Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-07-08
Convention NEWS.
Tucked OFF BY TELEGRAPHERS
IN 5,5oo,ooo WORDS.
Chicago Companies Give Above EstI'
mate Of Enormous Volume Of
Business In Newspaper Stc-
4h ries Alone.

Chicago. Now that the Republican
national convention is over and the
newspapers throughout the country
have ceased publishing pages about
It every day, the telegraph companies
have an opportunity to take stock Of
the enormous amount Of business and
70 again assert that, after AN is Said
and done, Chicago is the only city in
~-1A& country in which q national CON
", yention should be HID hid. /.
Considerably more business was
handled by two telegraph companies
during the recent convention than
passed over the wires at the pre-
vious convention, which was cut-ana-
dried affair and resulted in the renom-
tnation of Theodore Roosevelt. the
volume of business, however, was not
so great as that which was handled at
st. Louis four years ago, when Alton
q. Parker was nominated by the Dem
ocrats.
While anything like exact figures
are understandable as yet, it was learned
that the Western Union Telegraph
Company, during eight or nine days
had taken care of about 3,OO0,0OO
words of newspaper messages. That
is to say. the newspapers of the coun-
try have filed with the Western Union
approximately 100000 words of news
about the convention every "a hours
The bulk of the business, Of course
was mostly for the morning newspa
pers of the country and was placed on
the wires between Sand II o'clock al
night, Chicago time.
The business of the Postal Tele
graph Company during the same time
averaged about 100000 words day
The two companies have therefore
passed over the wires about 5,500,0O(
words
This was for the newspapers exclu
eively. 1t does not include private mes
sages, market reports or press assocla
fion material Nor does it include
either the regular news dispatches o.
the material sent by the Associated
Press over that concerns leased wires
which averages possibly $4,000 words
every "a hours.
AS far as can be learned, Thursda!
was the busiest day of the convention
period for the telegraph companies
In the "a hours ended at two o'clocl
Friday morning they probably handles
nearly 100000 words between them
The business on the other days fuC
fuated considerably The exact fie
ures. if they could be obtained, woul'
doubtless show some remarkable Oil
ferences.
Practically all of the press matte
that was sent out about the convention
was dispatched from the Auditorium
and the Auditorium Annex, being con
geyed by messenger boys to the hea'
offices of the two telegraph companies
Almost all the business was done Il
the United States, the dispatches bein
sent direct to their destination.
1t is customary to relay messages t
the Atlantic, Pacific or Gulf coast
when convention is held in Chicago
The news goes direct, and frequentl
right into the offices of the newspape
to which it is sent,
New York newspapers got durin
the convention about 10000 words
day over the Western Union wires an
perhaps $4,000 words day by Posta
Telegraph wires. The former compan
operated 60 wires into New York.
OF course, the handling of so muc
extra business entailed the emplo,
ment of many extra operators an
messenger boys. In the offices CT bot
companies nearly all Of the operator
worked in double fhifts. NctTlti
standing the tremendous amount (
business, the companies wcte ;
appears, to do even beter VII,
came to = pinch.