New Western Union Telegraph Office Uses Insulators for Inkstands

[Trade Journal]

Publication: The Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review

London, England
vol. 2, no. 36, p. 274, col. 2


NEW OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH, BALTIMORE.—The Western Union Telegraph Office has been removed from the south-west corner of Baltimore and South Streets to the corresponding corner of Baltimore and Calvert Streets, in the newly improved building of Alexander Brown and Sons. The arrangements in the new telegraph office are of the most complete character, and will vie with any office in the country. The receiving-room is handsomely tiled, and is furnished with a counter and top of unique design and most elegant finish. As messages are handed in they are dropped into a pneumatic tube, and drawn by airsuction to their destination on the third floor, where the operating room is situated. The latter contains eighteen quartette tables, having on them seventy-two telegraph instruments, by means of which direct communication is had with all the various cities and towns in the United States. A novelty here is the use of an inverted glass insulator set in the tables as inkstands; another feature is the clothes wringer, arranged for copying messages, and through which will pass several thousand messages every day, the duplicate press-copy being kept for record, the original message not being detained an instant for entry of any kind, being dropped from the press table to the delivery clerk on the first floor, who notes the number on his book, and sends the message to the party for whom it is intended. The switch board for making necessary wire changes is of the highest style of art, and is said to have cost as it is now placed upwards of 5000 dols. The Company has 150 wires connected with their new office. The officers of the Company are as follows:—Arch. Wilson, jun., President; Thos. T. Eckert, General Superintendent; D.H.Bates, District Superintendent; J. J. Biley, Cashier; Chas. C. C. Wolff, Day Chief Operator; and J. F. Morrison, Night Chief.

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Keywords:Inkstand
Researcher notes: 
Supplemental information: 
Researcher:Elton Gish
Date completed:October 17, 2009 by: Elton Gish;