Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-01-29

THE venerable electrician, Edward
Brooks, Of Philadelphia, who II doing his
utmost to have the wires plsoed In conduits
under ground, was Ia this city In 1916
assisting In the estsblishment of the nrst
commercial telegraph line In Americs,
which ran from Lancaster TO Harrisburg,
and began business on Christmas day, lSi5
The Philadelphia Times publishes . letter
from Louis N. Mesargee recounting the
early history OF telesrsphy and Brooks
part in It. He watched the first pole planted
IA Philadelphia in November, 1s45, when
limo between Philadelphia and New
York was started. That wss the second
line In the country, the nrst being the wire
put up ut the expense Of Congress between
Philadelphia and baltimore, TO test the in
vention OF that visiopaYy and annoying
crank Professor Samuel h. Morse, for he
was talked about In that way By many
congressman who had visited his rooms in
Washington, and smiled - they saw him
rattle message over few miles OF wire
stretched around the walls. 1t seems that In
the early days tho railroads charged 10 much
for the privilege Of erecting poles along the
tracks that the first line to New York
followed country roads for long distance
aware that oven to- day the telegraph com.
psnies pay large sums Of money 10 railroad
companies for the privilege OF erecting
poles alongside the car tracks The
Western Union company, am told, psys
tho Pennsylvania Railroad company
annually for the right Of way over its main
line to Pltisburg and the limo to New York
the sum Of SiC0. co.,"
nd ho Slo~ .
running their lines through the streets OF Q
city and encumbering the sidewalka Those
who rejoice over the troubles OF the conduit
system In New York will please note that
tho overhead system met with far more
serious troubles at tirst troubles that have
never been fully overcome. "The wiro
used for the first telegraph line was OF un-
annealed copper, which easily aud fro
quently broke. After It had been In use
for . few months heavy rain one very
cold night left It covered with ice, and a
the sun shone next day upon the giistening
wires the prisWatic hues II displayed pro-
sented beautiful sight But like many
things fair to look upon, II was sadly
treaoher0ua The winter wind swayed Il to
and fro and - the breeze ireshened one
sudden gust forty miles OF ioe-encased wire
TO the ground, broken into sections that had
snspped short at each pole. Iron wires
were tried next with greater success and
subsequently they were succeeded by the
drawn copper wire that 10 In ute to- day."
Mr. Brooks received the first message
which WAS sent TO Lancaster, and when the
lines OF that compauy-it was called the
Atlantic OHIO Telegraph com papy-were
extended from Philadelphia to Pltisburg
he was made mansger OF tho Western
oili0e. He sent the first message across the
AIleghenits December 25, 1916. 1t was
from Colonel George Washington Bowman
to President James X. Polk, and concerned
the calling out OF troops for the Mexican
war.
Young Andrew Carnegie was employed
by him ~ . messenger boy aud learned
telegrsphy In his spare time On the 7th of
July, lSi7, less than half century ago, the
treasurer OF the Magnetic Telegraph com-
pany reported the profits OF the Philsdsl-
phis ofiics for the three preceding months
to be t223 80 and for the New York ONCE
from January TO July to be sos IL.