a. and sb. [Syncopated from telepher or telephore (see quot. 1884 in TELPHERAGE), f. Gr. τῆλε, TELE- + -φορος bearing.] a. adj. or attrib. sb. Of or relating to a system of telpherage; telpher line, railway, a light overhead line on which the haulage is worked by electric power; so telpher train. b. sb. Any traveling unit on a telpher line; also, the plant and rolling stock of a system of telpherage. c. Comb., as telpherman.
1884. (May 14) F. Jenkin, in Jrnl. Soc. Arts, XXXII. 648/2. Telpher lines are adapted for the conveyance of minerals and other goods at a slow pace, and at a cheap rate. Ibid., 655/2. We are enabled to start or stop any number of telpher trains without disturbing the running of others.
1788. Sat. Rev., 31 May, 712/2. In hilly country, where roads are difficult to construct, the telpher line might be eminently useful.
1888. W. E. Ayrton, in Times, 10 Sept., 11/3. The first track on which electric trams were run in series was the experimental ‘Telpher line’ erected in Glynde in 1883 … for the automatic electric transport of goods.
1901. Munsey’s Mag., XXV. 363/1. The traveling unit is called a ‘telpher.’ The fixed cable serves as a rail…, and above it in the same vertical plane, is a feed wire from which the telpher takes current.
1904. Jrnl. Franklin Inst., Oct., 266. With a machine and an assistant, a telpherman can convey 250 tons per day over a distance of 1,000 feet.
Hence Telpher v. trans., to transport (goods, etc.) by means of telpherage.
1895. F. Jenkin, in Gd. Words, 132. We may possibly hereafter speak of telphering goods as we now speak of telegraphing messages.
1890. W. E. Ayrton, in Spectator, 19 April. To electrically propel may be aptly named to ‘telepher,’ or, say ‘telpher’ as an abbreviation.
