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Re: Telegram codebook



>I'm working on a project that involves some diaries from 1925.  Mentioned in
>the diaries is a telegram codebook. As I understand it, in those
>pay-by-the-word days, this codebook helped you save money on telegrams.
>You'd say, "porkchops and applesauce, Sweetheart,"  and that would mean a
>whole lot more.  I have never seen such a book...me, a former railroad
>telegrapher.  Anybody know where to find one?

Look in a library catalog under the Library of Congress subject heading
"Cipher and telegraph codes"  this subject heading can be subdivided by
field or business (Cipher and telegraph codes -- Astronomy, or Cipher and
telegraph codes -- Mining, for example). They were often printed, if not
published.    They seem to have been pretty standard fare; there were such
books for industries in general, the US Dept. of State had one, and
individual companies also produced them.  I had to learn about this when
cataloging an example of the James Greenough & Company code book.  You
shouldn't have much of a problem finding an example locally, especially if
there is a business archives in your vicinity.

______________________________________________
Kate Bowers
Processing Archivist
Harvard University Archives
Cambridge, MA 02138
voice:  (617) 495-2461
fax:    (617) 495-8011
email:  kate_bowers@harvard.edu

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