Year: 1872

Not many evenings ago, an intelligent,


gentlemanly looking individual presented


himself at our door and asked - FIVE didn't


want the district telegraph put into our
house" At the same time he handed over


for our examination very pretty little in
strument, composed of cog wheels and
somewhat resembling a clock. We at
tach the instrument to the wall" he said,
in some convenient position in your
house, and to it we connect a wire leading
to your roof, where it unites with another
wire that extends to one of our district
offices on Broadway" Pointing to a small
knob, he continued: If fire breaks out
in your house, you just push that lever.
and in three minutes the iremen will be
here. If thieves break in, you move that
other lever, and in three minutes the po-
liceman will make his appearance. If you
want special messenger to 60 upon any
sort of business, night or day. you Just turn
this little button, and in three minutes the
man will be at your door ready for service.
The signals you thus make are all received
and recorded at our Broadway Office, where
We keep force af attendants in readiness
at all hours, to execute the requirements
Of our customers Your wife or any other
intelligent person can make the signals.
We make no charge for putting the instru-
ment into your house or for keeping it in
order but you pay US $3.50 per month for
its use and fifteen cents an hour for the
time occupied by our messenger in doing
your business. When you 20 away to the
country in summer, you can have an at
tachment put on, 50 fixed that, if burglars
attempt to break in, an alarm will be
sounded at our Office, when our policeman
will quickl ly surround the house, and catch
the thief in the act


We rather liked the idea OF having such
a telegraph in the bousc, gave the order,
and 1t was promptly put in.


ia the course Of a week orso afterwards
thinks we to ourselves, that Is our wife
and We, "let's try our telegraph just for
fun, and see whether the telegraph folks
are as wide awake as they pretend. or
whether they are mapping. This was
early IN the morning, Just between getting
up time and breaktast-betore business
begins-the hour when night hands 70
home and day hands have not yet come
the time when the manager is probably
not on hand Now let's see what .his
new-trangled telegraph is for 30 We
pressed the knob, and there followed a
slight click and a buzz We looked at our
watch, went down stairs, took seats at tie
breakfast table, when we were startled by
ring at the door bell. Messenger
from the District Telegraph Office Got
our signal Wants to know what Is want
ed, was the report that came to Us.
Looking al the watch we found that iust
two and a half minutes had elapsed since
we gave the signal We felt a little bit
sheepish in being obliged to tell the ness
euger that we had sent for him Just for
fun, to see if he was relrly awake" etc.
and as we were entirely satisfied on that
point, be retired, sorry that we had no
business for him to DO.


After breakfast, we went 20 the cOmpa-
ny Office, where we found Morse paper
recording apparatus with which the vari-
Gus dwelling houses in the district are con-
nected. Whenever a signal is given from
any Of the houses 10 the circuit, a gong
sounds in the office which notifies the at
tendant and at the same time the Telegraph
clock work Is in motion the paper aud
upon it q signal il stamped and restamped
or repeated. Each house Instrument gives
a different signal. aud the various signals,
with the names DIT the occupants aud mum
bers Of the respective dwelling houses.
are registered or tabulated on the wall.
like hotel Indicator. By gancing at the
register, the attendant sees at once from
what house the signal has come also
its nature, whether a fire mas occurred, a
robbery IS going on or 4 messenger needed.
The Office Is in connection with the city
fire telegraph and police offices, and in
stant signals are sent thither if required


Taken altogether. this district OF domes.
tic telegraph Is a most useful and valuable
institution, prom)tjve of comfort. convent
ence, and safety Of families. That It will
soon come into general use, cannot be
doubted. The wires are so arranged that
in case they are severed, either by design
or accident, an alarm is instantly sounded
at the district office and the repairs are
quickly effected d.-Scicutifc american.