Article November 27, 1909 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

During the past summer lookouts have been posted at fire observation and signal stations on four mountains in the Adirondack region of New York, and in consequence the territory under observation has been free of any dangerous fire, something which has not happened before in years. All forest fires originating this year were discovered in their incipiency by the lookouts, and extinguished by fire rangers before they gained enough headway to be destructive. So successful has been this plan that the forest, fish, and game commission has decided to build and equip about twenty more stations on minor peaks in the Adirondacks and Catskills.

Western Union Telegraph officials in New york city express satisfaction over the work done by the cable quadruplex, which is now being used on the ninety-mile cable line from Key West to Havana, and recently invented by Stephen D. Field of Stockbridge, Mass,, a nephew of Cyrus W. Field, who laid the first cable. The quadruplex has long been used on land wires, but Mr. Field is the first to invent an instrument to allow four messages to go over a cable at the same time. Two messages can be sent each way at the same time, but not four from one end, as some have been led to believe.

The American Telephone and Telegraph officials announce that they have obtained control of a substantial minority interest in the shares of the Western Union Telegraph Company. An officer of the company says: "There is much to be gained by the joint construction and maintenance of plant and by its common use to the greatest possible extent, but the greatest advantage will follow the placing of the millions of telephone subscribers in close and reliable connection with the receiving and despatching offices of the telegraph company."

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