Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1896 — HEWS SENT TO MILLIONS. [ARTICLE]

HEWS SENT TO MILLIONS.

WORK OF TECECRAPH COMPANIES DURING A POLITICAL CONVENTION. The Elaborate Bulletin and Ticker System —The Employes—Providing Light for the HalL A question as to how many of the millions of men in these United States became aware inside of twenty-four hours after action by the two conventions that McKinley or Bryan had been nominated as candidates for the presidency is one that no human being can answer. But it is not unreasonable to assert that nine-tenths, or even a greater proportion, were informed at some minute in the period indicated who the nominees were. This marvelous achievement was accomplished primarily by that elusive element electricity, plain and practicdT men being lta masters. According to Mr. W. B. Somerville, the veteran superintendent of the press bureau of the Western Union Telegraph Company, that corporation's wires carried out of Chlcngo, from the beginning to the end of the Democratic convention, more words and figures than were ever transmitted from Chicago or any other city in the world on any occasion. The Western Union’s comparatively youthful rival, the Postal, is said also to have exceeded its previous records in the number of words sent by its operators from Chicago during the convention. Both companies sent millions of words from St. Louis regarding the doings of the Republican convention there. But the total was not as great as at Chicago. Considering, then, the ramifications of these two corporations and the speed with which controlled electricity travels over wires, is it not likely that the curiosity of practically every man in the nation as to the important features of these political meetings was gratified in at least one day? Thirtysix years ago, when Lincoln was first nominated in the “Wigwam” at Chicago, one operator was sufficient to send from the Insignificant headquarters of the telegraph company the news of the convention. During the convention at Chicago, this year, nearly 600 employees of the Western Union Company were engaged in some capacity In handling convention “matter.” Col. R. C. Clowry, vice-president and general superintendent of the Western Union in whose district the two conventions were held, remembers that the employment of four operators In a proscenium box at the old Crosby Opera house, in Chicago, where, in 1868, a convention was held, was considered a great feat of telegraphic enterprise. The development from those times, It can be seen, has been remarkable.

“We hardly thought,” said Mr. Somerville, the other day, “that the work our company would have to do during the Chicago convention would exceed that done at the St. Louis convention, for the reason that the Chicago papers would not require our services. When conventions are held in other cities thun Chiengo, the papers of that city take about 25 per cent, of all the words sent out, New York another 25, and the rest is distributed all over the country. But we never did as much ns at Chicago this year.” “What is the effect upon commercial business during one of these conventions, so far as telegraphic companies are concerned?” Mr. Somerville was asked.

“Why,” he answered, “the commercial business seems to fall off. I presume that is duo to the general interest among those business men who at other times use the telegraph wires in the proceedings of the convention, and that they let wlmt can go over for a day or two. No, I do not think the companies lose money through the conventions. Of course, their receipts from the newspapers are very large. But the companies, or at least our company, are put to great expense because of them. For ordinary business between Chicago and Bt. Louis we had sufficient wires, but to serve the Chicago papers this year we had to build a number of new wires. Then there is growing up an enormous free business during these conventions on the part of the Western Union Company. In Chicago I sent bulletins from the convention hall which gave Information to the public in over 20,000 cities, towns, and villages in the United States—in fact, wherever there is a Western Union office.” These bulletins were posted outside of all the telegraph offices, in Exchanges, in hotels, sent out on the “tickers,” and passed around from hand to hand everywhere. , Mr. Somerville was on the platform of the Coliseum, and during the important episodes he sent them out at the closest intervals, practically posting the people in all parts of the country on what had just transpired in the convention. Probably in no previous conventions or similar gatherings was the telephone ever so extensively used in the dissemination not only of bulletins, but of regular reports of proceedings, as it was at Chicago and St. Louis this year. The Chicago Telephone Company, profiting by the experience of other years, provided for the public and the newspapers facilities not only for telephone exchange communica-' tions, but for the transmission of verbal business, which gave to distant points instantaneous knowledge of what was going on within the convention hall. Private wires for newspapers in cities far away, asswell as in Chicago, were provided. In the hall convenient desk telephones were placed upon tables for the representatives of these newspapers. A special private line was prepared by the telephone company for its own use in transmitting bulletins to its patron*. These bulletins were also sent by the long distance lines all over the country. Electricity also played an important part as a light provider. The current for the convention hall was supplied from a temporary plant in the large building three blocks west of the Coliseum known as the Yendome Club, a monument of World’s Fair enterprise now unoccupied. The current was taken to the Coliseum by a pole line. Two circuits supplied the 185 lamps of 8.000 candle rx.wer each used to Ihrbt

the halL Ninety-sir of the lamps were arranged in groups of four each, without globes, and backed by silver reflectors for the lighting of the open space under the great trusses, while the remainder were disposed of under the galleries, in committee rooms, and in various parts of the building. On the Thursday night when the convention was in session until nearly 1 o'clock, the plant was run all sight to give an opportunity for the atteadants to put the hall in order for the morning session. The effect produced by tbe side group and reflector system was especially noteworthy. The force of the light was directed Just where it was needed—on the floor of the building—where it bleuded into even and general illumination. The eyes of the spectators on the sides of the ball were protected from the glare by the backs of the reflectors, while the lamps were far enough removed from the central floor space so that no annoyance was caused by tbe light to those in that portion of tbe building. Tbe problem of lighting large interiors satisfactorily Ims always been a perplexing one, but it was solved on this occasion. It was, altogether, a great triumph for electricity and men.