Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-07-05
4l.4 Nl- d A--.-H #+ --.- A-.- .....Hs
James Gordon Bennett VS. The Tele-
graph.

dAuLt. L-4 GoA nElAtLt - VIC Al-N-
graph.
In ei.,1Iisly announcing the recent death CT
It's founder and proprietor, James Gordon H5E-
nett. the New York Herald ss5s So lie vas
ever rcsiy to give his earnest and powerful sii
to the establishment of steamship lines, rail-
rotds and is,ez-spls, which be recognized As the
great u.isssi0nsries x Civilization, acd the l.e-
blood Of a perfect daily newspaper
As 70 the ate Mr. Bennett having teel
patron 10 the establishment Of steamship lines
sni railroads, ne nave no knowledge, and there
fore will ra.se no question. But ~ to bic meritg
As \ promoter in the establishment Of the tele-
graph, We uropose 20 submit the following well
known incident, which viii eusbie cur readers
to Judge with reasonable certainty:
twill be remembered that the frat line Of
Telegraph established in the United States was
the experimental line between Washington sui
Baltimore, for which the means was furnished ty
Congressional appropriation cut Of the public
Treasury, which WAS completed in the spuug Of
1871 Further Government patronage Wa pre-
vented by the advice OF the Postmse-er- General,
who, in his report to Congress, declared his be-
lief that the telegraph, although al interesting
experiment. could never become Of practical
value, Sui the very moderate c1er Of Prof
Morse FOR the sAie Of his entire invention 70 the
United States Government, VAS declined
The only resource for ITS future development
VAS IN an sppeal 10 the enterprise Of the tusI-
ness men Of the country. ia order 20 bring the
invention 20 the attention q the business inter-
ests, Mr.. Ezra Cornell, Gone q the founders,
ami still director Of the present estern Union
Telegraph CompanyO who hSi superintendent
the erection Of the Washington and Baltimore
line, opened for exhibition sho-t line Of tele-
graph in Boston. Finding hut little encourage
ment IN that city, the exhibition was coon shSa-
doned there, and transferred 70 the City OF New
York. where an experme lie wss opened in
the Autumn Of 1874, for exhibition 10 The pub
lie. The line extended from No I II Broadway
to point just above tie present Metropolitan
Hotel. So little attention did this wonderful
invention then receive. even At the modes. +.
mission fee Of one shilling per head, that Mr..
Cornell and his assistant found it extremely dill
cult to maintain themselves in the m9st humble
manner, upon the entire receipts OF their exhi-
biti0n. Sleeping on the chairs in their exhibi-
tion-r0ou, they often found it necessary 10 20 10
bed supperlefs. Without the mesns Of paving
for advertising, the daily papers were bctought
to notice the exhibition editorially. kindly no
tees were given by the Express and Eceniag
Post, a. well as some OF the other papers Of the
day, but not word could the HerGlibe induced
to say. Finally Mr.. Cornell so1gh, an interview
with Mr. Bennett, and solicited his attention.
lie war met By the very frank statement lron
Slr. Bennett that be was opposed to the success
Of the telegraph In Mr.. Benuett's own
words, he g had st great expense established ais
expresses in such manner that be could beat all
Of his rivals, and if the telegraph were once sue
cessfully eIiaolished he would lose his sdvsn-
tAge."
Within two years Mr.. Cornell had the proud
satisfaction of demonstrating to Mr.. Bennett the
value Of his then mode Of transmitting import
ant news During the yeST 1913, mainly by the
effort, Of Theodore S. Paxton and his associates
Of Utica, company wss organized for building
a telegraph line between New York and Butalo.
The section between New York and Albany was
built under the superintendency Of Mr.. Cornell,
snd wa, opened for business at the end Of 1916.
Gov. Young's annual message was transmitted
to the Legislature the first Tuesday Of January,
1877, at noon. At that hour Herald messen-
ger. with {. copy Of the message, left the capital
on horseback. provided with relays of fleet hOr,es
., short intervals. Riding at break-neck speed