The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-11-30
sTAUNTON VIRGINIA, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 80 1871
The Western Union Telegraph Company

|
Synonymous of meanness, radicalism monoI
oily and vile imposition has lately outdone itse
in its customary greed after dollars and CENTS
We refer to the infamous speculation practice
upon the Chicago sufferers, in doubling their rate
and furnish, in evidence, the following commun
cation to the 7elegraphsr, newspaper publishe
| in New York, which explains itself:
To the Editor Of The Tszegrapher:--
| On the day of the terrible excitement, afte
the burning of Chicago, when the railroad depot
were thronged with people bringing lavish con
tributions of clothiug and provisions and none
| for the relief of the destitute inhabitants of tn
stricken city when the railroad companies q
the East were dispatehing lightning expires
freight trains laden with supplies on their erran
of mercy, and those of the West were carrying
thousands of penniless refugees to places wher
their friends could care for them-all Of this in al
outburst of spontaneous generosity, withou
| money and without price,, the undersigned
manager ola Western Union Telegraph office, re
| eeived an order signed by my Superintendent
| not only to take messages for Chicago subject Il
senders risk-but also to charge dou5ls rates OF
them all, without distinction!
In all my life l never felt 80 humiliated al
when copied that message from the clicking
of my ms rument. But worse was in store for me
Within half an hour man came with mes
sage for Chicago. l explained to him the utter
arrangement of telegraphic business there, and
the impossibility Of finding any one, and that he
must sign release of the company for all re-
sponsbility. Certainly" said he, s.that is no
more than fair" ''Then," said l, with flushed
face, must charge you double rates.
"What! do ye mean to tell me you are charg-
ing double ratesto Chicago on the strength of the
calamity?'
81 am very sorry, but 1t is the companys or
ders, meekly calculated.
kVn,r I. r
Orion, and several of the directors of the West
Union Company, and knoD that they never
issued such an infamous order as that at such a
time as this It's impossible I'll report you .
You shall hear from me. etc., etc. q.
You can imagine my sensations as the angry
Gus omer poured forth his denunciations 1t was
With the utmost difficulty that I convinced him
that the order was genuine, and not an ATTEMPTED
swindle of my own. AS he went away, said he
'if the Western Union Company really issued that
order, every decent will rejoice at the de-
struction of their property, and | wish the au
thor Of it, whoever he is, him had gone with
it, But he will get roasted hereafter, if he didn +
this time, that's one comfort !" And he rushed
out, and banged the door after him, while two
by ISLANDERS shouted, ''Amen."
Mr.. Editor, you are aware that am not a sub
scriber to your paper, and that have always ex-
erted my influence rather against it, believing
that its criticisms the Western Union Compa-
ny were harsh, acrimonious, and, in many cases,
unjust and uncalled for. have served that com
pany faithfully for six years, and never had cause
to complain of my Treatment But my experience
during the time that order was in force, and of
which have given but one example out of num-
Der, have made me feel disgraced and humiliated.
If the officers Of the Western Union Company
could have heard the remarks that did, it would
have made their cheeks Jingle. The excuse that
it was done to decrease the volume of business, is,
if possible, worse than the order itself. It de-
creased, if at all. by crowding off the messages Of
the poor, to whom knowledge Of the safety of
their relatives is just as precious to the man
who can afford to pay two or ten prices, if need
be. Who thinks of price in such emergency
as this, unless indeed, his purse cannot compass it?
Mr.. Editor, in my opinion the President and
Directors of our company would honor themselves
by taking the originator of that order, which has
brought disgrace and oboquy upon its very name.
thrusting him out of the door and kicking him off
the steps In the words of Patrick Henry, off
this is treason, make the most of it!''
TRUTHFUL JAMES.
We also desire in this connection. to call the at
tention Of our readers to an anonymous card,
headed Western Union Telegraph stuck up in
the Hotels, Depots, and Post Office in this city,
referring to the Southern and Atlantic, and Vir-
ginia Tele raph Companies, 'smere local CON
cerns" This the author knows is false, as
sure as he knows he is the hireling of Radical
combination to cheat the Government by compel
ling them, through Vanderbilt's millions to pur-
chase, at fabulous sum, the lines Of the Western
Union Company postal telegraph The best
evidence that we adduce that these companies
are not local, is. that they have taken business,
and attended to it SO satisfactorily, that this
grown, self swollen and 1nsolent monopoly has
lost its heretofore control in this community thro'
the introduction of more liberal and respectable
companies, whom it fears, and hence libels in
anonymous posters. These lines those of the OPP
position) extend through to Richm ond, Norfolk.
Petersburg, Danville, Charleston Savannah, and
will soon be ip New Orleans. They go West to
CHICAGO. and transmitted messages Free and the
Pacific and Atlantic are now transmitting 1900
messages per day to the Western Unions 1900
hence the s.galled jade VINCE They have (the
opposition) lines to Baltimore Boston, Philadel-
phia and New York. and are responsible for the
prompt delivery Of all messages they take. and
do not ask an endorsement upon the back Of their
blanks to be relieysd of responsibility for What
they contract to do. We hope our readers will
appreciate this monstrous outrage, and remember
that until the opposition established, these
yankees charged what they pleased, and then ex
cused themselves on account ofthe .;taxes having
been paid" These Western Union people evil
IDENTIFY forget that the patrons of those opposition
lines are as well acquainted with their capacity
as they are with the heretofore imposition of
those who publish and post anonymous cards.
which redown to their discredit, and form a
more favorable public opinion of the Southern
and Atlantic, and Virginia Telegraph Companies
NOVEMBER 10, 187l.-lt.