The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-17
WHOLE NATION
IN CLOSE TOUCH
Remarkable Feat of Telegraphing
Over the Continent.
INSULTS FROM AFFAIR OFF
LISTEN I'M SALT LAKE TO CON-
VERSATION ON THE COAST.

A remarkable feat of teIegraphing in
which the Salt Lake office of the Asso-
ciated Press played prominent part.
was accomplished recently. Usually
the Associated Press wires are operated
direct from Kansas City to Salt Lake
and relayed in salt Lake TO San Fran
cisco and the northwest. On this occa-
SION, after the regular report had closed
IN the early morning. connected San
francisco direct to Kansas City. San
FRANCISCO placed San Diego, Fresno and
Los Angeles on the wires, while Salt
Lake put on Montana, Oregon and
washington. Denver then put on Colo
rado Springs. Pueblo and Leadville
while Kansas City added St Joseph, St
Louis and Chicago. The Chicago oper-
! ator. finding that the line to San Fran
! cisco worked easily, put the New York
circuit on This took in New York
Plttsburg. Philadelphia. Cleveland and
other leading cities, making a line from
ocean 70 ocean across the continent.
taking in a wide sweep of territory
north and south. But the limit had not
yet been reached. Chicago put on the
southern circuit. taking in Indianapolis,
Cincinnati and Louisville. Louisville
found he could hear San Francisco
plainly, so he put on a circuit TO which
ordinarily he relays matter adding
Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans.
Memphis promptly added Dallas and
Little Rock.
All Sections Unite.
This placed north, south, east and
West-almost all the leading cities of
the United States-on one wire. Fhe
experiment was not prearranged but
was merely accomplished by the opera
tors acting individually after the heav-
Ter work of the night was over. Its
success was proved when the San Fran
cisco operator got hold of a long cable
nos.
tiers. With but one break he sent"
TO every city on the immense circuit for
about two hours.
The Telegraph Age, in commenting
on the achievement, says:
Telegraphers of long experience do
not hesitate to say that this was UNI
doubtedly the longest telegraph circuit
ever maintained considering the num-
Der of offices on the circuit by which
the matter was copied. Because of the
dearth of business at such an hour, the
circuit was unusually free from induc-
tion-an element most important in the
formation of such a circuit
The Salt Lake office of the Associated
Press did some remarkably quick work
again yesterday morning. About
O'Clock The Herald telephOned to ask
If there had been a change in Senator
Clark's condition.
Wait a minute and I'll find out. I've
got New York on the wire now" was
the reply
After brief pause came this report:
The night editor in New York has
gone into the editorial room to inquire.
He'll be back in a minute"
Another brief pause and the Salt Lake
Office announced:
There is nothing new on Senator
ClarkS condition. -r-..
The Herald offfcesnad been placed i'm
communication with New York and
had received two reports from there in
space of about two minutes.
Long-distsnce Eavesdropper.
a circuit across the continent is not
unusual for the Associated Press. \
circumstance, common enough from the
operators standpoint but amusing to
an outsider, attended the formation of
SUCH a circOit recently. On the Sunday
following the naval battle in the Ko-
rean straits the Associated Press of
fees We're kept open all day for bull
letins. Ordinarily work does not begin
until o'clock Sunday evening. but on
this day every office, including the Salt
Lake Office, had an operator on duty
About noon a newspaper man dropped
into the Salt Lake Office Of the Asso-
ciated Press and found the operator on
duty sitting there with a gloomy coun-
tenance- Anything corniug?" inquired
the newspaper man. Not a d word, "
replied the operator. 81 don't see why
in thunder they're keeping me here I
just heard New York telling Boston
and Providence they could go home
and don't see why they can't let me
off. too" In other words. a man in
Salt Lake had been eavesdropping on
conversation that took place on the At
lantic coast.
Operators tells many amusing stories
of quarrels over the wires. One of
these stories is that of a man who had
a spirited controversy with another OPP
orator more than 1000 miles away. At
length the man became SO enrag ed by
the insults heaped on him by the fellow
at the other end that he left his key
and, rushing from the room, struck in
the face the first man he met. to that
individuals great amazement.