In Belgium to the end of the year, closes Telegraph
171 year ago via Telegraph lines connecting Brussels and Antwerp, was sent the first electronic message. 29 Dec here will be sent the last telegram.
In the era of Instagram and Snapcat may seem strange that in Belgium so far used this technology of the XIX century.
In the UK, where in the 1830-ies was invented the Telegraph, was abandoned in 1982.
The US followed the example of Britain much later, stopping telegraphic message in 2006. And even India, the former being the largest user of Telegraph in the world, have abandoned him in 2013.
The Belgian Telegraph recently was just 10 companies and several individuals. basically, it was the bailiffs who needed a system in which the fact of sending and receiving messages could be legally recorded.
In order to send a telegram, you had to call a special number and dictate a message which is then sent in the mail.
But given the fact that the standard telegram of 20 words is in Belgium 23 Euro 75 cents (plus 90 cents for shipping in Brussels and suburbs), it is not surprising that in the era of unlimited SMS messages to telegrams, it was difficult to compete with modern technology.
The main thing — short
Before the invention of the telephone the Telegraph was the only means of transmitting information over long distances in real time.
Telegraph operators used Morse code. At the other end of it translated into the ordinary language of first operators, and later a special machine.
Then the text to be printed and delivered to the recipient. Post offices all over the world employs thousands of delivery of telegrams.
Since the sender should have to pay for every letter, there was a specific writing style, something reminiscent of modern text messages.
For example, the use of the word “stop” was necessary in order for the recipient to understand where is the end of the sentence. And because telegrams were expensive, people began to come up more short phrases and abbreviations.
Famous telegrams
- British writer Evelyn in the 1930s, he worked as a correspondent for the Daily Mail and conveyed messages about the war in Abyssinia. Once, composing a telegram, he demonstrated the ability to handle the word, are typical of this English master of the pen. Evelyn has decided to put an end to unfounded stories about that in the course of military operations in Adobe allegedly hit a landmine, an American nurse. He did this with two words, one of which he invented. “Nurse Unupblown,” according to the writer, which can be translated as “Nurse Newsarama”.
- Brevity — sister of talent, in the absence of which could not be accused of Oscar Wilde. A famous writer once sent his publisher a short telegram with the question of how sale of his book. All the telegram consisted of a single question mark: “?” The publisher replied equally briefly: “!”
- In the nineteenth century, British General Charles Napier received orders to break the rebel forces that operated in the then Indian province of Sindh (now Pakistan). However, in General greatly exceeded their powers, fully capturing the province. After which, it was said, he sent the commander a telegram of one word: “Peccavi”. In Latin it means “I have sinned”. In English the phrase “I have sinned” (I have sinned) sounds exactly like “I took of Sindh”. It later emerged that the author of that pun was an English schoolgirl, sent to the satirical magazine Punch. However, still it is often attributed to General Napero.
With the spread of the telephone, the Telegraph became more and more archaic, expensive and inconvenient system.
But cables and telegrams for a long time existed in our lives, especially through cinema.
Not so long ago in Hollywood movies almost indispensable was the scene when the groom or the bride at the wedding read aloud telegrams from guests who were unable to attend the celebration.