USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. II > Part 5
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The aforementioned grants covered 70 miles, 1,960 feet of horse railroad tracks, for a city of less than, 90,000 inhabitants, and evidenced a "far-sightedness" and faith in the ultimate growth of the city, which is proverbially one of the characteristics of Chicago's wide-awake citizens, and they have never yet had cause for complaint, for day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year our city continues a growth that is the wonder of all nations.
The charters require the company operating the road to keep eight feet in width when ther is a single track and sixteen feet in width when the track is doub- le, in as good repair and condition as the balance of the street, and limits the fare to five cents for any distance.
The level surface of the ground upon which this city is built, in conjunction with wide streets, is favorable to street railways, but the bridges over the river pre-
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Horse-Railroads of Chicago.
sent great and growing impediments to communi- cation. A recent countat Clark street bridge, showed that between hours of 7 a. m. and 7 p. m., 32,467 vehicles crossed, while the bridge was swung 84 times. WEST DIVISION RAILWAY.
J. RUSSELL JONES, President ; JAS. K. LAKE, Superintendent.
Number of miles run in, 1879. 4,524,009
Number of trips in, 1879. 645,466
Number of men on pay-roll in 1879 1,200
Number of horses owned in 1879. 2,103
Number of miles of single track in 1879 67
Am't expended repairs of Sts. and track, 1878 $93896 Number of cars starting every hour. .. 150
CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY. S. B. COBB, President; C. B. HOLMes, Superintendent.
Number of miles run in, 1879 3,029,500
Number of horses now owned. 1,396
Number of miles of single track 44
Number of regular cars starting every hour 73
NORTH CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY.
V. C. TURNER, President; M. W. Squires, Superintendent. Number of miles run in, 1879. 1,720,031
66
" 1860. 167,561
Number of trips in 1879. 273,031
66 66 66
" 1860 41,890
Number of men on pay-roll
400
Number of horses now owned.
910
Number of miles of single track
27
Number of regular cars starting every hour
60
Total number of horses owned by the three divisions in 1879 4,409
Total number of miles of single track
operated by three divisions.
138
Total number of cars starting every hour by the three divisions.
283
The foregoing is a concise history of the introduction of street car transporta- tion in Chicago.
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The Associated Press
Passing over a brief period of extending horse car lines, let us note the advent of a new method of trans- portation -the cable driven by a local steam power.
The first cars on this new plan commenced running in January 1882 on state street from Randolph to 39th street under a franchise from the Chicago City council of the previous year. This was a great saving of expense incurred by the use of horses and satisfied the public better because it ensured greater speed.
Cars propelled by electricity were next to be consid- ered especially as this plan of moving cars could be utilized better and cheaper on latteral lines as feeders to cable lines.
In April 1894 an ordinance was passed by the City Council for the introduction of this new power, accord- ingly these power houses were soon erected-one at California ave, Western ave, and Hawthorn ave, from which the electric force is generated wherewith to pro- pel the entire system of trolley lines of the City, as well as those that extended beyond the limits, their com- bined energy is rated to be equal to about 30,000 horse power, conduces and distributes in currents along the wires suspended over the tracks of their res- pective lines. Frequent flashes of lightalong the rails of the road bed nightly gives a picturesque reminder of their force equipped from nature by art.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Like many other useful inventions, the association of the newspaper literati for accumulating and dis- seminating news was of American origin. New York was the threshold for the advent of English news-paper literature in America at its earliest date, and, here as a consequence, were called into being the first news-
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The Associated Press.
papers to represent the expanding interests of Ameri- ca, patterned from the London press.
