The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-30
TO THE EDITOR OF THE UNION m"
New YoRK, July 81, 1876.

SiR The Philadelphia North American of the
Odd inst, contains the following article; .aF !
"TELEGRArH ERRORS OF TUEspAr.-The New
York papers announce that the new tariff bill had
passed the Senate and subsequently stated that it
was an error Of the telegraph and charged it to the
Philadelphia operator. This is not so. The mis-
take originated from the stupidity Of the operators at
Washington, who are the very worst writer's con-
nected with the whole line of telegraph. They are,
however, government officials, and arrogate much
to themselves from this fact. The private lines
have attentive end courteous agents, who strive to
render Professor Morse's invention public conve-
nience, while on the government route the public
must depend entirely upon the convenience Of the
operators Complaints are rife Of the want of atten-
ton on the part of the Washington superintendent.
As the blunders and ISLANDERS of that article must
have now become papable to the writer in the North
American for more than week, and no disposition
has as yet been manifested to make the anende that
any mind of honorable impulses would do with the
least possible delay, / deem ii but justice TO the
young man in question, who very properly feels
highly aggrieved, to expose to the public the UNI
truths of the writer and the baselessness of his at
tack. -,....5e ..I,-E.H
In the first place, it is not true that "the mistake
originated in Washington and this unruth is the
less excusabe, it is asserted directly in the face
of evidence to the contrary in the same Journal.
The report from Washington was correctly made,
and gwen in the Philadelphia papers, (lhe North
american among the rest and tho did not occur
till after it reached New York; indeed, not till it
entirely beyond the control of all operators Of
the telegraph. a. 81 ..., .r....E,
Again, i is untrue that the government line''
was in fault. 1t had nothing to do with the matter;
and, consequently, all the spenetic insinuatons and
charges Arrogance in government officials, DC,
&C., are but the vapors of a morbid and envious
mind. The government own the right to use, for
experimental purposes, the two wires from Wash
ngton to Baltimore.
Since the completion Of the company's line from
New York to Baltimore, the use Of one Of the
wires has been granted to the company by the gov
ernment the other being still in by the govern
ment between Washington and Baltimore. The
two lines are entirely separate from each other
Reports for Baltimore go by the government line
Reports beyond Baltimore go by the company's
line. Hence the report in question was sent by the
co,hpany's operator at Washington, and according ia
the writer's own confession, he is "atienipe ana
coprfseus.n Yet f the mistake originated In the
stupidity of the operator at Washington, the charge
is made against this very operator. The charge Is
untrue in this individual case, for, as has beer
shown, he transmitted the intelligence correctly ant
il is grossly untrue Of the company's operator a
Washington, in any and every PARTICULAR for he il
not only "aitentipe and courteous" but gentleman
of intelligence and expertness. Il
But the charge Of stupidity is intended to apply e
che government operator" (who, | have already
shown had nothing TO do with the matter for th'
writer says, "they are government o9icieis an'
they are the very worst writers connected with th'
whole line of teegraph.n This is a matter ofopin
ion, and the writer is welcome to his own. In my
judgment, the operator Of the government line a
Washington is one Of the most expert and bestwriier
connected with the telegraph and this say withou
fear of being thought to disparage the eminent tao
Of the various skfu operators at Baltimore, Phila
dephia, New York, and elsewhere, who will readil,
concede to him this justice, But if other and NOR
disnterested opinion is wanted, have IL at hand
M. IArago the most distinguished sasan of Europe
made the following remarks, but few weeks since
in the Chamber Of Deputies in Paris; 81 receives
three days ago, with a letter from MIR. Morse, on
of the most honorable men Of his country, the Su
of Baltimore, and here is the Presidents message
printed from the telegraph in two or three hours
| The message would Gil four columns Of the Nom
teur II could NOT hsce been copied nv THE NOS
\ RArIp pEsmAs IN A sHoRrEa TINE TRAN II WA
/ TRANSMITTED %nt D.
The operator who transmitted this messagen Chi
mastery manner, is the young gentleman again,
whom this shameless and unmsnly attack is mad
by the writer Of the North American; and the put