The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-20
KcKKRT's IxrLASA1IoN.

why the Western UsiOn Cannot Has
die its EEOrms u>tness HIS s.e-
siy 10 the President OF the New
~YOrk Produce ExeaNnEe-Aii Pos 4
bic Relief Prs m sed the Pubic.
Nav York, SEPTEMBER ls-rhs following
correspondence explains iuef;
NEW YoRK PRpDUcE ExcHANGY,
New Yorx, Sept II, lSSi.
General Thomas 7 Eckert, G neral Mama
Western Union Telegraph Company:
DEAR SIR-Very serious complaints Al.
being made as to the facilities for transmit
ting telegraph dispatches between this eI.
change aud the west. They are entirely in-
sd qus,e for the volume OF business now be-
ing transacted. desire TO csll your imms>
diate st,ention TO this matter and to most re.
specially rCque,t that such additional wires
AID other f.citiuss may be provided as shall
promptly meet the requirements OF the mem-
bers OF this * hange.
Respectfully yours,
L. III. PARKER, President.
Extculce ofncs, Western U5ion Telegraph
t. T. II Packer, Il O., President Produce
Exchange, New YorS City
Dst SIR-I am this morning in receipt Ct
your letter OF yesterday, which, however, 6rt
c,me TO nv notice 10 the newspapers before
reached my Office. Permit tie o cay, that
/ csn hardly consider your course in pub
fishing such document before 1t wa, posi-
Bio f,r you TO receive reply toit Consistent
wi h commercial courtesy. | shall endeavor,
t5erer re- to give similar publicity to this
letter, that the company may DO saved from
the r. cti0us the unqualified terms of yout
complaint are calculated to throw ON it. The
facilities OF this company for the TRANSMISSION
of dispatches 70 aud from the wet are
more ihsn adequate to the demands of ordi,
narv business but delays which have occur.
red during the last few weeks have been due
to thrre causes which were entirely unfOr-
seen, and against which it was impossible for
u to m-k immediate provision:
1st, The attempted assassination of the
president crea ed demand on us through
gu. the country which became q duty to
give the first attention. So great has been
the demand that tie company has trass-
mitted about two millions OF bulletins,
equivalent to four millions of messages of
average length, since the "a Of July last, and
presume tho most captious will hardly
complain because we have made so great an
effort 10 assusge the anxiety of the people at
ar.e during most terrible national ca.
lsmity.
"a, The forest fires in the middle of the
western states have caused continual Interrupt
tions to our wires,i some cases prostrstiDg all
our trunk lines and cutting US off from any
communication with Chicago and other
western produce markets. Tho authentic
reports of the devastation those fires have
made in localities through which our lines
pass givs sufficient evidence Of the difficulty
we have had in coping with troubles entirely
beyond human control.
Sd, The increase in the number Of COM
mercisl messages has been far beyond the
natural growth of business expected, being
more than 80 per cent. above that at the
same season of any year in the
company's history, and far beyond
any reasonable anticipation. This
enormous business 10 pressed for immediate
transmission during about five hours of the
business day, and the ve'y prompt asrvlce
the company has been rendering has 80 in
creased the exactions of that class of custo-
mers that nothing short of immediate trans.
m ssion will avoid complaint.
The first and second OF these causes are
entirely temporary, but combined with the
third have made demand on W for such
magnitude that no provision
the Western Union Telegr apr
Company could have made would
have been sufficient TO insure the
same precision in its business
ss under other circumstances. We are,
however, making every effort to transmit
our messages with the utmost dispatch, and
our employees arc rendering faithful and
efficient service, and our facilities are being
so increased as to make ample provision for
any requirements of the public, the cree.
ton of about ten thousand miles of new wire
having been commenced in the early spring,
and as much more has been undertaken in
consequence of the extraordinary demands.
We are pushing this work with all the
energy possible, and in view of the ,circum-
stances above stated, and of the fact that to
erect wires for distances 90 gresl-for ex-
ample. As between Chicago and this point
is work of time. have 10 doubt we shall
receive from the public at large, and from all
business men especially, q reasonable degree
of consideration.
THOMAS T. ECKERT,
Vice,President and General Manager.