These papers were the Courier, started in May 1827, merged with the Enquirer in 1829,under title of The Courier and Enquirer and later under the title of The Journal of Commerce. William Cullen Bryant-an early Editor; The New York Sun, Moses Y. Beach Editor, began in 1833, and The New York Herald James Gordon Bennett, Editor in 1837. Soon after- wards Thurlow Weed and Horace Greeley were asso- ciated together, in the establishment of the New York Tribune. The above mentioned Editors were not the first in America; but were well qualified to introduce here a standard of excellence, in that pro- fession, which has ever since been the aim of newspa- per men. The writer well remembers their grand inspiring faces, all of which he saw when a young lad.
David Hale of the Journal of Commerce, and Mr. Bennett of The Herald began an arrangement by which the papers of New York combined their efforts to obtain news at their mutual expense for their mu- tual use. The result was that the above listed papers together with various papers in other cities appointed a joint agent to collect news for the use of each in this co-operative association, wasknown by the name of The New York Associated Press, which was formed in the winter of 1848-9. The business of this asso- ciation which was the first one framed in America or any other country, soon grew to belarge. Papers in outside cities bought news of it, as a necessity to keep abreast of the times.
Pittsburg, Cincinnati and Chicago; all thenin their infancy, were the patrons of the New York Associa- tion, paying an annual tribute to it, till theinevitable decrees of western enterprise relieved them from this subordinate position in the Newspaper fraternity. The first step in this direction was the establishment of the Western Associated Press (a Michigan corpor-
58
The Associated Press.
ation organized in 1865) which acted as a corpora- tion with the New York Associated Press.
The New England Associated Press followed, and later, the New York State, the Philadelphia and the Baltimore papers had associations of their own.
All of these associations had contracts with the New York Associated Press, by the terms of which they exchanged news with the New York Associated Press and paid that organization an annual bonus. Thus, the New York Associated Press became, for this coun- try, a great clearing house for the news of the world.
Powerful as this organization was, certain papers started and grew into influence independent of it, who ultimately joined their interests together and organized a rival news gathering concern. First, it was the National Associated Press, then the Ameri- can Associated Press, and finally the United Press.
These rival associations were fostered by arival tel- egraph company, and all of these rival associations were modeled upon the New York and New England Associated Presses. While the so-called Associated Press (meaning thereby the alliance existing be- tween the New York Associated Press, the New En- gland Associated Press, the Western Associated Press the New York State Associated Press, the Philadelphia Associated Press and the Baltimore Associated Press) was strong and commanding, while the rivals were fi- nancially weak, when one or two wealthy men, members of it, offered to advance the needed means if they could be secured by stock in the corporation.
This was assented to, and very soon the control of the company passed practically into the hands oftwo or three men. Meanwhile the New York Associated Press and its dependent associations were not harmo- nious in business relations. About the year 1870,the Western Associated Press, principally, as well as some of these tributary associations grew restive.
They did not want to continue to be simply tributa-
59
The Associated Press.
ry to the New York association for the reason that they wanted an equal voice in the character of the news to be gathered; moreover they wanted equal terms with the New York association as to the expense of gathering news; they having hitherto been charged exorbitant rates for it. In 1882 the Western Asso- ciated Press severed its relations with the New York association papers, sent its own agents to London and to Washington and began a competitive service. This competition soon outrivaled the New York asso- ciation, and the latter proposed a compromise, and terms were soon negotiated for an alliance. The Eastern organization naming two members, the Western naming two, of a joint executive committee to control the details of the business, which was an amalgamation of the two associations. A fifth man on this executive committee was taken from New York while the general manager was taken from the west. This plan of working together continued for ten years.
