In the Western Union in the 30s of the 20th century worked 14 thousand couriers delivering telegrams. In the early forties of the 20th century, Western Union has used the first time a commercial intercity microwave transmission system. In 1860 the U.S. Congress arranged among the telegraph companies a competition to create a national line. The winner was Western Union. Another invention of Western Union - time synchronization. The size of the commission fee for the transfer is charged according to the Western Union tariffs and depends on the amount of money sent. In 1879 Western Union left the telephone business after losing a lawsuit against Alexander Graham Bell - the patent holder on the phone.