Year: 1873

THE DOMESTIC TELEGRAPH. ''


Notmany evenings ago an intelligent,
gentlemanly looking individual pre-
sented himself at our door and asked
eff we didn't want the district telegraph
put into our house." At the same time
he handed over for our examination a
very pretty little instrument composed
of cog-wheols, and somewhat resenl-
bling clock. eve attach the instru-
ment to the wall, he said, g. 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 Off
ces 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 firemen
will be here. If thieves break in, you
move that other lever, and in three
minutes the policeman will make his
appearance. If you want special
messenger to so upon any sort of bust
ness, night or day, you just turn this
little button and in three minutes the
man will be at your door ready for SER
vice. The signals You thus make are
all received and recorded at our Broad
way office, where we keep force of at
tendants, in readiness at all hours, to
execute the requirements of our GUS
toners. Your wife or any other intel
llgent person can make the signals.
We make no charge for putting the
instrument into your house, or for keep
ing it in order; but you pay us $3.50 a
month for its use, and fifteen cents an
hour for the time occupied by our mes
sengers in doing your business. When
you go away to the country in summer,
you can have an attachment put on, so
fixed that if burglars attempt to break
in, an alarm will be sounded at our Of
flee, when our policemen will quickly
surround the house, and catch the thief
in the act" lf'o
We rather liked the idea of having
such telegraph in our house, gave
the order, and it was promptly put in.


In the course of a week or SO after
ward, thinks we to ourselves, that is
our wife and we, let's try our tcle-
graph just for fun, and see whether the
telegraph folks are as wide awake as
they pretend, or whether they are nap
ping" This was early in the morning,
Just between getting up time and break
fast-before business begins-the hour
when night hands go home and day
hands have not yet come-the time
when the manager is probably not on
hand. Now let's sec what this new
tangled telegraph is good for. So we
pressed the knob, and there followed
slight click and buzz. We looked at
our watch, went down stairs, took seats
at the breakfast table, when we were
startled by a ring at the door-bell.
" Messenger from the District Telegraph
Office. Got your signal. Wants to
know what is wanted" was the report
that came to us. Looking at our watch,
we found that just two and half min
utes had elapsed since we. gave the sig
nal. We felt little bit sheepish IA
being obliged to tell the messenger
that we had sent for him 6 Just for fun.
to see whether he was awake, !" etc. . and
as we were entirely satisfied on that
point, he retired, sorry that we had NO
real business for him him to do.


After breakfast we went to the com
pany's Office, where we found Morse
paper recording apparatus, with which
the various dwelling houses in the dis
trlct are connected. Whenever a signal
is given from any of the houses in the
circuit, gong sounds in the Office.
which notifies the attendent, and at the
same time the telegraph ,clock-work is
set in motion; the. paper moves, and
upon it q signal is stamped and re-
stamped or repeated. Each house in
strument gives different signal, and
the various signals, with the names of
the occupants and the numbers of the
respective dwelling houses are regis
tered or tabulated on the wall. like a
hotel indicator. By glancing at the
register, the attendant sees at oncefroni
what house the signal has come, as also
its nature, whether fire has occurred.
robbery going on, or messenger
needed. The office is in connection
with the city fire telegraph and police
offices, and instant signals are sent
thither if required.


Taken altogether, the district or do
mestic telegraph is most useful and
valuable institution, promotive Of COM
fort, convenience and safety of fami-
lies, That it will soon come into gem
eral use can not be doubted. The
wires are 30 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
m ada - yfns m, <,.::.o,, af4Es e