The New York herald., 1870-02-06
TnE WESTERN UN.Oy TELEGRAPH con-
PANY.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-

Telegraph or the present month devotes columns
to the consideration OF the Little automatic telo-
graph system which IL condemns, as matter OF
course, the same as 1t has done In ten or fifteen
columns In previous numbers OF the oilcal journal.
As long ago as last July the president OF the
Western Union Company, IN a formal colnmunica.
ton to Its stockholders, denounced the Little and
all other automatic systems as utterly worthless
and In every lumber OF the Official Journal since
columns have been devoted to the most positive
reanirmations OF the presidents dcta, aud, not
content with the use OF It's own newspaper for
the purpose or traducing rival telegraph company
ana the system by which II proposes to do business
1t has, unprovoked, sought the columns Of many
other journals OF the country through which
to throw discrsdt and dlstrust upon our
company, system OF teiegraphinz, &c All Of
this must appear unaccoutsbie 10 the disnterested
observer upon any theory than the conscious
ness OF the fact nat the deuuncaIions OF auto
matte system OF teegraphy were uttered with .
purpose and that purpose the reverse OF complt
mentary TO the sincerity or good faith Of the mana
gers Of the Western Union Company.
The editorial In the Journal Of the Telegraph now
before me, sets out with the avowed purpose give
"iar and friendly nvestigation' into the matter OF
our claims on behalf OF new system OF tele-
graphy but in the same breath goes on to speak OF
the "Baln." "Hummaston," 'Prussian, and various
reader to suppose Little automatic system was
substantially the same IN principle and mechanism
those that have preceded it-cven going fur
to likon 1t to the Prussian type automatic process
and citing Its inability 10 transmit over y0J words
per hour over circuit oI $40 miles as furnishing
| conclusive testimony against the value Of our
| system. And yet we nave asserted publicly,
asemens Of p'sUa the 'tu West.rn Union Company
| knows, that our system OF automatic tele-
graphy Ii wholly unlike IN It's principles and lts
| In tins country or In Europe-and they all know
wen that though we should aunt all they say a.
applicable to other sy stems " would prove nothing
lor or against ours On our side we do fully ADMIT
and assert with as much posiuveness as does tho
President OF the Western Union Company, that the
Bain Hummaston, Bakewcil, Bonelil, Simpson,
Slemens Wneatstone, and aii otner automatic sys.
American systems OF hugnes. House and Morse;
but We tail to see wherein tns adm sson on our
part or Its reiteraton on the part ol the Of1ical
| mouthplece OF the Western Union Company, can
| possibly lnjure Us or help the Western Union. We
| nave nothing In common with any one OF those
systems Oh Inventions The assertion OF the Journal
| that we use the ABSURD process or Huinmason,
| which The western Union Company PROCESSES 10
| own, Is equally untrue and inexcusaDe.
The Journal bachs up It's cnillisa assertions that
| In sending messages 10 great distances system
Is oniy one-hali equal IN speed To the Morse Dy
quotine Mr.. rescot, the literary crltIc and scien-
tile mentor OF the Western Union company freely
accord to Mr. Prescott extraordinary abilities, and
uncqualled. probably except Dy Iraln' as he can
prove, with equal Iachity and volubhitv negative
Affirmative propos lion from the sam. premises
| lie has proved, with equal cearness and iormallty
rs the eXigencies OF his employers have required,
that n good telegraph lne could he Dut tor sixty,
| one dollars, and again, nol unuer $500 per mile;
| and ut page 13S OF MS work ON the telegraph Mi.
Prescott says IN describing Balm amaston an.
tonatc system oI teiegrAphv:-'It Is practicable to
transmit intelligence AT distance of upwards Of
1oJo miles At tue rate ol $500 words per nourn As
know this statement II destitute ol ali the elements
oil truth, tie conductors OF the onicla J0radt WILL
l hope. excuse me- If hesitate TO believe what Mr..
