The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-10-21
THE TELEGRAPH WAR.


The following letter was obtained yestcr.
day evening, and Is reply to the commu-
nication published in various papers yester-
day mornings
NEW York CITY, October 90
To DR.. Noruin Green, President Western Union
Telegraph Company.
DEAR SIR: The Mutual Union Telegraph
Company has published letter to your COM
pany containing averments in which | am
involved, and in which the attempt is made
to connect your company with certain per-
sonal transactions of my own. The simple
fact IL, that having been for many years in
terested in Canadian telegraph matters, and
being now president of an organization
which embraces all the existing lines in
Canada, was naturally concerned at the
proposition of the Mutual Union
Company, under the guise of the
Canada Mutual Company, to add to the
number of telegraph lines in the Dominion,
already more than sufficient for the wants
of the public. / found also reason to be-
lievc that the proposed line was about to be
constructed under contract of such ma
ture that if its provisions were fully and
certainly known no such subscriptions
would be made rs were necessary to enable
the new line TO be built. At this time
person, not connected either with the Mu-
tual Union Telegraph Company or with its
contractors, voluntarily offered to preserve
me copy Of the contract. Such contrac Is
in England and Canada are public property
invariably, accessible to all subscribers to
the funds of such companies, who certainly
have everywhere the right to know the
terms on which their money is to be paid out.
/ was at the same time the owner of stock
in the Mutual Union Company and was
entitled to know its affairs. Friends of
mine, however, who were large subscribers
to the bonds of that company, had in vain
endeavored to learn upon what terms the
lines of the company were being built.
Under these circumstances agreed to pay
the person who had offered me q copy of the
contract for such copy without inquiring
as to where he got 1t. desired to take il
to Canada with me and he did not deliver
it in time, but just as was leaving on the
train he sent me note stating his inability
to deliver it at the time, and asking where
it should be sent. then sent him written
instructions to take it to Gen. Eckert and
ask him to pay for it and hold it
until my return. II was so taken to Gen.
Eckert who simply signed, without
scrutiny, receipt handed to him with the
paper. The payment was made for my ac-
count and afterward repaid by me. In re-
ceiving and paying for the paper Gen.
Eckert merely did a friendly act for me in
my absence and without any previous
previous knowledge or acquaintance with
the matter, however. As for Mr.. Bates his
connection with the affair is simply this
He was asked by the party to examine the
paper after it had been delivered to Gen.
Eckert in his presence. He did examine it
and seeing that the copy of the contract
failed to disclose several features
ordinarily exhibited in such paper,
as for instance the security for its per-
Torrance, who were the custodians of
the money and securities, and the amount
of securities issued, made memorandum
of these points. This information, with
the copy, was afterward delivered to me-.
No paper of the Mutual Union Telegraph
Company is or has been in the possession of
your company, so far as is known to me, and
none is or has been in my own possession,
unless the copy Of the contract which have
can be so considered, and to which be-
leve myself to be fully entitled.
Yours, very respectfully,
ERAsTUs WIMAN.