New-York tribune., 1885-03-27
OBITUARY.
GENERAL ANsoN sTAGER.

GENERAL ANSON oIAUEh
CHICAGO, March 26.-General Anson Stager,
who for time past had been suffering from mum
ber OF complaints including Brights disease, died at
O'clock this morning He was UNCONSCIOUS for several
hours before his DEATH and quietly passed away & mno
In that condition His funeral will take place Oh oa'
day.
General Anson stager was born in Ontario County,
NY, April 90 1925. In boyhoOd he learned the ar1
preservative in the printing office OF Henry okey'
in Rochester, and having both liking and an aptn'ss
therefor purposed making it the business of his fe
When he reached his majority however, 1t had become
evident that Professor Morsss invention was bound 10
co." and Mr. OReilly, becoming enthusiastic over II,
gave up the types and entered the telegraph BUSINESS
taking young stager with him. That was In lS46 MI
ORey built a telegraph line between Philadelphia and
Harrisburg. and In tue fall Of that year Mr.. stager
assumed charge OF his first Office. at Lancaster. Pres
emily the line was extended Psburg and Mr. stager
won't there to the larger ohice MT. Okeliy
kept pushing his lines from city to city ana from
town town. reaching Cincinnati at length, to which
place he transferred his young lieutenant who was oy
this time the ablest operator in the country and
had been consplcuOusy successful at Pittsburg. M
stsger had also devised several valuable improvements
In the service such connecting long lines to save time
ana the risks OF repetition and ecoLomizlng batteries Dy
charging many wires at the same time from the same
While he at Cincinnati the New-York ana
Mississippi Valley system Of lines from Buffalo to Louis
ntendent In 1851 year secured connection with
New-York City. Not long after the Western Union
Telegraph Company organized and In 1885, various
ether companies consolidated with it, and from the
Mr. Sager identified with the growth OF that
enormous institution He became its general superin-
tendent, located at Cleveland In 1883 He was there
when the Southern rebellion broke out In 1861 and then
began me- and most important era In his career.
Soon after the outbreak Of the war, Governor penni
son, OF Ohio, sent for MI Stager to come 10 CouDus
and consult with him about assuming military control
the telegraph lines of that State Then Governor Nor
ton OF Indiana and Governor Yates OF Illinois, placed
lines their 'taes also under his authority ihen
General Mcclellan. who the military leader ~
Missouri Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West virginia, sent
him 10 assume general charge OF az p9ysrhemn. Nv
lines IN that district headquarters at 81 Louis In
the fail OF s6l General retired and Mcclellan pc
came commander of all the armies 1t was proposed 70
begin "A vigorous prosecution or the war an aIons le
line the Potomac to the Rio Grande, ana II was aP
parent that great telegraph system WOULD 90 Gsoes %
sary. Secretary Csmeron was advised oy Amas STONE
Cleveland to put Mr. Stager at the heau OF he uepal
nent, and accordingly the latter was called 70 Wasnlng
TO submit his views on the subject LUIS no uu oh
October 2B IN king a written report; Thomas A. scott
assistant secretary War; sent it to President lneo9
2Sth, and the same day IL was appr1seu anu w
adopted Then, in accDrdane with recommendations 9l
Qnarternasi er-General Melgs Mr stssr Was IN '1 p
general superintendent OF Government teegraPis III M
the military departments with the rank OF captain ua
ing from November H. 1861. His assistants were aSo
given commissions In tie service Major Thomas 4.
Eckert being paced in charge Of tile Department OF te
Potomac and ten others with the rank 0f captain gons
20 other fields Of duty But the operators were ei %
civilians. employees of the quartermasters cipncr
system was developed ty taplbu otdEot' fSo'oeou
L. Eckert, A. 3. Chandler, ID. ii. Bates ana I. A.
Tinker and was successful that the rebels never de
ciphered one captured me7sIge nor was one ever De
trayed by an operator Major Albert j. Myer the chef
signal officer organized tie fell telegraph system IN
June. 1861, but IL aterward merged INTO the
Military Telegraph Del artIent under Colonel StaSer'
(Novembet 1863. .---.-.n,,.
The story OF the Telegraph Department Is inseparaby
interviewer with that OF the National Army seil ana
cannot be reaIrd here. but II be stated that the
10 900 miles OF line and their operation from May -
1861. 10 June 30, 1861 cost the GOvernment Only
$3.50 500 Probably 65OOOO0 dispatches were trans
A.. tts,aa uuLi "A
cents each when it Is remembered that many 0t these
were long. many sent great distances ana many
were the or winning battles ana campaigns u Is
seen that this department the Government got more
its pFUbablN, than In any Othcr; ana tnc
history OF that arnent Is splendid monument tO
the memory OF the whose death Is now announced
Colonel Stager made his last annual report June 80
1866 aud mustered ont Of service witb tDt Drevet
rank Of brigIder general Major Eekert receiving the
same promotion. -, ,,....,u
~ enlarged by the absorption OF other lines and reor
ganRed Three grand divisions were created. Central
Eastern southern. General Stagef was made super
urndent OF The Central Division with headquarters ~
Cleveland transferred I'm l-69 to Chicago lie resigned
i'm $50 In the latter city he established and until the
opeuing of thi. year president or the western
Electric Manufacturing Company, said 10 be the largest
concern of the Kid in this country. lie also was
prom ncnty interested in telephone systems electric
lighting railroads aud other business enterprises OF me
West and Northwest. General stager married In
Miss KeDeccn sprague, OF BnralU tho diea In
November $50 their children three are living, MIS-
r. :. Gorton Mrs. T. W. Hicks, and Miss Ellen B.
stRger.