Prescott now says about our system, not because
believe he IS incompetent or unwilling to speak thu
truth on an emergency but rather because no has
never seen our macnaes and knows not the nrss
principle by winch we accomplish our wonderful re-
1 SUITS.
| The Official gentlemen OF the official Journal
have developed no small amount OF ingenuity In de-
pctlng tne distressing mental dlnicutits incident
TO the composing Of messages by oar tablet. Upon
TINS point l am content W let one VI the young
laules ian expert Morse operafor) lately IN the
, ploy OF the Western Union Company speak. She
says:-.'I nave practsed on the little tablet
posing machine on ana on during the past ten days
at first could compose about five words per
| minute, but now / compose faster upon the
tablet than could write with the horse key after
four years OF constant practlce. There Is really
much less labor and Effort mental anJ physical In
composing upon the tablet than there IS In copying
win pcn and the LABOR upon the tablet incom
paraby easier. more agreeable, aud taxes the
mental faculties very much less than working tho
Morse Bystem.n
The Official Journal states with characteristic
D0dness aud absence or Wedge and truth, thar
we are putting up wire OF douDle conductIvity oe
tween Washington ana New YORK from conscious
ness VI our inaDity 10 work an ordinary wire.
There IL not word OF truth IN TINS slaiemcnt-and
SO far Is II from the truth that know from actual
work perfectly, over 1000 mics OF iinc at the rate
oi 200 words per minute, with twenty eight cups OF
| battery, while no morse machine able to work
! through even 300 miles Of the rate Of iive
worus per minute, with nity cups or battery. We
are putting up the new steel aud copper covered
wite because we are resolved To nave the best lines
throughout the country that can be Dui.t and when
VIC get our line competed as II Will be within brief
period, between New York and New Dreams, we
shall be able TO send sng.e wire between these
two cues more matter In u gwen tune lnan the
Western Union Company will De able 70 send on ten
practical tests fully authorize TINS statement.
| The reliable Journal has hau a sharp eyed
associate in Europe lately, ana lie ins,ructs lho
editor 10 say that Telegraph machinery on the auto
matte system costs 100 each ONCE 800 In gold. TINS
y quite probable, as All the automatic machinery yet
| devised IN Europe or America, except Mr.
Llttles, s exceedingly complicated and very expen-
| sve; but lDasmuch as we nave offers from the best
telegraph macninsts OF the country make tw o
macnnes at prices inside OF nrp dollars and IN the
| neighDornUOu OF tWenty y-hye dollars eacn In cur.
rency, faii TO see the application oi the Journals
figures TO our machinery.
We are perfectly .alIlr with tue routine Of q tel
cgraph Oilce DuslneS3 anu we are aso perfectly
familiar with AcW system. ana have been greatly
amused at the Imaginary diifcuitie3 ana conplica-
lions winch The oilicial journal has colulcd up as
obstacles IN the way oi our dong business promptly
or economically; out AS ali the speculations
| OF the Western Union people are based upon blank
ignorance or the system they attempt to criticse
deem IT only necessary 10 say that are entirey
| confident from = fuil knowledge or The Ncrse and
the LiLte systems, that the western Union Company
may put tneir tarin rates down TO actual cost and
then we can 90 iity per cent lower ana stiil have
necessity OF having a tarln OF more tnan one Cent
per word In circuits OF 1000 miles nor do we con-
template the transmission ol less tnan OVJ to $4,000
wor0s per nour IN said circuits.
| The ACTIVITY and unscrupulousncsS OF the oficial
ana sem oirlciai organs oi the western Union Com.
pany In alsylng tne painesL truth IN regard TO our
new automatic system ot teieyrapby Is unquestlona
by inspired by the aLAlctea OF tle managers here
and u w WasnngtoB.
| on Dehaf OF ;ne National Telegraph Company
feel at liberty 10 say tnat is managers stand In no
lear or legislation ut Washington. or of opposition
or misrepresentation here or elsewhere. The coin
| papy Will buiId the very best telegraph lines
| throughout tho United States and they confidently
expect TO serve their IN circuits OF 900 miles for one
cent per word, first come, hrst served, without any
OF the priority dodgea Of the HUBBARD Orton oil
under consideration Ia the Senate at Washing (, on.
When the government itself snall see fit 10 astme
the management vi the telegraph business we aaall
all ~ good citizens, subiDii, and be conteD 81
render our properly Ut u fair valuation. hat we
shal not surrender The pubic 10 the tenuer ;uercies
ol the Hubpard-Orton scnciners and l ven! tho
prediction inat their Itie game At Washiu9 a VIII
come to untMc.y egd ID. IL. Ca. 10,