The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-06-17
a MILITARY TELEGRAPH FROM SAN
DIEGO 10 SANTA FE.

by act OF Congress, approved March 5,
rs, was appropriated S5J,3lI.S0 ''for the
construction Of a IHilitary telegraph from
San Diego, Cal, cia Fort Yuma and Mari
capa WcllsSto Prescott and Tucson, Arizo-
na." The amount so appropriated was ex-
pended By the Quartermaster's Department,
L. s. A., and the line was worked by hired
civilian operators at an expense, per man,
Of about 500 per month.
BY act approved March 5, 1879, Con-
gress appropriated $4,000 to construct a
telegraph line from Fort Marcy Santa Fee,
n. NJ, ria Fort Bayard, \. NJ, TO
Camp Grant, Arizona Territory" BY
the same act, the Chief S;nnal Officer
Of the Army was invested with the 'charge
and control OF said lines OF telegraph, also
with the construction, repair and operation
OF the same"
Gen. a. J. Myer the Chief Signal Officer,
u. s. A., has been Familiarity known to the
American public as ''Old Prob" by reason
OF his control of the Meteorological Bureau
OF the War Department, and, probably, has
been popularity believed to be solely
engaged in weather predictions. 1t
is not so generally known that, some
years since, he commenced TO enlist men OF
superior intelligence As prirates of the act
ing Signal Corps L. S. y, and to educate
them as practical telegraph operators, re-
pairers, line men, etc. His design was 10
thereby have at his command thoroughly
trained body OF men who, in the event OF
war, should be competent to intelligently
perform the usual duties devolying upon
telegraph operators, military signalists, etc.
The Congressional enactments quoted have
afforded him the means OF widely extending
his field of usefulness.
Ii is proposed 10, by the labor of troops,
directed by these experts, run a line from
San Diego, Southern California, to Santa
Fe, n. NJ, thereby Attending the entire in
termcdiate region the facilities of speedy
communication'with.t States East and
West.
Aside from the uses for the protection OF
the frontier. and the connection Of military
posts and settlements, these lines viii, when
extended into New Mexico, he of important
benefit to the commercial and agricultural
interests of the territory. They will
place, when completed and extend
ed, each of the stations upon them in
almost instantaneous connection with the
Office of the Chief Signal officer at Wash
ington, and into the system of the regular
Geographic circuits' from which they will
entcr.Aside from the othe ruSes, the meteorol-
ogical information 70 he had tri-daily from
the stations, viii affect the signal service
reports throughout the United States
The transmission OF civilian messages for
tolls, as now required by law, has an i'm
portan; bearing upon the business interests
of the territory and adjoinrng States.
The character of the country through
which the line will be run, is too we'll
known 10 this community, to need dilation
here, but the self-imposed labor that the
army has thus assumed, should receive
the cordial cooperation OF the press of the
country.
We understand that Maj. Gen. Pope has
already given orders to the proper officials
in New Mexico to commence he work of
telling trees needed for wires ipports, and
We ale also informed that work will he
, commenced At Santa Fe, running south
ward and westward, so soon as the neces-
sary reconnaissance has been completed and
the route of the line definitely determined
upon.
For the construction, maintainance and
use Of military telegraph lines on the Indian
and Mexican frontiers. for the better protec-
! ton Of immigration, and the frontier settle
ments from depredations, especially in the
State OF Texas, the Territories OF New
Mexico, Arizona and the Indian Territory.
Congress has further appropriated S5S,Ooo.
1t is believed that the expense OF oper-
sting and keeping in repair the said tele-
graph lines can be covered by the sum re-
csived as tolls for dispatches.
In the discharge of these duties, the c. S.
| q. will have the assistance of the respective
dcpartmsnt commanders, who will furnish