In 1887 the United Press made a secret agreement with the executive committee of the Associated Press, the result of which was a practical union of the two organizations. The Associated Press was in the na- ture of a co-operative organization; that is, its mem- bership, particularly the Western Associated Press, extended to every paper of importance: they were all shareholders in it. The United Press was started originally on the same plan, and by the sale of stock in its treasury and by virtue of the arrangement with the Associated Press, the United Press stock was soon in the hands of a few who owned sufficient stock to control it and they sold at a nominal price some of this stock to the executive committee of the Asso- ciated Press. It became a dividend-paying stock at once, for this reason: that the terms of the agreement between the United Press and the Associated Press had provided that The Associated Press re-
-
60
The Associated Press
port should be given to the United Press in ex- change for its report. The United Press then found itself in a position where it had no expense for gather- ing news, but simply drew its revenues, and it was a money-making venture. This subtility was discover- ed, in 1891, and steps were immediately taken to re- pudiate the whole arrangement. Then open warfare between the United Press and The Associated Press resulted. Naturally, those members of the executive committee who were repudiated by their fellow mem- bers, went into the United Press, left the Associated Press, and undertook to destroy it. In 1892, the Charter of the Western Associated Press being about to expire "The Associated Press" as at present exist- ing, was organized under an Illinois charter, by mem- bers of the old organization. This at once assumed the proportion of a national organization, and be- came steadily stronger until in 1897-so many papers had forsaken the United Press and joined the Asso- ciated Press that the United Press was obliged to go out of business. The radical difference between the United Press and The Associated Press should be borne in mind. While the former was distinctly a money making enterprise, designed to pay dividends on its stock, which was in the hands of three or four men, The Associated Press was a mutual organiza- tion whose stock is held by many persons, none of whom may hold more than eight shares, and each of whom must be the proprietor of a paper on the mem- bership roll of The Associated Press, whose object is the collection and distribution of the news of the world.
The scheme of organization of The Associated Press, for administrative purposes, consists of General Mgr. with headquarters here, and Assistant General Mgr. with his office in New York; fo ur Supts .; a Supt. of di- vision residing in New York, with a division consisting of the New England and middle states and West Vir-
61
The Associated Press.
ginia, called the eastern division; a superintendent residing at Washington in the District of Columbia, managing the southern division, which comprises the District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana; a superintendent resident of the city of Chicago, managing the central division, comprising the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illi- nois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Oklahoma and Indian Terri- tories, a superintendent, resident of San Francisco, managing the western division, comprising the states of Arizona, California, Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and the territory of New Mexico and Arizona.
There are about 650 salaried employees of The Associated Press, and probably about the same num- ber of men on space rate who are scattered all over the country. There is a list maintained, practically in each office of The Associated Press in the United States, of men who are on call at different points. They may not be used except at long intervals. Their names are on file, and in a local emergency they are called upon for news which they gather and file at the nearest telegraph office to the nearest general correspondent of The Associated Press. Besides this each member's contract obligates him to furnish the association with the news of his vicinity. In practice, there is at each point where there is a paper a salaried or unsalaried representative of the association who puts the news in shape and files it.
For the purpose of gathering foreign news it now has correspondence with the foreign news agents- the Reuter, Havas, Wolf, and the different agencies all over the world. It has contract relations with Reuter and Havas, which cover Great Britain and her colonies, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal,
62
The Associated Press.
and some parts of South America; with the Wolf Agency of Berlin, which covers Germany, Austria, and Hungary; with the Stefanie Agency which covers Italy; with the Nordisches Telegram Bureau, which covers Russia; with the Norsky Telegram Bureau, which covers Norway; with the Svenska Telegram Bu reau, covers Sweden; and with the Agence de Constan- tinople, which covers Turkey. The way they operate is this: Take for instance, the Stefanie Agency. Itgath- ers all the news of Italy into Rome, and redistrib- utes it to all the cities of Italy. Then it sends its budget of news to London and also to Paris, and receives from each of these places a budget, which it, in turn, also distributes to the different cities of Italy. The Associated Press does the same. It has Walter Neef in London, and Count Wolf Von Sch- ierbrand in Berlin. All the news that comes into the Wolf Agency at Berlin, Von Schierbrand sees, and makes up a budget, and telegraphs it to London. Reuter gets his budget from his different European agencies, and Walter Neef and his stafflook over Reu- ter's dispatches and send to America whatever may be of interest here. This in turn is sent to papers in the United States. Reuter has his agent in the New York Associated Press office, looking over its dispatch- es and sending back whatever may be of interest to Europeans. By this means there is a perfect system of exchange of news by The Associated Press all over the world. Then for Canada it has an exchange ar- rangement with the Canadian Pacificrailway by which that company gathers all of the news on its line and delivers it to The Associated Press at four points in this country-Bangor, Buffalo, Detroit, and Seattle. And the association delivers its news to them at these points for use in Canada.
