A. D. 2000

by Alvarado M. Fuller

It was but a few minutes’ ride from Mr. Doane’s residence to the nearest sectional headquarters, and they were soon entering the beautiful park surrounding the four large buildings which faced toward the center. Cobb noticed the air of order and cleanliness which pervaded everything, and the lack of hubbub which might be expected in the vicinity of four buildings holding 2,000 employés.

Ascending by the elevator to the first floor, they were ushered into “The State of New York,” as the floor was designated in the system.

The scene that met the eye of Cobb was unique in the extreme. Row upon row of little tables, at each of which sat an operator, extended from one end of the room to the other. In front of each line of tables an endless belt was carrying little folded papers, and dropping them through a chute in the floor. At one extremity of the room was a number of pipes vomiting forth an unceasing stream of small metal cases, which were quickly seized and deposited in boxes near at hand. A stream of assistants were busy handing these cases to the operators at the tables. A humming sound, low and musical, pervaded the room as the hundred and more instruments clicked forth their messages.

“This is the ‘State of New York,’” explained Mr. Doane. “There are 140 operators in this room, working direct with the central office of the State of New York. Upon the next floor is ‘New England,’ and above that, ‘Pennsylvania,’ and so on, each floor being devoted to the work with the central office of a particular State or States.” Mr. Doane then enlightened Cobb on the work of the system. In each State of the United States, and each nation of the various divisions of the world, was located a central office; these central offices worked direct with some floor of the buildings in the sectional offices. For instance: the section designated “East,” contained the operators who worked with the central offices of the Eastern States. “South America” worked with the central offices of all the countries of South America. From the central office of a State or nation, the message was sent direct to the town or city of destination, if in that State or nation.

“To understand the system,” said Mr. Doane, “let us follow the course of a message from St. Petersburg to San Francisco. The operator at St. Petersburg sends it to the central office of his county by his sympathetic instruments. From that central office it is sent to the section in this city designated ‘Continent;’ there it is received, and sent to ‘The World,’ or central office, by pneumatic tubes. At ‘The World’ it is assorted from the hundreds dropping from the tubes, and sent in a tube to the ‘West’ section. Here it is received, and sent to the floor named ‘California,’ handed to an operator, and transmitted to the central office of California, and by them to the city of San Francisco. The time of transit of such a message of twenty words, from St. Petersburg to San Francisco, is thirty minutes.”

“Quick work, that!” exclaimed Cobb, admiringly.

“But a more peculiar illustration of the system,” continued Mr. Doane, “is exemplified in the sending of a message from Portland, Oregon, to Vancouver, Washington. These cities are but fifteen miles apart; yet the message from the former city is sent to its central office, thence to the ‘West’ section in this city, thence by tube to the next floor, thence to the central office of Washington, and thence to Vancouver. Now I will show you the instruments,” and he motioned them to follow him to the lower end of the room.

Here Cobb for the first time examined the great invention of his old friend and master, Jean Colchis.

On a table were set an ordinary relay, sounder and key, instruments which were familiar to Cobb, who had thoroughly studied the electric telegraph system of his day. The relay only differed from those used in former years in that it had no large and heavy armature in front of its poles, but in its place was a small, bright needle swinging on a vertical pivot. The short end of the needle was held by two delicate springs, pulling in opposite directions. The needle was metallically connected through a local battery to an ordinary sounder, and thence the current was carried to a little stud near the extreme end of the short arm of the needle.