Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-04-07
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Special Correspondence.

NEW YORK, April 3, 1879.
Telegraphy has been so long in uni
versal use throughout civilization, and
its existence and methods are taken so
much as matters of course, that proba-
bly, but few people realize that the
science is yet almost in its infancy
Recent experiments are said to have
opened up vast possibilities in the d.
rection of improvement and it is even
claimed that great deal has already
been practically accomplished. A COM
paEy has just been formed here with a
large capital to establish lines in compe-
tition with those already existing be-
tween the great cities-an enterprise so
costly and so difficult that nothing but
some vast Improvement could Justify at
tempting it. The managers of the new
company state that by their plan they
confidently expect within three years to
be able to telegraph ordinary business
letters to and from all parts of the
country, at about ten cents apiece. They
claim that by virtue of their new dis
coveries they can transmit sixty thou
sand words per hour.
Another indication In the same line
is the recent establishment of a new
ocean cable company which expects by
working under new system, to flash
two thousand words minute along the
bed of the sea. from Europe to America,
or vice versa. All the promoters of
these new enterprises are very positive
and sanguine in their statements, and
even taking off the usual discount from
their stories, it seems probable that We
are upon the eve of what may fairly be
called new Geographic era.
A little more than week ago, the
new aud very important branch of the
East side Elevated Railroad running
from City Hall square, was opened for
travel, and, and only day or two after
this event, there occurred on this road
the first really serious accident in the
history of the elevated system. Two
trains collided, fortunately at low rate
of speed, two engines were smashed and
number of persons seriously injured
Everything about the accident, except
the occurrence itself, was miraculously
fortunate, and no one was killed out
right 1t is said that it would be al
most impossible for the event to be re
peated without throwing the trains t
the streets below with murderous results
The accident was due to a misplaced
switch and has created so much fear ant
anxiety that the company have announc
ed their determination to abandon brancl
switches altogether, and transfer passen
gers at functions as measure Of safety
That was unique entertainment
which was given by a prominent mem
Der of the Roosevelt family the othe
evening. and christened by the host g
pot-luck picnic The distinguishin
characteristic of the affair that all ii
viands were supposed to have been pre-
pared by the ladies and gentlemen pres
ent. The cards of invitation stated tina
"any guest feeling within herself Q
himself the divine confidence of cookery
is requested to supply the dish in whic
he or she excels" In several cases, th
recipient of the invitation was informe
of the nature of the eatable which b
was expected to provide. The resu
was a triumphant success. The CON
pany was large, distinguished, and hur
d cry, and each course was naturally tn
object of the liveliest interest.
One of the many queer incidents dali
: coming to the surface or New York lifs
e occurred on Wall street few days ag'
r A young woman stood on one of tn