I think telegraphs were very common in Billy's time...in fact, it was just a few years before Billy's death that the telephone was just getting off the ground. Then again, this is New Mexico we are talking about...it probably didn't have as many telegraph lines as other states. Even today, 1 out of every 8 people in New Mexico still doesn't have telephone service. There are even communities in the state that still don't have electricity, let alone a phone.