Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-05
Reniniscence of Hon. George w
Benedict and the Telegraph.

Editor Rutland Herald In your paper
of the 9th inst, notice short bio
graphical sketch of Hon. G. W. Benedict,
late of the editorial staff of the Pree Press
Dc Times, and formerly Professor in the
University of Vermont, and Superintend-
ent and Master Spirit of the Troy and
Canada Junction Telegraph Company /;
and I think it, at this time, not inappro-
pirate to look at the history of this COM
pany and its original operators and super
intendeut.
The fret steps towards building the
line were taken in 1846 by Hon. G. W.
Benedict, assisted by some friends in Bur-
lington. It was the intention of the pro-
ieotors to run the line from Troy via Ben
nington, Rutland, Brandon and Burling-
ton to the Canada line, to meet the COM
pany from there to Montreal. To do this
the coat of the line, two hundred dollars
per mile for 185 miles, making $37, 900 in
all, was apportioned to each town on the
line where it was proposed to open offices,
and Prof. Benedict visited each town per-
sonally to present the claims of the pro-
ject. ALI the towns on the line heartily
acquiesced in the proposition of the Pro-
fessor, and took the stock that had been
apportioned to them, except Brandon.
They refused to accept the proposed
terms. and Prof Benedict told them that
unless they took the stock appertioned to
them, they would have no Office, for there
would be no wire running through the
town. They thought differently, and be-
lieved that the wire must pasg through
Brandon, and that after short time an
Office would be opened in the town with
out any expense to them. For % years
Mr.. Benedict had been q college profess
sor, and had been in the habit of having
his demands complied with, and did not
like the idea of being thwarted in his
scheme by the people of Brandon, so be
therefore locates the line from Rutland to
Middlebury via Whitehall and Orwell,
making the distance some twenty
miles more than via Brandon, with Castle
ton. Whitehall and Orwell to assist in
building the line. Capitalists in these
towns readily offered their assistance, and
before February, 184S. Troy and Montreal
were within telegraphic communic4t alton.
Mr.. Benedict was the first superintendent
of the line, and held the position, think,
until the spring of 1849, when he was
succeeded by L. G. Dodge, the operator in
the Burlington office, and present Mayor
of Burlington, who held the position un-
til 1858, when he resigned for the pur-
pose of going 10 California, where he filled
MANY Offices of houor and trust. He was
succeeded by his brother, o. A. Dodge,
who held the Office until he became quite
wealthy, and until the line had been
transferred to the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. He had charge Of the
transfer of the line from the highway to
the railway.
Mr.. Benedict was a strict disciplinarian
and insisted that all Offices should be con-
Quoted by strict rules-the use of tobacco
and playing cards, and the reading of
novels was prohibited. Occasionally, Mr..
Benedict would start on "tour of obser-
vation," and Luther, as he was then call
ed, although we now must call him Mr..
Mayor, would inform the operators of the
proposed visit, and that the superintend-
ent had started for such an Office. Presto,
how quick Josephus would take the place
of that pack of cards that box Of pipes
and tobacco would leave the telegraph Of
fee for some safe place, and the operater
would apply himself assiduousIy to clean
ing the relay aud resister, and perhaps
when the superintendent came into the
office, they would be busy reading the
Ten Commandments or Parley's Evidences
of Christianity.
1 will give, as near IS l can, the names
of the respective operators, with calls;
Troy, 2, NJ L. Wood Bennington, Bn.
Geo. Harrington; Rutland, RI, w. E.
G. Stoddard Castleton, c., T. W. Rice
Whitehall, H, Charles Harris; Orwell,
Or. E. NJ. Wright; Middlebury, D., ].
W. Stewart ; Vergennes, V, P. V. Phelps
Burlington, B, l.. c. Dodge; st. Albans
Sa.. VIM. Burgeas St. John, J. (forgotten) j
Montreal, x, Geo. Barry. OF these
operators I know of but three of them
that are dead. Mr.. Burgess died early in
184S. and his Office was taken charge OF
by the writer of this; in few years
after Mr.. Stoddard died, and Mr.. Rice
died in 1869. J. W. Stewart is the pres
ent Governor of Vermont, and an homer
to the State, as be would be to any State
in the Union L. G. Dodge is now Mayor
of Burlington P. V. Phelps holds very
honorable position in the law at the
West; Mr.. Wright still sells goods in
Orwell and is one of the directors of the
Fairhaven & Lake Shore Railroad, oi
which II. G. Wood is Superintendent,
and, like the trip to the moon, will doubt
less rem lin in the imagination of its pro-
iectors; and o. A. Dodge is broker II
New York.
shall ever consider it an honor to have
been associated with such noble band OF
men. Though many of them have never
seen. vet l feel confident, that if il
should be my good fortune to meet them
I should find in them as warm friends al
those I personally know.
The telegraph, besides being OF so great
value to the public, is one of the best
schools for the young. The circum'
stances connected with the French Rebel
lion in 184S. the Taylor campaign are
fixed indellibly upon my mind, The
operator must read and understand
Like the steam engine, it has been great
power for good, and he name OF the
late G.. W. Benedict will ever be connect
| a3 xvith the frat projectors of the electric