San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-04-19
The TELEGRAPH.

or not that the Postoffice Department
of the government at one time con
trolled and operated the telegraph
system of the country. Iii is literally
and actually true, out when the tele-
graph was operated by the govern
ment it was very small affair indeed.
In 1882, on board the ship Sully, on
his return from Europe, Prof. s f.
B. Morse conceived the idea of his
great invention, the telegraph. In
1886, in his rooms in the university
of the City of New York, he set up
his first telegraphic apparatus. For
many years he labored to perfect it
and struggled to obtain means to do
so. He endeavored to interest men
of means to furnish him the money
so that he might demonstrate its
practical value. But in vain. They
could not realize its Importance.
They could not see the great possi-
bilities open to it and the vast for
tunes to be made by it. They never
thought for o moment that before
half century from that time one
telegraph company organized with
5000 capital would have distrib-
uted $34, 100000 in cash and $685.
$4,000 stock as dividends among it's
shareholders. They never dreamed
of such things. There were then no
big dividends in prospective, and
hence Morse could get no money from
the capitalists. With Congress he
was more successful, and in 1S43 an
appropriation of $4,000 was made
''to be expanded under the direction
of the Secretary of the Treasury to
test the expediency Of the telegraph
projected by Morse" The following
year the first telegraph line was con-
structed, running between Washing
ton and Baltimore, distance of forty
miles, and on May "a, 1874, from the
Supreme Court room at Washington
the first message was sent to Balti-
more and instantaneously returned,
assuring the success of the expert
ment The first message was: "What
hath God wrought" This line, the
first in the world, was placed under
the charge of the Postoffice Depart
ment and operated by that depart
ment for three years. It was sold by
the government June 10, 1846.
Since then the telegraph in this coun-
try has been operated by individuals
or corporations for private benefit.
Since then the telegraph has been
growing in Importance and the tele-
graph corporations IN power and their
profits in proportion. AT the time
of the completion of the experimental
line Mr.. Morse offered to transfer to
the United States the exclusive use
and control of the telegraph for the
public benefit. He contended then
that it should be controlled by the
government. He said it was San en-
gine of power for good or for evil.
which all opinions seemed to concur
in, desiring 10 have it subject to the
control of the government rather
than to have it in the hands of private
individuals or corporations" Mr..
Morse, wiser than his day and gener-
alton, foresaw the danger to be dread
ed from having such an engine in
the hands of INSCRIPTIONS men. His
warnings, however, were unheeded,
and his great invention turned over
to be used for personal profit and its
great power abused for selfish ends.
From 1874 with Morse and the $780,
900 plant to 1888 with the Western
Union and its $S0,000,000 capital
stock marks a great stride in prog
ress. But has that progress been
properly directed and utilized for the
public beneftl-Southwest.