The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-06
Overland Wireless Service

ONCI1dMu WI G1CSS OSI VIC
Few people as vet realize the pozzfbfH-
ties Of the Wireless Telegraph, but It is
not surprising whsn one reflects that
infancy and thera was not an electric
light or an electric car. IN all the world
How many of Us would have been De-
heved il during the earlier days Of the
electric street car and the electric light,
We had Insisted that within our lifetime
We would see the electric light and cleo
When Morse finally was successful IN
sending message over his telegraph
ssz5sd IN geSC1ng an apProprl7rlon -cl
$4,000 rom Congress- to aid him TO pur-
some OF the best scientists Of the Uaitei
States upon the waste Of public money
for such q crazy idea Just about this
time. the United States Gov vernMe1t or
dered Captain Marcy. who was IN CON-
mand Of Fort Tows0u. Indian Territory.
to explore Red River and make a trszty
with the Comauehe Indians. While smok-
ing the pipe OF peace the Indian chief.
talking through an interpreter. requested
Captain Marcy to tell him the news Of the
outside world Captain Marcy told him Of
the i've and isix-stoFE houses pale faces
which pale faces could travsI-mOre than
800 niles a day and of the telegraph BY
away. The Old chief. would grunr. thus
showing his Amusement and he gruufed
after every story except the one about the
After- the conference adjourned. he
asked the interpreter why it was that the
old chief gruuted after every incident ex-
piled about as follows
Wen. Captain TO tell you the truth. I
didn't want the old chief to lose respect
for you. and I didn't tell him anything
about the telegraph yarn. Tor knew the
so miles OF wire was such a lie that did
not believe IL myself and didn't want to
risk the old chiefs good opinion Of you
and so I didn't tell him anything about
thought If he had been told about the
telegraph and also that within the life OF
his children the telegraph would transmit
many thousand millions OF words over the
vast stretches of ths world every year,
The wireless telegraph to-day does and
is transmitting successfully overland :
distance Of more than so miles. Yet thers
are educated and Welf-iufo formed people
who. having full knowledge OF the mar
veIIoUs development and progress of scien-
tific inventions. are as skeptfcaI Of wire
less as this unlearned Indian was about
There is no need to argue that the
wireless telegraph operates as successfully y
over land. as does the wire telegraph
Argument cannot change fact and it i
a fact that wireless does just what Is
over land with the same degres Of ac
euracy as it does over the sea Enough
It is only a matter Of time and rnoney
and within a reasonably short period tn.
wires will disappear and wireless will TAX
their place First the current news anf
wireless. for the reason that one seudiug
station having a radius of 500 miles, car
and every stock-broker's office within
that distance It requires only one Ope
rator to do the sending and the euOr-
nous expense Of maintaining poles and
wires is saved Secondly. the railways
Will use the wireless telegraph for send.
ing messages to their stations and direci
70 their fast trains The railway station
agent wiz become the wireless telegraph +
operator and the wire telegraph system
will thereby lose its ability to maintain
the many thousands Of smaller Stations
The wire companies cannot continue theiI
expensive systems OF collecting and dis
trfbutfug messages in the large cities
from the smaller stations. Therefore WITH
some exceptions OF private or special
lines. the wire telegraph Will cease to be
a business Of profit
This is no idle prophasy It Is plain
statement OF facts justified BY common
sense and commercial logic The change
from wire" TO wireless viii be gradual
but viii be positive nevertheless
What may this mean to the wireless
cOmpanfes2 CompetftfOnH Possibly II
must be remembered that all the money
n the world cannot grow q babe to man
hood without the passage OF years OF
time The present existing wireless sys-
TEN is not natter OF mere money. time
entered largely into its upbuiIding. theu
there are patents and other considers
lions like eSta bIfShsd rights. etc that o-e
must not lose sight Of It IS safer 90 back
he strong wireless company to win
What does II mean in dollars and cents
The Western Union Telegraph Company
estimates the cost OF the construction OF
a single wire at 1856 per mile. The sans
company pays OUT millions Of dollars 4
year for maintaining its poles and wires
Yet according to a court record an in
OF Western Union stock in the early If
ties. has received Sf51. .a1G IN cash and fiTi
There must be something therefore. TO be
made from Wireless operation