Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-20
STORYoF THE BIG CONVENTION
Tucked OFF BY THE TELEG-
RAPHERs IN $500, 900 WORDS
Chicago Companies Estimate Enor-
nous Volume of Business in
Newspaper Reports.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, June 30.-Now that the
republican national convention is over
and the newspapers throughout the coun-
try have ceased publishing pages about
it every day. the telegraph companies
have an opportunity to take stock OF the
enormous amount Of business they have
been doing in the last ten days and to
again assert that. after all is said and
done, Chicago is the only city in the
country in which q national convention
should be held.
Considerably more business was han
died by the two telegraph companies dur
ing the convention just closed than passed
over the wires at the last convention,
which was a cut-and-dried affair and re-
suited In the denomination OF Theodore
Roosevelt The volume Of business. how
ever, was not so great as that which
was handled at st. Louis four years ago.
when Alton B. Parker was nominated by
the democrats.
While anything like exact figures are
unobtainable as yet. 1t was learned last
night that the Western Union Telegraph
Company during the last eight or nine
days has taken care Of about 3.Oo0.O00
words of newspaper messages. That is
to say, the newspapers of the country
have filed with the Western Union APP
proximately 100000 words of news about
the convention every twenty-four hours.
Bulk Of News for Morning Papers.
The bulk OF the business. of course, was
mostly for the morning newspapers of the
country and was placed on the wires be-
tween and L. O'Clock at night Chicago
time.
The business of the Postal Telegraph
Company during the same time has aver
aged about 100000 words a day The two
companies have therefore passed over the
wires about 5, JO0O 600 words.
This was for the newspapers exclusive
ly. II does not include private messages.
market reports or press association mate
rial Nor does Ii include either the reg
ular news dispatches or the material sent
by the Associated Press over that con-
Germs leased wires, which averages posi-
bly, $4,000 words every twenty-four hours.
AS far as can be learned. Thursday was
the busiest day of the convention period
for the telegraph companies. In the TWEEN
ty-four hours ended at 2 O'Clock yester-
day morning they probably handled nearly
1.O0.GW words between them The busi-
ness on the other days has nuctuated
could be obtained. would doubtless show
some remarkable differences.
Nearly All From Auditorium.
Practically all of the press matter that
has been sent out about the convention
has been dispatched from the Auditorium
and the Auditorium Annex, being con-
veyed by messenger boys to the head
offices of the two telegraph companies.
Almost all the business was done In the
United States. the dispatches being sent
direct to their destination.
1t is customary to relay messages 10
the Atlantic. Pacific or gulf coasts when
convention is held in Chicago. The
news goes direct. and frequently right into
the offices Of the newspaper to which 1t Is
sent.
New York newspapers got during the
convention about 5000 words q day over
the Western Union wires and perhaps
$4,000 words a day by Postal Telegraph
wires. The former company operated
sixty wires into New York.
OF course. the handling of so much ex-
ira business entailed the employment OF
many extra operators and messenger
boys. In the offices OF both companies
nearly all of the operators worked In
double shifts. Notwithstanding the tre-
mendous amount of business. the COM
panies were able, 1t appears. to do even
better when ii came to a pinch.