This is a list of the various editions of "Meyer: Twentieth Century Manual of Railway ... Telegraphy. Chicago and New York: Rand McNally" that I am aware of; this page will grow as more information is acquired. To see which editions we may have for sale, click on the link near the top of this page.
-- Tom French, August 2002
Title: Early editions are titled "Twentieth Century Manual of Railway and Commercial Telegraphy" (what I call the short title). Later editions acknowledged the rise of radio and were titled "Twentieth Century Manual of Railway, Commercial and Wireless Telegraphy" (long title; see photo at right).
Contents: A textbook for the prospective telegrapher. Includes elementary electricity, the Morse system of telegraphy, commercial business, railway telegraphy, train orders, abbreviations, block signaling, technical messages, and more. Drawings of instruments, illustrations of railroad forms, and full page photos of telegraph offices, trains and depots. Index.
The first edition was published in 1902 as the "Twentieth Century Manual of Railway and Commercial Telegraphy" [short title].
"third edition," c. 1902. Short title. Blue cloth hardcover, title in white on cover, no spine title, 249 pages plus 2 advertising pages. About 4-3/4 x 7 inches. Semi-glossy (hard finish) paper. Frontis of Western Union operating room.
"fourth edition, revised and enlarged," c. 1905. Short title. Seen in both black, and blue, cloth hardcover, title in white on cover, no spine title, 269 pages. About 4-3/4 x 7 inches. Frontis of Western Union operating room, Chicago.
fifth edition, revised and enlarged," c. 1902, 1905. Short title. Dark blue cover, title in white on cover, no spine title, 169 pages. About 4-3/4 x 7 inches. Frontis of Western Union operating room, Chicago (in these respects, similar to fourth edition). On the cover of my copy, in addition to the title and in the same white print is added "as taught at Boston Telegraph Institute / Boston, Mass. and Framingham Business College / South Framingham, Mass." (This does not appear on the title page, which is the usual title page.) This is undoubtedly one of a special order of the book for use at these institutions.
"sixth edition, revised and enlarged" ... c. ?? ... Black cloth hardcover, white title on cover and spine, 269 pages ... about 4-1/4 x 7 inches.
The following editions have the long title:
"Seventh edition, revised and enlarged." c. 1902, 1905, 1914. Long title. Green cloth hardcover, title in white on cover and spine. Also said to exist in black cloth hardcover. 305 pages plus one advertising page. Cheaper pulp paper browns at edges. Frontis of Western Union office. Dust jacket indicates seventh edition at the top front.
"eighth edition, revised and enlarged" (c. 1914). Long title. Black cloth hardcover, title in white on cover and spine, 305 pages plus 1 page publisher's ad, about 4-1/2 x 7 inches.
"ninth edition, revised and enlarged" (c. 1925). Long title. Black cloth hardcover, title in white on cover and spine. 287 pages. About 4-3/4 x 7 inches. Frontis of train rounding hillside curve.
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