In 1860 the U.S. Congress arranged among the telegraph companies a competition to create a national line. The winner was Western Union. Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. July 3, 1884 the company's shares were included in the calculation base for the newly created stock index Dow Jones Transportation Average. One of the common kinds of money transfer is a transfer via the international system of Western Union. Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders.