For the purpose of charging messages are divided into two classes; namely, day messages and night messages. Day messages are subject to full charge. A night message is one which is filed with the telegraph company in the evening of one day, but which is not to be delivered before the next morning. A night message may be sent at a slightly cheaper rate than would be charged if sent immediately. Cablegrams. The cost of sending cablegrams is very great, a rate of nearly two dollars a word being charged in some instances. Every word, including name, address, and signature, is charged for, and a word of more than fifteen letters is counted as two words, for example; the word "unconstitutional" in a cablegram would be regarded as two words. Various ingenious methods of lessening this expense have been devised; the most familiar of these is the code or cipher system. By this system a word or a pronounceable group of letters is made to represent a phrase or a sentence. For example, “Clanum largely laplander" may be made to mean “Do you authorize me to buy (clanum) Registered 3's of 1908–18 (largely) answer by telegraph (laplander)." Houses that have a foreign trade use a code and have a cable address, that is, a word which represents their name and address, e.g., "Typist" for The Typewriter Manufacturing Co., 300 Broadway, New York. These cable addresses are kept in a directory by the cable com panies; by reference to such directory the full name and address of the individual or firm represented by a particular word may be found. It is possible for any business house to devise a code that will satisfactorily meet its particular requirements. The code system may be used also for inland telegraphing. A cable code word must not contain more than ten letters. In writing cablegrams in code language it is frequently necessary to use in addition plain language. In such cases the plain language as well as the code language is charged for at the rate of one word for every ten characters or fraction thereof. When, however, extraordinary conditions arise, to which the code. system cannot be readily adapted, as, for instance, the war between Russia and Japan, other abbreviated means of communication are devised. A correspondent sending information in such cases is expected to omit all unnecessary words, provided the sense is retained. By abbreviations and compoundings he may convey the sense of several words in one. The following is a portion of a cablegram from Korea :— is a superior accountant, and well qualified to discharge GOLDSMITH & JOHNSON. Letters of this kind do not require the usual form of complimentary close, viz., Yours truly, Very truly yours, etc. EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 45 Write a letter of recommendation, recommending J. A. Longstreet as a bookkeeper; mention that he has been in your employ for two years; that his work has been entirely satisfactory; that he is punctual, accurate, reliable, and thoroughly honest; that he is an accurate and rapid bookkeeper, and has tact in familiarizing himself with his employer's business so that he is capable of managing as well. He is out of a position owing to the dissolution of your firm. Exercise 46 Frank J. Barrett, a salesman in your employ, is about to leave you. He has been with you during the past four years, during which time he has invariably discharged his duties with skill and ability. He was punctual in his work, courteous to your customers, and reliable in his accounts. Write a proper testimonial embodying the above data. Exercise 47 You are in the real estate business. You are about to move to Tacoma, Wash., as a field offering better opportunities. Your clerk, Leon Estilow, will therefore be out of a position. Write a proper testimonial for him. He proved faithful, interested himself in his work, and always performed his duties with accuracy, rapidity, and cheerfulness. Exercise 48 You are in the lumber business. Thomas T. Henderson has been in your employ for the past six years as general manager, but finds it necessary to resign, owing to ill health. His knowledge of the lumber business is thorough, and you have always found him courteous, patient with subordinates, aggressive and successful in pushing business, and splendid in executive ability. He wishes to engage in the same work in western North Carolina. Write a suitable testimonial. Exercise 49 The firm of Robertson & Hunt, of Leadville, Colo., has dissolved partnership. They write letters for the following employees : 1. A general letter of recommendation for their manager, William Deering, who was with them for eight years. During that time he displayed rare executive ability, and discharged the duties of a responsible position with intelligence and fidelity, and to the satisfaction of all who had business dealings with him. 2. A personal letter for their stenographer, Miss Nina Minard, to Benjamin Thorpe, Esq., Pres. N. & S. Railroad, Leadville, Colo., recommending her as a competent and efficient stenographer, and a tactful and discreet employee. She is not only rapid, accurate, and thoroughly reliable in her work, but her knowledge of bookkeeping and modern business methods, and her executive ability, fit her to fill a responsible position with a railroad corporation. 3. A general letter for the office boy, John Jones, who was a faithful, alert, painstaking, and honest employee. He is polite and obedient and thoroughly familiar with office duties. Exercise 50 Mr. Robert S. Spencer has been principal of the public school of Harbor Springs, Mich., for eight years. During that time he successfully performed all the duties in connection with such principalship. T. Sullivan Meade, president of the school board, writes a testimonial commending him to the favorable consideration of others. Spencer is qualified by his character, ability, attainments, and especially by his great energy and industry, to protect and promote the best interests of children and youths intrusted to his care. H CHAPTER IX CIRCULAR LETTERS CIRCULAR letters are letters which are identical in terms, although sent to different persons. They are generally written for the purpose of soliciting trade or of making announcements of general interest. Notifications of changes in partnerships, removals, instructions to agents, special sales and offers, and announcements of new importations, etc., are often made in this manner. To be effective, circular letters should be prepared with much care. Some business men make the mistake of spending several hundred dollars in postage to send postage to send cheap-looking letters through the mails. Circular letters should be neat in appearance, clear in arrangement, and every art should be employed to make them attractive and readable. They should be sent out systematically; and in some instances, if one is followed by another, and then by a third and fourth, they have a cumulative effect which accomplishes the desired result. If possible, a circular letter should be given a personal touch. The importance of this in correspondence can scarcely be overemphasized. Williams College has the honor of having James A. Garfield enrolled among its graduates because of this personal |