Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-09-28
WOMEN LOSING THEIR
FEAR OF TELECRAMS
Thousands of Night Letters
Sent Daily-12, 600, 600
Sent In One Year.
From the New York Times.

In the present prosperity OF the
Western Union Telegraph company, re-
Elected In the steady advance of Its
stock, predicated upon an increase In
net income for the last quarter of so
per cent over the same quarter in 1915,
no small part has been played by the
avidity with which the American public
has seized both business and social
communication. While lnere is also a
large use of the day letter, it's use had
not approXimated the use of the night
letter, which can be sent up to 2 o'clock
in the morning from any part of the
United States to any other part to be
delivered at reakfas time.
Six years ago there were no night
letters. Tonight, unless some catas-
trophe destroys the Western Union
system, its lines Will carry approx
mately 10000 night letters of SO words
or less. There will be about two-thirds
that number Of day letters sent. OF the
the Western Union lines, 100000 are
night letters, illustrating the remark
able growth of this auxiliary to the
telegraph service. About 100000 day
letters are sent annually. This growth
has taken place in the case of the night
the day letters since 1912. The In
crease in the last year has been about
25 per cent, and the company expects
a like increase in the ensuing year.
1%2,000,oO0 Night Letters a Year.
The night letter was started by the
! Western Union in 1910 because it
wished to make some use Of its great
facilities lying idle at night. 1t was
decided to make the experiment of Civ
ing its patrons the opportunity to send
SO words at night for the cost Of a
, 10-Word day message, to be delivered
at the start of business the next day.
The idea took from the start. Bust
ness men found they could send to their
travelling statesmen at the close of the
D., days business important information
which their men would have at the
! start of the next days business quick
, er than a letter, by days in some cases,
and much cheaper than the old rate OF
messages. Then the man away from
home began to send his wife a night
letter, which she read at breakfast the
next morning. Business houses began
to send appeals to customers by the
night letter. Then the Western Union
went after the business In earnest ano
now there are IL. 000, 900 night letters
annually
There is a lot of psychology about the
night letter. In the first place the
Western Union figured that the bust
ness man who sat down in front Of his
pile of mail in the morning would CIV
his first attention to the kilograms
This belief was communicated to othe1
business men, and the business mer
found it was good logic. Now the ust
Of the night letter has been developed
until it is used for urging payment OF
accounts; used by politicians In thu
business of getting votes; used to ash
contributions to war relief funds; uset
for placing business orders, and for
myriad other uses. 1t is a part of tn
American business system.
When it came to the social use of tn
night letter, it was found that the psy
chology of the telegram was again
factor. 1t had long been the custom 70
the woman who received a telegram t
handle it with the fire tongs and t
pray a few minutes that the news wa
not so bad as it might be before sh
opened it. For kilograms formerl
were used in emergencies socially, an
the dread and fear of kilograms had t
be overcome. This has been In a larg
sense achieved, and now wives and hus
bands who are separated send tens o
thousands of kilograms every yeal
which wife or husband reads at break
fast and learns how the other half O
the family fares.
Women's Fear of Telearams.
But the old time fear of the Telegram
has not Deer altogether overcome b
the night letter. only this month
when the nation wide use Of the nigh
letter was suggested in connection wit
the celebration of Mothers day, o
May IA, by which sons and daughter
could send words Of cheer to the "Ol
Folks at Home it was suggested tina
the mothers would receive a fear alon
with the telegram which would coun
teract the words of cheer they woul
read when they opened it. It was 6
first suggested that special envelope