The news of the United States chiefly originates in Washington and New York the great news centres of this country. The Associated Press has a resident
63
The Associated Press.
bureau in each of these cities as well as at other im- portant pointspreparing the news and transmitting it by means of leased wires, or by one of the telegraph companies into the general system. The leased wires form a network across the continent from St. John, N. B .; to Seattle, Wash., and San Diego, Cal., and Duluth, Minn., to New Orleans, Galveston and City of Mexico. The total mileage of this leased wire sys- tem is; day wires 9,345 miles; night wires 20,461 miles. From various points along the trunk lines the report is sent to interior cities, and at several of the larger of them the whole report, is condensed sufficiently for news paper columns, and filed (as a "pony" report) with one of the telegraph companies for delivery to papers in neighboring towns and smaller cities which could not afford, nor handle the "full service". At leased wire points, The Associated Press supplies its own telegraph operators who receive the incoming report in typewriting, making one or more carbon copies according to the number of papers at that point taking the service. In the larger offices many copies of the received report have to be struck off, and in several offices, now, use is made of a device whereby the opperator sitting before his key, cuts a stencil on a waxed sheet placed in his typewriter by means of which many copies of the report can be very quick- ly made. These copies are sent to the various papers (in Chicago by a pneumatic system) and distributed to the various editors whose duty it may be to re-file the matter for some particular section of the country or to cut it down for "pony" report points. The
members of The Associated Press contributes a large quantity of the news thus handled by furnishing the local representative of The Associated Press their proofs, but in addition whenever special occasion re- quires it the association's own reporters are sent out to report specific events, and they telegraph the news they get to the nearest office of the association. Spe-
64
The Associated Press.
cial men are employed at different places to gather market reports, to cover Wall Street and the produce markets and men at the different seaports report the arrival and departure of boats. Alliance is had also with many press associations which gather local news, and organizations that are formed to co-operate in the business of gathering news of particular localities.
For instance, there is the City Press Association of Chicago, an organization effected for the purpose of gathering routine local news; a copy of its report is furnished The Associated Press every day, and any- thing of general interest to the country is taken from it, and transmitted to members of the associations City Press Associations are also established in New York and other cities. In short The Associated Press aims to avail itself of every known means of getting valuable news in which discretion must necessarily be used to give facts as they are and not as partisans or extreme opinionated men would wish them to be given. For instance a Christian Endeavour Conven- tion or a prize fight must be repoted with fidelity.
The millions of newspaper readers throughout the world do not hold The Associated Press responsible for any thing more than to give them a manifest of the worlds cargo of enterprise in the arts of peace; its standard in morals; its evolutions in public opin- ions; its progress in science; its wars and its diplomacy -all without special pleading. Special advocacy must be found only in the Editor's columns.
This organization is composed of a body of men who are deaf dumb and blind to the sentimentality or the immobility of the world. Their occupation has rounded up their character to an im- partial judgment of all mankind whose actions they mirror forth as an object to behold.
Albeit, it may be pertinent to say that the Editors themselves have learned to be cosmopolitan; the most exalted of whom are not jingoes, but as their
65
The City Press Association.
sphere of influenc extends, feel a consciousness that their responsibilities enlarge, and the writer feels warranted in saying, that it is not without pride that the intelligent Editor sees his opinions on the great issues of the world quoted.
The Associated Press has now about 700 members and some 2,500 daily and weekly papers are served through minor agencies. Though the bulk of the papers getting The Associated Press service are in the United States there are upwards of fifty scattered through the various provinces of Canada, and also papers in Mexico, Cuba and Porto Rico.
