Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-14
HISTORY OF TELEGRAPHY.
Completion of the Telegraph System in
1914 and It's Growth.
From Tie CleUeLand Lender.

IRON me Cl6Uetdnd LeGder.
Congress, by bare majority of eight,
granted an appropriation of $4,000 to
Morse to build a line, and it is said that
shortly after it was completed a Congress-
man came TO the Office here with a bundle
Of dirty shirts under his arm and wanted
them sent Immediately to Baltimore to be
washed and returned. Atthis time Louis
McLane, who had been Minister to Eng
land, Secretary of State ard Secretary
Of the Treasury, was President OF the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad company.
IL was due to him largely that
tle line was gotten through, and / see
that the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph
company are now dating their origin back
mlas time, and thus claiming themselves
70 be the first telegraph company IN the
world. Morse first thought of laying the
wires underground but this was found
lmpraeticable, and they were stretched
upon poles. 1t was completed on May
~ Ie4i, about Al years ago, and the first
words were sent. They were: what
hath God wroughtw They came through
al right. The Office here was then in the
supfeme court chamber, and Ben Perley
I0ofe, who was present, says that great
crowd was gathered at the capitol. Mira.
Dolly Madison WAS among them, and she
vas asked TO send the next message. She
MIoie one to the wife OF member OF con-
sss' IN Baltimore, and 1t was sent. The
fifgl aph was no a success, but tue peO-
PIE did not have much faith in it. Morse
oAeied the whole right Of il to the govern
bis pains.
IL made its own way, however, and last
!ee instead Of having only 40 miles Of
wire the United States numbered its miles
w. wire ~ hundreds Of thousands, and
'.e world has over 100000 miles OF tele-
sIapd lines. The United States outranks
.-s world as far as the telegraph is con-
Oslheo both as TO the extent of wire and
..llnoer Of MESSAGES sent. Last year
mere we're 65,000,000 messages sent in
p-i s country TO 32,G00.000 in Great
insTIain 100000 in Germany and
2HVl0oO in France. Russia sends
S ,s..l 100000 kilograms year,
r"el{5zefaud 100000, Spain 5000, 900,
turkey little over 1000. 900. Belgium
fyy-VO0, and Austria 9.00O.0C0. Mexico
sas iol telegraph Offices, and it sends
Slou. 100 600 teleerams a year. Japan
IN, 10 Offices, and sends nearly 1900. 600
c tus q year. Ii is a characteristic
t.l" euVWing the progress OF the two ma
t..ua' that the Japanese. with n smaller
eo,'.iF and "A much less population,
C,'l ihree times as many messages as
,, lekraphs in the United States do
nj. lusiness, make more money and
more extensively used by the people
Cto.' NyWncre else in the world. With
1tre, WV kilograms sent last year we had
ot V'elraph Offices and l54s850 miles
t 'Ns5' Tue mileage is larger to-day
ni.- tlen ana the wires are more gener-
ro., Na o. OF these messages the average
NJ yer message OF those sent by
t6e western Union was 309 cents and
IA average profit per message was
XXI cents. In 1868 tho Western Union
src eo1ut one-ffth OF its present mileage
ara. o9afge per message was on the Az.
ms5 '"lce as great. Az hat time n
iSttla pIoht OF Al cents per message In
of1i., ut western Onion had las, 600 miles
me-. ue = ana 10000 miles Of wire. II sent
nsa.5 w y 42OOO,OO0 messages and took In
orr ~ 3lVWO.OO0 In receipts. The West
mon Is capitalized AZ $50, 600, 600.
hssn hhlllmore and Ohio Telegraph has
ing ~ geiy Increasing It's mileage dur.
re5nae present year, and Il has greatly
tain ~ tne ratee OF teiegraphing 10 GER
OF :. points. Last year IL had $1,000 miles
III 80 now II has more than 90. 600 miles
Al pelee with the Western Union, aud
1'enuons and on such occasions al