The Placer herald., 1867-03-23
THE TELEGRAPH BUSINESS....THE
PROPOSED NATIONAL TELEGRAPH.

SSS0 0sS3 00~ASAS~AsA3e Se'
The business of furnishing forth the news
to the public is previously lrammeled and
impeded by the arrangements under which
certain newspapers have been able to get dis
patches 10 the exclusion of others.
Two associates on this coast have different
reports from the east, and an arrangem en-,
with the Telegraph Company for the trans
mission. This has kept the first appearance
of the news confined to the fortunate few.
Within the past two years The ring have been
somewhat enlarged, by the admission now
and then Of an up-coun,ry daily TO share 10
the expense, still, the telegraph system is not
the open, untramme|ed public servant that it
ought to be-like Wells. Fargo & Co.'S ex'
press or Uncle Sans postoffice.
An effort was made in Congress, the past
session, to get the whole telegraph business
of the country under the control Of Congress.
We are not aware what was the fate of the
bill, but We believe it died at some stage OF
consideration. The following article from
the San Francisco Call, on the National Tele'
graph. will be interesting to our readers:
We have before had occasion to refer to
this great national work, and 10 remark upon
the immense public benefits calculated TO re-
suit from its early completion. We are peas'
ed TO learn that the prospects are favorable
for the completion Of the work the present
year. Up 10 the lst Of January 1000 per-
sons had become shareholders. AS the lines
of telegraph are to connect all the principal
cities of the United States with each other
the object of the Company is TO get the stock
distributed as generally as possible among
business men; hence the offer of large capital
lists 10 take all the stock has been refused,
The desire is to build up, under the act Of
Congress, real opposition TO existing tele
graphic monopoies, and by having the stock
distributed among large number of business
people in all parts of the country, to prevent
consolidation with or selling ou. to existing
compauies. One million dollars Of the stock
has, we learn, been allotted to this coast II
that is taken here it will give TO this coast at
least three members of the Board of Directors.
Ii is conceded that IS per cent. of the stock
will suffice to build the lines, and therefore
no more will be called for. Only five per
cent. of the subscriptions will be called for
each month. The work will not be com
menced until all the stock is taken. The plan
of construction is TO let the work of building
out on contract to the lowest bidders. A ten
wire line is to be built from Boston and New
York to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wash
ingon, An eightwire line from New York
to Chicago and ST. Louis. A two.wire line
from 81. Louis to New Orleans, and from
Washington to the same city. A six wire
line from New York to St. Louis via Phla-
delpha Pi,sburg,. Cincinnati and Louisville,
with cross lines from Piltsburg aud Cincin'
natl, and Louisville north to Buffalo, C|eve-
land and Chicago. A three-wire line from
ST. Louis to San Francisco. Looking at the
enormous profit of the present companies;
aud the immense pressure OF constantly IN
creasing business, there can be no doubt that
the new line will prove great public benefit
by reducing the rates Of telegraphng, and
command sufficient business to pay hand'
profit 10 the stockholders. California and
her business men are particularly interested
in this work, and look forward with anxiety
to the period of its completion. Our teIe'
graphic accommo odstions for communication
with the East are very imperfect-fve, ten
and sometimes twenty days being required
to send dispatches and receive answers there
to, and frequently there are very annoying
breaks and omissions in the Transmission OF
the current news of,he day. Added 10 these
annoyances and Inconvenience are enormous
tariffs for the transmission Of messages. A
three-wire line connecting this city with all
the principal commercial and political CEN
ters of tie East would insure not only unln-
terrupted daily communication, but also
much lower prices for dispatches things
very essential to our general interests and