The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-05
THE PAN-ELECTRIC AGAIN.
DR.. ]. ". ROGERS HAS SOME.
THING TO SAY.
He Did Not suppose that In Giving
Stock Away He Was Dealing
with Babies.

ington correspondent of the New York
Tribune telegraphs that paper and says
that attempts are making t. create the
impression that Mr.. Garland and his
"confederstes"-to adopt a word used
by Gen. Marcus ]. Wright, to describe
the Psn-Electric 1kholders-occupy
position analogous TO that OF public
men who hsve made investments in
business enterprise the success CT
which was net wholly or mainly de
pendentsupon the use of official infiu-
ence and power. Il sho1ld be remem-
bered, however, that it was clearly I'M
deIttlod by the Democratic Senators
and Representatives, WHO embarked in
the scheme tia their names and in
huence were 10 constitute largs
share Of the working capital 81 the
company. The same thing was I'M
derstOod by men to whom stock was
offered az a "donation" and who de-
eliDed to ac3ept it on terms proposed.
Among those VINO thus refused were
Samuel j. Randall, John G. Carlisle,
Abram S Hewitt, S. S. Cox ex.Saua
tor Melon id and Louis Z. BcComas.
Apparently they did not regard the
acceptance Of speculative shares on
such terms rs consistent with their
duties as Legislators. DE-. J. w. Rog-
ers, who conducted most of the negO-
tiations, declares that he did not sup.
pose that he was dealing with in
noCent babes but with business men
and men Of the world who understood
the whole ma ter and who have since
shown that they know how to take
eaTs CT their own interests"
There il sufficient evidence to show
thst Messrs. Garland, Harris, john
stem, Atkins and others concerned
knew what the scheme involved. On
February lS, 1888 Senator Harris saw
mo improperly in gentlemen holding
official positions as Atkins and myself
do, becoming interested in al enter
prise such as you suggest" Mr.. At
kins THAT time was member OF the
Appropriations Committee OF the
House of representatives.. In the
following December he was Demo.
cratic caucus candidate for Clerk OF
the House and was defeated by the
change of single vote after the roll
had been called. A pamphlet pre-
pared by DR.. ]. w Rogers, which was
in the hands Of the persons interested,
st the date mentioned, set forth fully
the nature and scope OF the en-
terprise, which included not only
general telephone and tele-
graph business out 8 postal tel
egraph system to be established
on the Rogers patents by the gov
eminent. The first company was the
Pan.Electric, which was formerly or
ganized in the city of New York by
Garland, Harris, Atkins, Johnston,
Casey Young and j. Harris Rogers.
Among themselves the value of the
improvement , discoveries and inven-
tions of Rogers were to be estimated
at S1,00,000 Of which four-tenths
were allotted to K gers, one-tenth was
ID he the property Of the company
and one-tenth the property CT each
OF the other incorporates. The capt
tai stock Of the company was to be
$5,000,000, 100000 each to Senator'S
Garland and Harris, Congressman At
kins and Young and ex Congressman
Joseph Z. Johnston. Each OF these
was ~ pay the princely sum of $3.50
in cash for his $780, 900 of stock. Each
of them also held an undivided in
terest OF one-tenth in the 100000 re-
tanned for the Joint benefit of the
company, and WIS also to receive a
propOrt,OGat5 intarest in the
stock OF two other companies
to be formed thereafter under the
Rogers patents. One of thesa is
the Pan.Elact7ic Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, which was organized
under the laws OF Tennessee in 0cio-
Der, 1883, by the same persons In
that company the amount of shares
held by each OF the original stock
holders was the came as his share in
the Pan-Electric-$500, 900. The
other Offshoot Of the Pan-Eiectric is
the Rogers Telegraph and Telephone,
in which, according to the letter OF
DR.. ]. W. Rogers, published in the
Tribune OF September 80, 1885, Mr..
Garland and the other Pan Electric
stockholders were entitled to shares
amounting to 100000 each. The
statements contained in that letter
have not been denied. IL a published
circular OF the Rogers Telegraph aud
Telephone Company occurs the fol-
lowing: "a miniature United States
postal telegraph and Telephone is
now being worked in Washington
City from Capitol Hill to Fourteenth
street, and from near TIE river landing
to Indiana avenue, to represent two
trunk lines proposed across the CONT
nent aud from the North to the Gulf
d Mexico. A bill will be presented
TO Congress askingan appropriation OF
$l0,0OO,000 TO construct the lines. The
probable value of this stock is illus
trsted in the fact that this company
combines the chief advantages Of all |
telegraph conn anies, and, in addition
to them, its own vsluble patents, anc
especially it's low resistance wire"
One OF the directors OF the Rogers
Telegraph and Telephone Company
when it was organized in 1884 was
Representative II. ID. Money OF Mis- |
sissippi, who was then chairman of |
the House Committee on Postoffices |
and Postroads. The other directors
were Gen. j. W. Denver, president; |
DR.. j. W. Rogers, vice-president; Gen.
Frank Armstrong OF Texas. secretary; |
ex-Congressman Kla,z of Pennsylva- |
mia, treaqurer; Gen. Thomas b. Crit
tendon Of Indiana, counsellor; ]. Har-
ris Rogers, supervising electrician;
Col. R 4. Looney of Tennessee, and
Congressman Manning of Mississippi.
Gen. Armstrong has since been APP
pointed an Indian Inspector by, Secre-
tary Lamar. Col. Looney is a mem
Der OF the Democratic National Com
mittee, and he is also one of the direc-
tors OF the Pan.Electric Telephone and
Telegraph companies. The other Off
GERS and directors OF the latter organi-
zation, according to recent published
advertisement, we're: Gen. Joseph
E.fJohnston, United States Commits
sioner Of Railroads, president; Isham
g. Harris, United States Senator, vice
president; A. II. Garland, United
States Acknowledgement counsellor;
Casey Young, ex-Congressman, secre-
tary and treasurer; John @. Brown, ex-
A L.. II !