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. In 1935, Western Union has put into operation first intercity fax communication. Money transfer is a matter of minutes, at any distance. Number of active holders of "Golden Card" of Western Union amounted to 9.5 million people worldwide.