Telegraphic Code to Insure Privacy and Secrecy in the Transmission of Telegrams

by Frank Miller

TELEGRAPHIC CODE

TO INSURE

PRIVACY AND SECRECY

IN THE

TRANSMISSION OF TELEGRAMS.

BY

Frank Miller.

 

NEW YORK:

CHARLES M. CORNWELL,

247 PEARL STREET.

---

Copyrighted in 1882, by FRANK MILLER , of Sacramento, California.

A copy of this code is with 154 bankers in New York, see pages 10 and 11, and a copy has also been sent to each bank which is (1882) a member of the clearing-houses in Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans and San Francisco.

The following also have copies:

D.O Milles. Esq	New York, Office
D.O Milles. Esq„	New York,„ Residence
D.O Milles. Esq„	San Francisco, Office
D.O Milles. Esq„	Millbrae, Cal., Residence.
Edgar Mills, Esq.	Menlo Park, Cal., Residence
Whitelaw Reid, Esq.	New York, Residence
Ogden Mills, Esq.	New York, Residence
C.F. Crocker, Esq.	San Francisco, Residence
Jon. G. Mills, Esq.	New York, Residence
Wm. O. Mills, Esq.	Flatbash, N. Y., Residence
Heber R. Bishop, Esq.	New York, Residence

PREFACE.

---

For inland telegraphing, simplicity and speed are more important than economy. With cablegrams the reverse is the case. Cable codes are mainly composed of vast numbers of phrases, and are so intricate that few country bankers will use them.

Sixteen years' banking experience gives the compiler confidence to hope that this Code will be carefully examined by bankers, and that it will correct a positive evil, to wit, the relying upon hastily formed cryptographs, which continually repeat, and which are therefore dangerous, because, if an operator should decipher such a system, and send a message in such a cipher, great suspicion would arise against all parties having access to such cryptographs.

Any system which allows a cipher word to be used twice with the same signification is open to detection. A little talk with a telegraphic operator will convince one of this fact.

Colonel Myers says: "If signals are to be displayed in the presence of an enemy they must be guarded by ciphers which must be capable of frequent changes, and the rules by which these changes are made must be simple."

The selection of words in this book has been carefully made, assistance being had from experts upon the phrases and cipher words. Names of principal cities, surnames, and Christian names will be found in abundance.

This book contains 12300 words and phrases, each, having its cipher-word duly numbered; then follow 1700 cipher-words, the last number thereto being 14000.

A supplementary code, which can be used with this, can thus be made by taking all, or part, of the "extra cipher-words," and forming phrases opposite each to suit any special business. For the convenience of the majority of users, ten lists are provided with 78 cipher-words to each, for the registering of special phrases.

This system is absolutely secret; it is also simple and quickly operated, as will be proven by a little practice.

It can be used for long messages and for years, care being taken by correspondents to keep each other well supplied with "shift-numbers."

The sender of a message should send by mail an exact translation, for, after some interval of time and loss of "shift-numbers," it will be impossible to again translate the message.

The lists of "shift-numbers" should be kept by one person in each bank, and from him one or more of the "shift-numbers" may be obtained by such clerks as receive or send telegrams.

The sender and receiver must each cancel "shift-numbers" as fast as they are used.

If the sender finds that the addition of a key produces a sum greater than the highest "serial number" (14000) in this book, he must deduct said last "serial number" from said sum and count the excess from the first page.

On the other hand, if the receiver finds that the "serial number" of a cipher-word is less than the key which is to unlock it, he must temporarily add to said "serial number" the highest number in this book and deduct the key from the sum.

This Code in itself does not give to any person the right to presume that its use in "plain cipher" has such binding effect as if used in "shifted cipher."

It is evident that many dispatches need not be in cipher; such as ordering money by express from a reserve agent to go to the sender of the telegram, remarks about missing letters, and many others.

Such messages can, for economy, be put in what we will call "plain cipher," which is taking the "cipher-word" on the same line as printed. But few copies of this code will be in any town, and a message in "plain cipher" would practically insure privacy.

The rule would seem to be that all messages which could be sent verbally by a messenger may be sent in plain English or "plain cipher."

