162 nature's 



circle, one opposite each letter. When not in 

 operation the pointers of both instruments 

 at both stations stood at zero. In the act of 

 transmitting the operator would depress the 

 button opposite the letter he wished to indi- 

 cate, when immediately the pointers of both 

 instruments would start up and move auto- 

 matically, step by step, until the pointer came 

 in contact with the stem of the depressed but- 

 ton, when it would be arrested, and at the 

 same time cut out the automatic transmitting- 

 mechanism and cause both needles to remain 

 stationary during the time the button was de- 

 pressed. Upon releasing the button the point- 

 ers both fall back to zero at one leap. 



The first private line equipped by this in- 

 strument was for Rockefeller, Andrews & 

 Flagler, which was the firm name of the parties 

 who afterward organized the Standard Oil 

 Company. This line was built between their 

 office on the public square in Cleveland and 

 their works over on the Cuyahoga flats. 



It seemed, however, to be the fate of the 

 writer to make new inventions that would 

 supersede the old ones before they were fairly 

 brought into use. Very soon after the dial- 

 telegraph began to be used, printing telegraph 

 instruments for private-line purposes super- 

 seded them. About 1867 a printing instru- 

 ment was devised for stock reporting, which 

 in one of its forms is still in use. Soon after 



