now, lei
us see what would be the result OF
forming a point committee, as it were
of these two methods of transmitting
:, Intelligence. Suppose, for instance
.. that during the four hours from
to Sam a single line between Chicago
and New York were worked up to it!
: full capacity by modern machine tele
phony. Assuming the use of an auto
matte printing instrument at working
speed of a hundred words a minute
. or whereabouts, 500 ten-word messages
per hour in each direction would b.
: within the range Of capacity OF thu
= system If such messages were direct
:, ed to the respective telephone mum
:. bers of the recipients. These mes
:, sage slips could simply be filed ava.
= away and telephoned to the prope
addresses on the opening of bushes
:. hours, the slips being mailed as an ad
ditional check, as fast as telephoned
!. Meanwhile, during the day and ever
ing such registered messages woul
. be taken from telephone subscriber
on a typewriter and passed along t
= be performed or otherwise prepare
a night. The result would be a yer
: convenient and cheap method of sen(
ing messages, which would be deli,
:, cred in the course of few hours, an
|. a considerable increase in the carr
- ing capacity Of every long telephon
!. line. Something in the way of deli'
n ering telephone messages is now ofte
- done, but we know of no comprehel
=, sive and cheap scheme for extendin
such a service by rapid telegraphy
The possibilities of this plan al
:, great, but how about combination @
!. the same lines between the phon
"a graph and the telephone? Of cours
~ the chief value of the telephone g
=, compared with the telegraph is I'll
., fact that minds meet, questions al
IN answered at once, and a great de-
of business can be done in sho
- time, limited not by the speed of te
a. egraph operator, but by the speed
\. the talker. 1t does not, howeve
r sdpersede the telegraph and probab
never will. At the same time, ho'
ever, it can certainly help the tel
graph by being used in the dull hou
=. of the early morning and thus az
70 greatly to it's earnings capacity.
would be possible for Tong Dispatch
!. to be talked into a monograph, al
>. cylinder after cylinder might be file
=, in the hours of the day, and then SCI
during the hours when the lines a.
rarely in use. The simultaneous III
- OIL the wire for telephoning and tel
graphing is another possibility, al
! when these more modern methot
~ are employed by the telephone al
s telegraph companies there should
SO material a reduction of rates tn
men will wonder how they ever e
along without it as means of exped
ing business.