The annual revenues of The Associated Press, which are derived from assessments levied upon the news- papers served, exceed $1,900,000, while the number of words daily received and transmitted at each of the more important offices is over 50,000, or the e- quivalent of thirty-five colums of average newspaper.
THE CITY PRESS ASSOCIATION.
With the growth of the City of Chicago beyond the limits indicated by Fullerton avenue, Thirty-ninth street and Western avenue; and with rapid accessions to the population of the suburban towns the news- papers, in their desire to secure all the local as well as general news, were confronted by a difficult pro- blem. Perhaps no city in the western continent pre- sents the same demand for a large and active force of reporters in the down town district as does Chica- go and as the news territory widened in area and spread out to the north and west and south in a de- gree which precedent in other cities would not seem to warrant by even the rapid increase of population it was next to impossible to maintain and control in
66
The City Press Association.
a single newspaper office a reportorial force large en- ough to cover the field.
This state of affairs created the City Press Associa- tion which at first contracted to cover for all the newspapers such events in the outlying districts as all needed and all could use without political or oth- er coloring. The reports so secured by one reporter were "manifolded", several copies being by an ingen- ious process made at one writing, and one copy sent to each of the newspapers.
The plan worked well and the system grew. The association took up work in each of the suburbs and then branched out more widely until at the present time it has men in all departments of the municipal and federal government and in almost every center where the local news of the day is liable to be found.
It aims at accurate, uncolored reports, a plain report of the news of the day. It does not give the bias of criticism, politics or policy to any matter it col- lects and does not enter into competition with the des- criptive writers on the newspapers. For these reasons the association does not handle politics, the drama, society (except in a limited way) or labor. Its re- port, small at first, has grown to about 50,000 words or about 35 newspaper columns daily, far more than the limits of space permit any one newspaper to use.
In another way the City Press Association is of use to the newspapers. In events of great importance, such as the opening of the World's Columbian Expo- sition, the Autumn Festival, the Trust conference it takes up the routine work, furnished a full report of the proceedings, stenographic transcripts of speeches and the minor details, giving the newspapers a basis on which to make up their accounts and leaving their men free to prepare the introductions, make com- ments and write descriptive matter.
In election times the Association takes charge of the work of collecting and compiling the returns and
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The City Press Association.
with a large force of clerical help and the exercise of a system which would be impossible were each news- paper endeavoring to collect the same material for itself, is able to give figures from the City of Chicago and Cook County, undoubtedly the most difficult territory in the country to handle, earlier than they are given from any other great city in the United States.
The Inter Ocean, after the national election in 1896, contrasted this advantage with those elections when "it had been impossible for any one newspaper to cover the entire city" and when faulty returns made a complete report impossible on the morning succeed- ing the election. By the work of the association, it said, all this was changed: "In no previous election, no matter how small, has such speed been secured. In no other city is the United States were the pat- rons of the newspapers afforded accurate news, with the official figures, at so early an hour."
The association, which is a stock corporation, was organized in August of 1890 by the following news- papers: Tribune, Inter Ocean, Herald, Daily News, Staats Zeitung, Evening Journal and Evening Post. Its first board of directors and officers were: William Penn Nixon (Inter Ocean), president; W. K. Sullivan, (Evening Journal), vice-president; Victor F. Lawson (Daily News), secretary and treasurer; James W. Scott (Herald), R. W. Patterson (Tri- bune), Washington Hesing (Staats Zeitung )and C. McAuliffe (Evening Post). The active manager was John F. Ballantyne, then recently managing editor of the Morning News, and one of the most pop- ular and best trained newspaper men in Chicago. He began the service of the association August 3, 1890, establishing his offices on the second floor of the old Western Union building at LaSalle and Wash- ington streets where the Stock Exchange now stands. The first executive committee of the association re-
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