Polynesian., 1858-10-23
No. 25
The Mex, Telegraph.

The next grand achievement TO be made by the
electric telegraph, is the connection of the Pacific
with the Atlantic oceans. When this is done, the
people OF California will reap some of the benefit
of the triumph Just made, Of bringing the two
continents into mOpentary communication. How
long will it be before this is accomplished2 It
has been talked about now for eight or nine years.
yet little, practically, has been done towards put
tlng 1t into execution. Will not the success of
the Atlantic telegraph, give our enterprise a new
impetus! We hope so indeed; though we Cali
iornianS have been so often deceived in our hope
ABOUT railroads and telegraphs across the plains,
that we have now fallen into habit of iucreduIi-
ty on the subject of these enterprises. To our
eyes they seem even more difficult than they are
and we frequently despODdlngy talk of tl.:1gs as
impossible, that might very easily he 40 efshed.
The cosSs&<seetehfng 4 tele -. &sl.e from
Placervilie to Missouri, would probably be under
one hundred dollars per mile, for the whole dis
tance a part OF the way the wire could be sup
ported upon the boughs and trunks of the forest
trees, as Is done in California on some of our tele-
graph lines. On the bare plains the wire might
be buried under the surface of the ground In
this way the expense could not be Yery excessive:
and no great length of time would be necessary for
its completion. Indeed, if this undertaking were
only commenced with proper spirit under the nat
ronage of the Government of the United States.
there Is little doubt but that it could be completed
in year at farthest.
We see no reason why Congress should refuse
liberal appropriation to necessary enterprise of
this character. If the naval vessels of the United
States could be altered and refitted and employed
at immense expense IN laying the Atlantic cable
to connect Great Britain with her American colo
MES and the remainder of the New World we
should think the public funds might also be devo-
ted to building telegraph across our own terrific
ry to bind the two eXtremtles of our country to-
gether Certainly money could not be expended
more advantageousit. For, next to the railroad
nothing is more neeled by US in California than a
telegraph TO the East.
Whatever the COS; might be, of building a tele-
graph across the plains to bring us into communi-
cation with the Eastern States and the great COM
merclal cities Of the world is clear that the ben
eft OF such a work would, In a short time, more
than compensate forit. How many hundreds of
thousands of dollars might have been saved to par
ties here, and in other places throughout the world
during the past eight years, had 1t been possible
for the state of the markets California to have
been telegraphed instantaneously to New York
and London each succeeding day? Let any man
imagine, if he can, the difference that such means
of communication would make, with regard to the
safety of commercial ventures. Instead of mer-
chants acting now, in the dark, and depending
upon mere chance for success, they would be fully
informed up to the very latest minute of the con-
dition of the most distant market and know exact
ly what shipments to make there. In this way
immense losses, by over crowding markets, or in
freights, by unfortunate shipments Of unsaeable
goods, would be constantly prevented. And
though the stock of such telegraph, if wholly
subscribed by private individuals, might not prompt
" make remunerative return, yet the benefit
conferred to the people at large, would, many
times over, repay the money expended upon it.
For this reason it is peculiarly incumbent upon
the Government to lend its assistance to the en-
terprise.-S. +. Bulletin.