Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-04-24
A RIVAL TELEGRAPH.
THE WONDERFUL GROWTH OF THR
BANKERS AND MERCHANTS co.

BANKERS AND MERCHANTS co.
Among the callers at the Evening
News Office yesterday afternoon were
Mr. G. s. Mott, general manager OF
the Bankers and Merchants telegraph
company, II. Stewart, general western
superintendent, with headquarters in
Chicago, and w. A. Dunn, district su-
perintendent, with headquarters in
Cleveland. The Bankers and Mer
chants was organized by Mr.. Mott in
1873, since which time it's career has
been one of the most remarkable in
the whole history of similar corpora
tions in the United States. AT first
the company had a line about 100
miles long, with four wires, between
New York and Philadelphia. The
methods of the new concern seemed to
take" and its business grew SO fast
that in a very short time additional
wires were strung bet ween New York
and Philadelphia. Even these failed
to meet the increased demands for tel
egraphic service. and the company be
gan extending it's own poles and wires
20 Baltimore and Washington.
About nine months ago the Bankers
and Merchants got fairly started on
what has heen the biggest boom "
OH record among trlegl aph companies.
First, it leased the Southern telegraph,
which is being rapidly extended toward
New Orleans. Then. OH the 1st of Oc-
tober, the American Rapid came under
its control, giving the advantage of
two different routes Between New York
and Washington, and an extensive sys-
TEN of wires reaching TO Boston, Alba
ny, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
On Feb. the management decided to
lease the board of trade line between
Chicago and st. Louis, which bad
three wires. and these three have since
been supplemented with half dozen
more.
The next line which fell into the
hands of Manager Mott was the Pacific
Mutual FROM ST. Louis TO St Joseph
and Kansas City 900 mile. of poles
and nearly 5000 Miles of Nire. Last
week the Northern Mutual was bought
running from Auburn TO Syracuse and
Ogdensburgh; also the Lehigh Valley
telegraph line, which penetrates the
PENNSYLVANIA coal regions.
A few days ago the management OBJ
served that the Cleveland district tel
egraplI company was IA great feeder to
he " cstern Union. 1t was imInedi-
ltely gobblcl up sy the Bankers and
Mere hants'.
The company is now making arrange
merits for term of years with the new
Michigan Postal telegraph, reaching
Fostoria, Toledo and Detroit. a CON
tract has been made to extend the sys-
all through Canada. BY June l the
to Milwaukee, Minneapolis and ST.
Paul An extension will be made from
Chicago direct TO Council Bluffs and
other extensions TO Kansas City and
Denver. In fact, the facilities of the
system everywhere are being constant
ly increased.
These details were gathered i'm talk
with Msssrs. Stswa and Dunn. Other
lines were mentioned as having been
leased or acquired, but the above are
the only ones whose names are def
nitely remembered. The main fact,
however, is this: That from a small
beginning in 1873 the Bankers and
Merchants system has grown to colos
gantic strides. 1t is now the most
| formidable rival chat the Western I'm
ion ever had All its purchases or
other contracts are made with the dis
tinct and perpetual understanding that
no consolidation shall occur with tbe
]
Western Union, and if such a step is
ever taken the property will revert to
ITS original owners. a. w. Dimock, u
well known banker of New York City,
is president Of the Bankers and Mer
chants system. The capital stock il
somewhere between s.. 600, 900 and SO
900, 600. Ii has about 5000 miles oi
poles and about rs, 600 miles of wire
The quadruplex aMd duplex systems oi
telcgraphy are used. Low rates, quick
service and fair dealing have made tn,
system popular everywhere. The
public.be d-d" is net one Of its mot
toes.
The Michigan Postal telegraph com
pany-which retains its LEGAL name un
der the new IDanagement-wi oper
its Detroit office for eastern and south
ern business next Friday. The servic'
to Chicago and western points will b'
commenced OH OF about May 1.-De
tro.t Evening News.