The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-13
Low RATE, HIGH SPEED
TELEGRAPH MAKING GOOD.

TELEGRAPH MAKING GUUU.
Two Months Actual Service an Object
Lesson In Possibilities of Rapid Au-
tomato Wire Communication.
REVOLUTIONS" are as common In
the field Of invention Is they are
among South American republics. The
result is that people have grown skep-
teal. The mere assertion that a rev.
dictionary discovery has been made
Is no longer sufficient. The epoch max
ing invention must make good"
This the thousand word a minute
telegraph system known as the Tele-
post has done on the line opened two
months ago between Boston and Port
land, Me. On the occasion Of the
formal Inauguration Of the Telepost the
mayor of Boston handed a fifty word
message to the Telepost operator to
send to the mayor Of Portland. A few
seconds were consumed in perforating
a tape with holes corresponding to the
words of the message. The transmit
ter emitted q Zip" and the message
was In Portland. A few seconds more
and the mayor Of Boston was reading
the mayor Of Portland's reply.
1000 Words a Minute Maintained.
1t was a revelation Of as well as a
revolution in the possibilities Of au-
tomato telegraphy. In ordinary COM
mercial operation the Telepost main
tains a speed of a thousand words a
minute.
The fifty word message Of Mayor
Hibbard of Boston was an example
of what the Telepost company now
carries for anybody over its lines for
25 cents. But this Is only one OF the
innovations the Telepost has introduc-
ed. 1t sends ten word ~"telecards," de-
,livered at destination by mail, for 10
cents; twenty-five word kilograms, de-
livered at destination by messenger,
for 25 cents, or 100 word ~"teletapes"
for the same charge, all without regard
to distance.
At it's low ~rates-only a fraction of
those charged by the older companies
1T is no wonder that the Telepost
company figures on an enormous
amount Of business. Americans now
send fewer kilograms per capita than
any other civilized country. England
found that when the government lines
reduced rates the amount Of business
Immediately jumped to such an ex-
tent that the revenue was actually
larger at the lower rates. The same
rule held good when postage rates
were reduced.
Anybody who has used the tele-
graph to any extent in England or
Germany knows how much more eco
nomical, speedy and convenient 1t IS
than any telegraph service heretofore
available in the United States. Ameri-
cans really need to be educated In the
use Of the telegraph. The Telepost's
provision for prepaid replies, for In
stance, not only meets the demand for
a means Of securing reply kilograms.
but obviates the "collect" nuisance.
Prepaid Reply System.
For example, q man in some other
city or town wants information from
New York by wire. When the tele-
gram Is delivered to the New York ad-
dressee, there is handed to him a "pre-
paid" telegraphic blank on which he
can write his reply. This blank is al
ready addressed to the man who paid
for It and can be used for no other
person and practically insures a reply.
Thus for 30 cents it is possible to
send a telegram and get a reply by
wire-twenty-fve word kilograms at
that. This not only beats the collect
plan, but even goes ahead Of the Eng
lish system of prepaid kilograms both
In the greater cheapness OF the serV-
Ice and in the fact that a prepaid blank
can only be used for the person for
whom it was intended.
Only a few Of the conveniences and
innovations of the Telepost service
have been mentioned, just enough to
justify the assertion that a real revo-
luton Of vast Importance to the pub
lie has begun with the inauguration
Of Telepost wire service. In addition
to the New England lines now open,
work is we'll advanced on connecting
lines to New York and on other Sec
lions that the company does not now
care to announce.
ANAL YcIc NJ cIIRRhNTS