The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-17
American Enterprise-China.

From he ". y. Tribune.
We are accustomed to regard the Panama
Railroad as the very best eXemplihoatiOn yet
peri cted of American energy and capacity.
The faculties encountered were peculiar and
enormous; labOreTs could scarcely be procured,
and those who could be died nearly as fast as
they were obtained; the cost far exceeded any
previous estimate yet the projectors undaunt-
edly struggled on, and at length achieved
magnificent success-a triumph which has
sensibly diminished the sum of human misery
and increased the aggregate of human wealth
and comfort.
A railroad to the Pacific wholly through our
own country, connecting our seaboard cities
with the mining regions of our two great
ranges of mountains, the vast deserts which
nearly inclose them, and with the rising marts
of the Pacific, was a still more arduOus aud
costly undertaking. Less than twenty years
ago, it was first suggested and its advocates
were Tidiouled as il they had proposed stone
bridge to the moon; yet 1869 will see the first
thrC ugh road completed, aud the iron horse
prancing and snorting from New York to San
Francisco inside of week. The centennial
celel ration of our national anniversary will
probab bly, see three distinct lines of railroad in
opera ion from the Mississippi to the Pacific,
each connecting with two or more through
lines from ihe Mississippi to the Atlantic
Each of the three will have been constructed
exclusively by American capital, using only
American Iron.
kindred though less important and far
less costly undertaking is that of the East
India Telegraph Company wholly American,
but proposing to connect the cradle and ancient
focus of civilization with the entire occidental
world. Immediately, however, the Company
proposes to connect the great seapOrts OF
China, ten in number, from Canton to Shaug-
hal, by a submerged cable, S95 miles long,
with offices in each OF the ten cities, whose in
habitants number in the aggregate nearly six
Millions and whose foreign trade alone
amounts to 100000, 900 per annum.
As yet, no telegraph wire is stretched across
| one rood of the Chinese Empire, whose enor-
mously dense population, immense traffic, lite
raIy culture and lack of post-office facilities
| would seem to render it peculiarly adapted to
| the introduction and profitable use of tele-
! graphs. In California, we learn, the Chinese
make great use of the telegraph, as they would
naturally do at home ii they had it. But popu-
lar prejudice, suggesting apprehensons that
| the uirents of "gOod luck" will be njuriously
disturbed by setting the lightning to racing
about as messenger of commerce, has hitherto
prevented, and may long prevent, the estab
isbment of internal lines of electric communal
cation throughout that conservative empire.
! The right to connect the several seapOrts by
! submerged wires has, however, been conceded
to the East India Telegraph Company; and the
conceded will doubtless lead to still further
and larger concessions. The business of the
| great seaports, however, is believed, by those
who have personal knowledge in the premises,
| to be ample to render their connection in the
manner proposed amply remunerating to the
| Company. Good judges have estimated that
| the entire outlay may be returned in dividends
to the stockholders every two years subse-
quent to the completion of the line.
The East India Telegraph Company has en-
| countered many obstacles and difficulties but
these have now been happily surmounted, and
a reorganization has Just been effected, with
the Hon. Andrew g. Curtin Qate Governor of
P-nnsylvania) as President, with Messrs.
Paul S. Forbes Frederick Butterfeld, Alex
ander Holland, Isaac Livermore, James Noxon,
| o. H. Palmer Fletcher Westray, and Nicholas
! Mickles as Directors, and George Ellis cashier
| Bank of the Commonwealth as Treasurer.
| Books of subscription have been opened at
the Compapy's Offices, Nos. % and 25 Nassau
street, at the Bank of the Commonwealth at
DreXel q Co.'s, Philadelphia, Jay Cookies,
Washington, and other banking houses; and
| it is confidently expected that the $5, 600, 900
of capital required will be promptly taken up,
| with every prospect of speedy construction OF
| the work, followed by generous dividends to its
stockholders.
The certificates of New York, Boston, and
other merchants engaged in the China trade
with the assurances of protection and favor
accorded by Mr.. Seward on behalf of our Gov
erpment, and M MOustier Oh that of France,
seem to leave no room for rational doubt that
this enterprise is one of great promise, and, in
view of its inevitable benefits to China, to our
own country, and to mankind, We heartily
commend it to the favor of the intelligent and
the thrifty.