The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-19
New YoRK, September II, 1881.

| NE" hbhhl buPtVhlbtA ~ 1901
10 f. H Parker, Pnsident Produce Er.
change, Nsw York:
DEAR Sir: am this morning In receipt
Of your letter Of yesterday, which, however,
first came to my notice in the newspapers
before reached my office Permit me TO
say can hardly consider your course in
publishing such document before it was
possible for you TO receive reply to 1t,
consistent with commercial courtesy. |
shall therefore give similar publicity
TO this letter, that tho company may be
saved from the reflections the unqualified
terms OF your complaint are calculated to
throw upon 1t, The facilities OF this com.
pany for the transmission OF dispatches to
and from the West are more than adequate
10 the demands OF ordinary business, but
the delays which have occurred during the
last few weeks have been due to three
causes, which were entirely unforeseen,
and against which it was impossible for us
! to.make immediate provision, viz:
First-The attempted assassination OF
the President created demand upon us
throughout the country, which 1t became
our duty TO give the first attention. So
great has tile demand been that the compa.
ny has transmitted about 2,000, 900 words OF
bulletins, equivalent to 400, 900 OF messages
Of average length, since the second OF July
last, and presume the most Captious will
hardly complain because we have made 10
great an effort to ass1age the anxiety OF the
peOple at large during most terrible ma
tional calamity.
SecOnd-The forest fires in the Middle
and Western States have caused continual
Interruptions to wires, in some instances
prostrating all our trunk lines and cutting
us OIL from any communication with
Chicago and other western produce markets
The authentic reports OF the devastation Of
which those fires have made In the localities
through which our lines pass give sufficient
evidence oil the difficulty we have had in
in coping with troubles entirely beyond
human CONTROL
Third-The increase in the number Of
commercial messages has been beyond
the natural growth Of business expected,
being more than 80 per cent above that OF
the same season of any year in the com.
pany's history, and far beyond any reasona.
BILE antiCipations. This enormous increase
Is pressed for immediate transmission dur.
ing about five hours Of the business day,
and the very prompt service tho company
has been rendering has 80 increased the ex.
aCtlOps OF that class Of customers that
nothing short OF immediate transmission
will avoid the complaint,
The first and second OF the causes are
entirely temporary, hut connected wltlIthe
third liaYe made d demand on US ot such
magnitude tlmt no provision the Western
Union Telegraph could have made would
have heoH sufficient to insure the same
precision In its business US under other
circumstances We are, however, making
every effort to transmit our messages with
the utmost dispatch, Our employees are
rendering faithful and efficient service and
our facilities are being so Increased as 10
make ample, provision for any require
ments Of the"publiC, The erection Of
about 10000 miles Of new wires having
been commenced in. early spring and ~
much more has since been undertaken in
consequence uI the extnordinaryd demands,
we are pushing this work with all energy
possible, and In view Of the circumstances
above reCited and Of the fact that to erect
wires for distances 80 great, for example,
as between Chicago and this point, Is a
work Of time. | have no doubt we shall
receive from the public at laFge and from
all business men especially d reasonable
degree Of consideration.
Yours respectfully,
THOMAS 7, EcKERr,
Vice President and Gen'l. Manager.