CHAPTER XI. 



RECEIVING MESSAGES. 



With but few exceptions the Morse code is 

 the one almost universally used the world 

 over. As it is used in Europe, it is slightly 

 changed from our American code, but they all 

 depend upon dots, dashes, and spaces, related 

 in different combinations, for the different let- 

 ters. Notwithstanding its universal use it is 

 not free from serious difficulties in transmis- 

 sion unless it is repeated back to the sender for 

 correction; and then in some cases it is im- 

 possible to be sure, owing to difficulties of 

 punctuation and capitalizing, and the further 

 difficulty of running the signals together, 

 caused, it may be, by faulty transmission, in- 

 s from other wires, " swinging 

 itmospheric electricity. Some- 

 times it is a psychological difficulty in the 

 mind of the receiving-operator. The telegraph 

 companies have to suffer damages from all 



and many other unforeseen causes. 



-i-nit t.-lN x.mc cnri'-ns tilings that hap- 

 pened in the early days, growing out of the 

 peculiarities of the - ( , , i\ in- ..JM rator. At 

 103 



