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The W - Current Events & Politics - After 155 years, no more telegrams.
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Stilton
Frankfurter








Since: 7.2.04
From: Canada

Since last post: 6618 days
Last activity: 6618 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.88
After 155 years in the business, Western Union has announced they are no longer sending telegrams. (today.reuters.com) Stop.

This makes sense, since almost no one sends telegrams anymore. Stop.

They've dropped from 200 million a year in 1929 to 20,000 a year lately. Stop.

Even that number seems high to me. Stop.

Not only have I never sent or received a telegram, I've never seen anyone do it, and I don't think I even know anyone who has. Stop.

Still, it's sad when a piece of living history dies. Stop.



If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.
--George Orwell

Wait, what was my point? Oh, right - Canada sucks
--CRZ, 21.1.06
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The Goon
Banger
Moderator








Since: 2.1.02
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Since last post: 853 days
Last activity: 831 days
#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 8.08
.. -. / .- / .-- .- -.-- --..-- / .. .----. -- / -.- .. -. -.. / --- ..-. / -... ..- -- -- . -.. / --- ..- - / .- -... --- ..- - / - .... . / .- -. -. --- ..- -. -.-. . -- . -. - .-.-.-
Stilton
Frankfurter








Since: 7.2.04
From: Canada

Since last post: 6618 days
Last activity: 6618 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.88
(deleted by CRZ on 3.2.06 1238)
Roy.
Pepperoni








Since: 25.2.04
From: Keystone State

Since last post: 5792 days
Last activity: 1756 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.84
My Uncle John wired my father 20 dollars in the early 1960s. For my father's 50th birthday, he received the original Western Union telegram asking for money, the receipt for the wire transfer, and a bill for, I think, $5,000 because dad never paid him back, so it was 30+ years of interest on $20.
Cerebus
Scrapple








Since: 17.11.02

Since last post: 2451 days
Last activity: 2173 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 0.97
However will Doc contact Marty NOW?
DJ FrostyFreeze
Scrapple








Since: 2.1.02
From: Hawthorne, CA

Since last post: 128 days
Last activity: 128 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.08

    Originally posted by The Goon
    .. -. / .- / .-- .- -.-- --..-- / .. .----. -- / -.- .. -. -.. / --- ..-. / -... ..- -- -- . -.. / --- ..- - / .- -... --- ..- - / - .... . / .- -. -. --- ..- -. -.-. . -- . -. - .-.-.-
The only morse code I know is "S.O.S.", and only because of that commercial for the S.O.S. scrubber pads where all the dirty pots & pans in the kitchen sink would clang themselves together in morse code to call out for the S.O.S. pads.




083177
EddieBurkett
Boudin blanc








Since: 3.1.02
From: GA in person, NJ in heart

Since last post: 54 days
Last activity: 6 hours
#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.88
    Originally posted by Cerebus
    However will Doc contact Marty NOW?


I think Doc, having been to 2015 before getting trapped in 1855, knew that Western Union would be around until 1955 to suit his purposes. I will admit that I love that scene and it was the first thing I though of when I heard this news.



Indiana! Indiana!

. . . let it go.
AWArulz
Scrapple








Since: 28.1.02
From: Louisville, KY

Since last post: 90 days
Last activity: 90 days
#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.37
I find this rather depressing for many reasons, but mainly because my school (technical school) was called the Dodge Institute. That's how it was marketed and everyone knew it. But its full name was the Dodge Institute of Telegraphy. I never learned any there. It was an electronics school that the Army paid me to go to on my GI Bill. But my degree is from the Dodge Institute of Telegraphy.

I guess this just proves (once again) that I am ancient.



We'll be back right after order has been restored here in the Omni Center.
Oliver
Scrapple








Since: 20.6.02

Since last post: 3305 days
Last activity: 3299 days
#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.16
Are there any other companies that still send them, or is this the end of that specific "technology"?



Whatcha gonna do?
AWArulz
Scrapple








Since: 28.1.02
From: Louisville, KY

Since last post: 90 days
Last activity: 90 days
#10 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.37
    Originally posted by Oliver
    Are there any other companies that still send them, or is this the end of that specific "technology"?


CW is still used extensively, especially in military applications, but Western Union was the only one sending telegrams. Morse Code is no longer used in Military applications. CW (Continuous Wave) is used because you can send a lot further without as much power and antenna. Of course, with Satelite becoming more available at any time to troops in the field, it is getting rarer. It's mostly restricted to LORAN (I forget what exactly that acronymn stands for, but it's a long range, low frequency continuous wave that can send messages under water).



We'll be back right after order has been restored here in the Omni Center.
Eddie Famous
Andouille








Since: 11.12.01
From: Catlin IL

Since last post: 2611 days
Last activity: 2152 days
#11 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.94

Morse is used for longwave and HF beacons, amateur radio uses it a lot. Spy "numbers" stations...

There are still many radio teletype stations that use morse for identifiers when their transnitter is idling.

Morse code is copyable over much longer distances than voice.



As of 2/28/05: 101 pounds since December 7, 2004
OFFICIAL THREE-MONTH COUNT: 112 pounds on March 9, 2005
OFFICIAL SIX-MONTH COUNT: 142 pounds on June 8, 2005
OFFICIAL ONE YEAR COUNT: 187 pounds on December 7, 2005
As of January 16, 2006: 193 pounds "I've lost a cruiserweight"
too-old-now
Bockwurst








Since: 7.1.04

Since last post: 4733 days
Last activity: 1966 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.63
Among the papers/birth certificates/announcements that I inherited from Dad, kept by my grandma, the record my great uncle sent to my grandpa when my Dad was born.

It's a boy. Stop

Everyone doing fine. Stop.

We miss you. Stop.


Grandpa kept this in his wallet until he died. Dad never knew about it until Grandpa passed away.
DJ FrostyFreeze
Scrapple








Since: 2.1.02
From: Hawthorne, CA

Since last post: 128 days
Last activity: 128 days
#13 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.08

That is awesome. Could you scan that for us? I would love to see it.

Sorta off-topic, but after my mom died, we found her high school diploma (Class of 1960, Excelsior High School- Kingston, Jamaica) in an envelope stuck in the pages of a big bible she's had forever. That was a pretty cool find.




083177
SchippeWreck
Banger








Since: 26.3.03
From: Glendale, CA

Since last post: 2097 days
Last activity: 167 days
#14 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.52
    Originally posted by EddieBurkett
      Originally posted by Cerebus
      However will Doc contact Marty NOW?


    I think Doc, having been to 2015 before getting trapped in 1855, knew that Western Union would be around until 1955 to suit his purposes. I will admit that I love that scene and it was the first thing I though of when I heard this news.

Except that Doc didn't send a telegram. He left a hand written letter at a Western Union office with specific instructions for the time and location of delivery.

(edited by SchippeWreck on 8.2.06 0848)


My mom says sigs are bad for you.
too-old-now
Bockwurst








Since: 7.1.04

Since last post: 4733 days
Last activity: 1966 days
#15 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.63
Sorry, DJ, but I don't have a scanner. We had one at the library but it's been broken for the past six months.

Yeah, it's cool to find stuff like your mom's diploma. I had told mom I thought it was cool to find the telegram, it was kind of a glimpse into the past lives. She said my dad said the EXACT same thing when he first found it after grandpa died.

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