The payment of money, or any other action which would require written authority, and which would not be done when such order was sent verbally by messenger, it is evident, requires a test of genuineness that must be infallible.

Such tests of genuineness and also methods for renderings message absolutely secret are to be had by the use of "shift-numbers," as hereafter described.

Words should be written plainly, so the operator may not err in sending messages.

Mistakes in sending will sometimes occur: thus C-- - and S--- will be confused, making "came" read "same," &c., &c.

Also O- - and E- E- making "son" read "seen," &c.

Also R- -- and S--- making "sail" read "rail," &c.

Also by missing a dot, P will be taken for H; F for A or N; O for E, &c.

MORSE ALPHABET.

A

·–

B

–···

C

·· ·

D

–··

E

·

F

·–·

G

––·

H

····

I

··

J

—·—·

K

–·–

L

—

M

––

N

–·

O

· ·

P

·····

Q

··–·

R

· ··

S

···

T

–

U

··–

V

···–

W

·––

X

·–··

Y

·· ··

Z

··· ·

&

· ···

A copy of this Code has been sent to, and will remain with, each bank in New York City, whose address and "cipher-word" follows hereafter.

A copy has likewise been sent to each bank which is a member (in 1822) of the Clearing House in Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, and San Francisco.

This Code is stereotyped and no changes will be made at any time.

SHIFT-NUMBERS.

A banker in the West should prepare a list of irregular numbers, to be called "shift-numbers," such as 483, 281, 175, 892, &c.

The differences between such numbers must not be regular.

When a shift-number has been applied, or used, it must be erased from the list and not used again.

A copy of the list is to be sent to the New York Banker, who prepares a different list and sends copy thereof to the Western Banker.

Each party should enter his own list in black ink in a book, and copy his correspondent's list in red ink upon the opposite page; thus the black figures will denote his "sending numbers," and the red figures will denote his "receiving numbers."

Having occasion to telegraph an order requiring the payment of money, and knowing that an English dispatch would receive no attention, the Western banker will write his dispatch on a sheet of paper, leaving a few lines blank between the written lines.

He will then find his first word in this Code, and copy upon the sheet of paper its number, placing the number under the word.

Under said number (which we will call the "serial-number") he will place the first 44 shift-number" (say 483). He will then add the two numbers and find their sum, which he will write down.

Underneath this new sum, or number, he will write the "cipherword" which he shall find in the Code standing alongside of said sum.

Thus he gets the first cipher-word for his telegram.

To the appropriate 44 serial number "of the second word he will add the second "shift-number" (say 281), and, finding their sum, he will take the cipher-word which is found opposite said sum.

He will follow the same plan with the remaining words.

EXAMPLE.

Extended	for	eight	days
4651	4942	226	3271
488	281	175	892
5134	5223	401	4163
Gentleness	Glaired	Allegro	Fantasia

The receiver will reverse the operation, writing down the first cipher-word of the telegram; under it placing its "serial number," and from that deducting the first "shift number" (say 488), thus finding the "serial number" of the first English word transmitted.

From the serial number of the second cipher-word in the telegram he will deduct the second "shift-number" (say 281), thus finding the serial number of the second English word transmitted.

EXAMPLE.

Gentleness	Glaired	Allegro	Fantasia
5184	5223	401	4163
483	281	175	892
4651	4942	226	3271
Extended	for	eight	days

For many telegrams it will suffice that the common English words be used with a "test word" that shall indicate that the dispatch was genuine as sent. Economy and much safety can also be secured by using a "test word" and placing the rest of the message in "plain cipher"—that is, using the Code as printed without any "shifting."

The sender will, in such cases, take the two right-hand figures of his first "shift-number," and use the test word indicated by such two figures; thus he will use the test word "Abstruse" if his first key is 483, and place the rest of the message in English or in "plain cipher."

The receiver will note that a "test word" is used, and that its number is the same as the two right-hand figures of the key (or "shift-number"), which is then available.

Said "shift-number" must, of course, be then erased by both sender and receiver, for it is void for further use.

EXAMPLE.

Abstruse Foredated Furuncle Admirers Disgusted

Abstruse: Extended for eight days.