The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-01-17
COLUMBIAs.,S. G.
Friday Morning, January II. 1873.

q T
Friday Morning, January II. 1873.
wonders OF tho T.i .i,srsph--ob,.o,,o,n, =,
GO Governmental Control.
We have looked into some numbers of
the Journal Of The Telegraph. published
bi.monthly, in New York, by the West
ern Union Telegraph, Company, kindly
handed to us BY W. r. 0athoart, Esq.
manager Of the company at this place.
Wa find it fully abreast Of the spirit Of
the times. nnd replete;with curious and
interesting facts and arguments as to
what concerns the telegraph interest.
The telegraphers are swift people, and
just now are growing over our old Shak-
spearian fsiry friend, Puck, who on.
gagged 40 put p girdIe round about the
earth in forty miuutes." The mayors OF
aa1t;asiiaass, aaa 1tasiias :a Southern Australia. and OF
San Francisco, IN California, lately ex-
changed oongratulatory kilograms. THESE
had to pass over circuit Of 10000 miles
to reach their destinations. The mes:
sage, starting at Adelaide, crossed the
Australian continent, went under the
Indian Ocean, through the Sunds Islands
to.Hindoobtsn, under the Arabian Sea,
through the Red Sea, over the Isthmus.
Of Buez, under the Mediterranean, oyer
Western Europe to London, under the
Atlantic Ocean to New York city, and
thence overland to San Francisco. It
was received and published in that oity
The same day that it was dated science
thus setting natures laws at defiance.
# the forwarding] machinery were per-
feet and expeditions in its workings,
such telegram ought to reach the Pa
citic coast within few moments after
its departure from Australia, and nearly
fifteen, hours, by our solar. time. before
il was sent. Prodigiousi prodigivasl as
Dominic Sampson would say.
: The business Of telesraphy has grown
to be large and vastly remunerative to
the companies engaged in it. Thousands
Of skilled hands. male aud female, are
now deftly teuohing the telegraphic
keys. despatohing important news and
facts to aud fro through the world, and
earning thereby decent and honorable
support. Like type.settinz, it is almost
an education within itself, and the dull
est learn something from it. Excellence
in the art. however, can only be gained
by those OF the requisite culture and
discipline, who are naturally quick.
whose memery is retentive, whose senses
are educated, and who have acquired
steadiness and frmness of character,
which enables them to keep their facul-
ties under good command.
The General Government has turned
ito greedy eyes toward these companies.
and, in keeping with other grasping
schemes which form part of the pur-
pose to concentrate all attainable power
in its hands, has, through the Postmas-
ter-General. in his report, attempted to
show the advantages and desirableness
Of governmental acquisition of the entire
telegraphio interest Of the country. This
report has been shown to be grossly in.
accurate in its statement Of facts. The
Postmaster General has altered and gar.
bled the reports Of the workings of the
postal TELEGRAPH, in Great Britain, and
has made some astounding errors and
blunders as to che cost Of maintaining
and constructing telegraph lines in thi,
country. It was. perhaps. to have been
expected that Cabinet officer, burdened
with the cares Of his bureau, should fail
to understand subject so vast and com.
plioated, and not to be grasped except
by thorough examination and study. A
business. as the Telegraph well says. in.
volving the employment Of capital OF
over $50. .000, 900, of 10, 900 skilled labor
ers, Of 5000 separate places where it is
transacted, and an annual expenditure OF
over 81, 900, 900, cannot be comprehended
except by long and careful study of
the subject by persons qualified both by
study and experience.
The most patent objection to Mr..