American Telegraphy After 100 Years

The telegraph, which is the oldest electrical industry, celebrated its centennial on May 24, 1944. Technically, its operations have changed greatly during recent years, but the only data which have been published regarding such changes pertain to specific applications or developments. The present paper is intended to present an over-all picture of American telegraphy as it is conducted today by the one company which is engaged solely in the domestic telegraph business. The paper explains the nature of telegraph service, discusses the traffic problems associated with the business, describes the facilities which are employed, and the functions which they perform. Although the paper is long by reason of the multiplicity of telegraph services and types of apparatus, only brief references are made to features of plant or equipment which have become stabilized through the years and well understood by the industry. Similarly, no attempt is made to discuss details of technical design or operation, nor the various historical steps by which the telegraph reached its present status. In brief, the paper presents merely a general view of the industry at the end of its first century of existence.