It took many, many years — some 145 of them — but the Pony Express has finally seen sweet justice served to the technology that rang its death knell. As of January 27, 2006, Western Union ended its telegram services.
"On the company’s web site, if you click on ‘Telegrams’ in the left-side navigation bar [sic; it’s on the right side], 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."
Somehow I don’t think that the telegram will inspire as much fond sentiment in the centuries to come as did the Pony Express, which continues to fascinate students of the Old West to this day.
Ahh, it’s kind of sad. Just in the last year I was thinking of going retro and sending someone a telegram, just for kicks! I’ve never seen, sent, or received one in real life.
So is there any other way to send a telegram? Or was Western Union it?
Perhaps they meant “stage left” when describing the link location?
My own telegram story. It was Sunday, October 21, 1973, about 8 pm or so. We were all watching the new and my mom called Western Union
MOM: I’d like to send a telegram to the White House.
WU: Go ahead please.
MOM: Dear Mr. President. Who the hell do you think you are?
WU: Ma’am, you can’t say “hell” to the President.
MOM: Oh yes I can.
WU: Ok, go ahead….
Nixon got 50,000 telegrams that night. Oh what a night.
I really, really wanted to send a telegram to someone at some point in my life.
my great great grandfather would be sad I think, considering he was a Pony Express Rider up in Canada.
Heh. Too bad we didn’t know about this earlier. We could have done a telegramathon and sent each other telegrams for the last month. Maybe they would have kept the service then?
There was nothing like the thrill of having a WU telegram delivered to your door when it was good news and nothing like the fear of having one delivered that might contain bad news. Luckily I was one who received several of the “good” ones, up to and including a ‘singing telegram’. Half the fun of sending one was to fit the message in ten words!
It was only recently that I learned that the preferred Pony Express Rider was an orphan because of the mortality rate. A morbid requirement!
los angeles new car sales
st louis new car sales
car madison new sales wisconsin
missouri sales tax new car
costa rica new car sales
used car sales new york
new car sales july 2005
infiniti new car sales dallas
car sales in new zealand
car sales blenhiem new zealand
car trailer sales in new york
state washington sales tax new car
used car sales in new hampshire
air force exchange new car sales
new car sales tax in texas
used car sales contract new york
off lease car sales new jersey
pay scale new car sales manager
used car sales in new york
used cop car sales new jersey
new and used car sales uk
roswell used car sales new mexico
new and used car sales australia
new car sales u s economy 2005
north american new car sales july 2005
ppi on retail new passenger car sales
4 wheel drive new car sales qld