Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-07
THE QUADRUPLEx TELEGRAPH
PATENT.

The quadruplex instrument Is the
most important invention of late years
in connection with telegraphy. 1t is no
wonder tn erefore that rival telegraph
companies are ready TO go to any
length to obtain the exclusive right to
its use. An action occupying six
weeks in the taking of testimony alone
has just been concluded in New York.
The Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph
Company and the Western Union
Telegraph Company are the parties to
The suit, the former being represented
by Jay Gould. The ablest counsel OF
the New York bar are employed on
either side and the argument Is to pro-
coed on the 18th inst.
The matter at issue is the title to Edi-
sons quadruplex telegraph patent,
which is supposed to control the right
to send four Geographic messages at
the same time V a single wire-two
from each end. In accordance with
Edison's invention the Western Union
Company bias in operation about
fifty quadruplex circuits and is rapid
ly erecting more, and SO perfect has
the system become by the application
of other Improvements to it that, on
the great lines, sixty words a minute
are delivered on a sharply printed
strip of paper from each operator EN-.
ployed. The capacity of wire to
do the work OF four, of course, saves
the erection and maintenance of three
when the business requires that Ca
pacity, and the wires that do not ex-
list are called phantom wires"
The patents are not issued, but the
Patent Office has decided that they
shall issue to Messrs. Prescott & Eds
son, who are bound by contract to as
sign them 10 the Western Union. To
restrain the issue of these patents is
the object of this suit, which also seeks
a decree that when issued the patents
shall be assigned to the Atlantic and
Pacific Company, which claims equit-
able rights superior to those of the
Western Union Company.
AS the testimony shows, Edison
went into the employment of ths West
ern Union in February, 1873. tor the
purpose Of prosecuting inventions in
duplex and quadruplex telegraphy,
under a contract that the things pro-
ducsd should belong to the Western
Union and should be paid for at such
a price as arbitrator should fix, if the
parties could not agree. Under this
contract Edison ven on with his
experiments at the establishment of
the Wesern Union until July,
1874, when he assigned one half Of
the inventions to Mr.. Prescott, the
electrician of the company, who aided
in their development. In December,
1874, the quadruplex was at work to
Boston and Buffalo, and although there
we're no patents yet granted. the con-
pany paid Edison five thousand dol
lars on account of the expected price
and the parties were negotiating the
final compensation. At that moment
Jay Gould appeared OH the scene, and
having procured the assistance of Gen.
eral Eckert, who was then the Super
intendent of the Western Union, he
induces Edison, in consideration of
aI:.t., nnl Io1v.rc nnvh 70 nc
sign these inventions TO him, which
was done on the 4th of January,
1875. On the 18th OF January, 1875,
General Eckert resigned the Office of
Superintendent and at once became
president of Jay Gould's company,
and Edison. under their direction, at
tempted to rescind his contracts with
the Western Uuion and Prescott;
hence this suit. Afterward Jay Gould
bought two contracts, dated in 1870 and
1871, from George Harrington for five
thousand dollars. and these are
brought in to support the assignment
from Edison for which he paid thirty
thousand dollars, on the ground that
under them Harrington owned all the
inventions which Edison might there
after make for five years. On the
other hand, the Western Union claims
that it had no knowledge or notice Of
such contracts, and that they do not
relate to q~uadruplex. but exclusively
to automatic telegraphy, and that
quadruplex was invented in their place
by their means and money and by
their ervan employed for that pur-
pose.
If the London Times reflects En-
glish sentiment it would seem that
Britain is about ready to hedge on the
Eastern a The language Of the
"Thunderer" is not at all ambiguous.
1t says in SO many words that the