New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-23

ORLEANS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 23 1874
Soathera and Arlsntic Telegraph Com
panys

! Southera and Atlantic Telegraph Com.
pany.
The monopoly which has for so long q
time been enjoyed by the Western Union
Telegraph Company appears now to be y,
| an end. The establishment of a competing
line is an assured fact, and the result will
undoubtedly be great reduction Of rates
|. The new competing line is the Southern aud
Atlantic Telegraph Company. Mr. George
w. Blossom, of New York, is the president,
and Mr.. Henry HEM, president OF the New
York Cotton Exchange, vice president, and
Mr.. George H. Grace, of N aeon, Georgia,
the general superintendent.
Knowing that any information on the
subject of cheap telegraph rates possesses
great interest for the people of this CITY
and State, and, in fact, the whole South, a
reporter Of the REPUBLICAN, called yesser.
day upon Mr. Grace to obtain from him
some facts concerning the new company.
Mr.. Grace is here Oh business for the com.
pany, and, though much occupied, gave
frank replies to the questions asked.
The company is organized, he states, un-
der tbs laws of New York, Mississippi and
Louisiana. The business men and bankers
in the various cities and towns on the route
are many of them owners of stock, and all
of them support the enterprise, as it i, to
their interest to obtain cheap telegraphing
The work now being performed here is un-
der the control of local company, of which
MIR. j. B. Lafitte il president. and J. N.
Seixas, secretary.
Up to February. 1873. the company was
operating but about 1900 miles of line, with
about twenty-five offices. To-day it is
working over 5000 miles, with 100 offices,
including nearly every important city and
town between New York and Mobile. az
we'll as the cities and towns along the
Atlantic and gulf coast.
All opposition has come from those in
terested in maintaining q monopoly. and
every device, it is alleged, has been resorted
to whereby the ppgress Of the company
might be retarded. 1t has been frequently
tied up for weeks at a time by injunctions.
1t has also had to contend with evil reports
which were circulated concerning it, The
suit which was decided on Monday in the
Superior District Court will give some idea
OF how the company has had to fight it's
way. But for these legal detentiuns it
would have been established here long ago.
The suit in the Superior District Court was
against the Mobile Railroad Company for
condemnation OF right Of way, and a verdict
of 81 damages was rendered. This was
merely to establish the right OF the tele-
graph company along the line of the road.
The company will now go ahead IS fast
as possible, and the superintendent hopes
to have the line between New Orleans and
Mobile working in few days. The line il
already completed from Mobile to Pearl
river, and work has now been resumed be-
tween there and this city. Great impor-
tance is attached to the connection between
this place and Mobile, but it is the purpose
OF the company to establish duplicate line
to New York, and should the people of New
Orleans encourage it, as no doubt they will.
routes to Texas and to the West will bs the
object Of the company's immediate efforts
This company now connects at New York
with other independent com panies, whose
lines extend to San Francisco and also to the
Dominion Of Canada. It has also cioee and
exclusive connection with the new direct
uni1ed States cable now being laid by the
cable steamship Faraday, which. when
completed, will give us connection with all !
parts of Europe.
The objection that the company, as soon
as in complete working order, will consoli.
late with one of the rival lines and leave
ts patrons again at the mercy of a
monopoly, is promptly met by the superin-
'endent. He asserts that it has no founda-
ion. While, of course, he can not say what
nay happen, he asserts that nothing has
'een done 10y the company looking to any
with any of the rival lines.
Nor can it possibly be done except with the
consent of the holders of three.fourths of !
he capital stock, and he has yet to see the
irst stockh0lder who would sanction it.
On closing the interview Mr. Grace. after
banking our reporter remarked: 1--WE
ully understand and appreciate the wants
It the press and its claims on the telegraph,
or which it has done so much, and SO far
. has been in our power We have recog-
7sd it to tho fullest extent This has
een frequently acknowledged in public
manner by the different newspapers which
re have served and are still serving