Paris, France: Postal Marking On Telegram?

This appears to be a postmark, but was found on the reverse side of a telegram which I think is dated December 1916:



Since it doesn't appear this "postmark" has seen postal use, was it standard procedure to use such a stamp on a telegram during that time period? Or is it something devised by the telegraph service provider as a means to date their communication?

The telegram itself isn't all that exciting, but for anyone interested, here's the content:

Not much help, I am afraid, I cannot read French
sufficiently to read the guy maggay site
http://www.marcophilie.org/

I can identify the circled number "3"
This is a "bureaux de quartier"
(French New Years Cancels)

the story is...

At the end of the year, postal
services were submerged by "happy new year" letters.
(and apparently telegrams..rod222)
There was no mechanical and automatic cancel at this
time, so an army of temporary employees were engaged
to manually cancel all these letters.

There weren't enough cancels, a great variety of unusual
cancels were used :
1) Normal cancel with no dates (to mask the delay)

2) Marks that weren't used to cancel stamps (as the
number in circle)

3) Older cancels, making anachronistic cancel/stamp combinations !

acknowledgement: Dominique Stéphan

Examples on stamps

My opinions: I'd argue that the cancel is not postal, but rather a confirmation of dispatch stamp from French telegraph office number 96. One interesting variable here is the date in italics which I suggest is 27 August 1912. "16" would be the clerk or cancel device number.

Well thought out Moonbird.

Post Office, Rue Gluck