Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams
Yahoo ^ | 2/1/06

Posted on 02/01/2006 10:28:21 AM PST by Mr. Brightside

Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams

Robert Roy Britt

LiveScience Managing Editor

LiveScience.com

Wed Feb 1, 10:00 AM ET

After 145 years, Western Union has quietly stopped sending telegrams.

On the company's web site, if you click on "Telegrams" in the left-side navigation bar, you're taken to a page that ends a technological era with about as little fanfare as possible:

"Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative."

The decline of telegram use goes back at least to the 1980s, when long-distance telephone service became cheap enough to offer a viable alternative in many if not most cases. Faxes didn't help. Email could be counted as the final nail in the coffin.

Western Union has not failed. It long ago refocused its main business to make money transfers for consumers and businesses. Revenues are now $3 billion annually. It's now called Western Union Financial Services, Inc. and is a subsidiary of First Data Corp.

The world's first telegram was sent on May 24, 1844 by inventor Samuel Morse. The message, "What hath God wrought," was transmitted from Washington to Baltimore. In a crude way, the telegraph was a precursor to the Internet in that it allowed rapid communication, for the first time, across great distances.

Western Union goes back to 1851 as the Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company. In 1856 it became the Western Union Telegraph Company after acquisition of competing telegraph systems. By 1861, during the Civil War, it had created a coast-to-coast network of lines.

Other company highlights:

1866: Introduced the first stock ticker. 1871: Introduced money transfers. 1884: Became one of the original 11 stocks tracked by the Dow Jones Average. 1914: Introduced the first consumer charge card. 1964: Began using a transcontinental microwave beam to replace land lines. 1974: Launched Westar I, the first U.S. dedicated communications satellite.

On Jan. 26, the last day you could send a telegram, First Data announced it would spin Western Union off as an independent, publicly traded company.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: morsecode; samuelmorse; telegrams; theend; timesareachanging; westernunion; wgids
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

1 posted on 02/01/2006 10:28:21 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside
WESTERN UNION: STOP!

STOP......

2 posted on 02/01/2006 10:29:06 AM PST by Red Badger (...I will bless them that bless thee and those who curse thee I will turn into Liberals..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

This is sad news STOP Western Union is an American institution STOP I have never received a telegram STOP I guess I never will STOP


3 posted on 02/01/2006 10:29:36 AM PST by Clemenza
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Fortunately, there will still be Candygrams and Strippergrams.


4 posted on 02/01/2006 10:30:39 AM PST by Argus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Wow, an American classic passes into history. It was a great technology in its day.


5 posted on 02/01/2006 10:30:40 AM PST by American Quilter (The urge to save humanity is nearly always a cover for the urge to rule. - H.L. Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

I am 52 and have NEVER needed to send a telegram. Long distance phone calls were reasonably affordable even before I was born.

I am amazed they were still doing it.


6 posted on 02/01/2006 10:32:01 AM PST by RobRoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

I blame Wal-Mart.


7 posted on 02/01/2006 10:33:20 AM PST by mlc9852
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger; franksolich
The jokes won't ever STOP

SD

8 posted on 02/01/2006 10:33:25 AM PST by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Western Union STOP
I need to send a telegram STOP


What the hey?!!


9 posted on 02/01/2006 10:33:45 AM PST by weegee (Happy Holidays! Tis the season of MLK, Chinese New Year, Tet, Valentine's, Presidents...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside
Did Algore claim he invented Western Union too?
10 posted on 02/01/2006 10:34:26 AM PST by The South Texan (The Democrat Party and the leftist (ABCCBSNBCCNN NYLATIMES)media are a criminal enterprise!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

I never understood why we had telegrams anyway - it seems like it would have been easier to just send an email. (ducking)


11 posted on 02/01/2006 10:34:43 AM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (Is your problem ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza

You could still get a singing telegram. A good program as that puts liberals with college degrees to work. Same with pizza delivery.


12 posted on 02/01/2006 10:34:49 AM PST by weegee (Happy Holidays! Tis the season of MLK, Chinese New Year, Tet, Valentine's, Presidents...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: weegee

And Starbucks.


13 posted on 02/01/2006 10:35:14 AM PST by Clemenza
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: Argus
Fortunately, there will still be Candygrams and Strippergrams.

Fortunately these people will not be out of work


15 posted on 02/01/2006 10:35:45 AM PST by Always Right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

bttt


16 posted on 02/01/2006 10:35:47 AM PST by aberaussie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Didn't the telegram have a place in the UCC and some of the consumer protection laws? I wonder if there will be some unintended consequences from this change.


17 posted on 02/01/2006 10:36:03 AM PST by NonValueAdded (What ever happened to "Politics stops at the water's edge?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

STOP You're killing me STOP Stop! STOP


18 posted on 02/01/2006 10:36:09 AM PST by weegee (Happy Holidays! Tis the season of MLK, Chinese New Year, Tet, Valentine's, Presidents...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside; Willie Green

Further evidence that Bush is destorying this country's Telegram base! How are we supposed to compete on a global scale when we can't even make our own Telegrams anymore?


19 posted on 02/01/2006 10:36:31 AM PST by Phantom Lord (Fall on to your knees for the Phantom Lord)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

WHAT?! I didn't get the memo!


20 posted on 02/01/2006 10:37:02 AM PST by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson