The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-02


The storm which has lasted with I'M
precedented violence the greater part OF
this week illustrates very strongly how
much modern civilization is dependent
upon the telegraph for news. Fifty years
ago it mattered very little TO the world how
the winds blew. 1t was then IA mere local
affair, bounded by the horizon from ones
own door. Now it is matter that concerns
whole Stale very Intimately. a whole
country considerably and the whole earth
10 an appreciate extent. Spot wheat in
Liverpool Is something to know daily. so is
exchange in London aud Berlin, or wool In
Australia, shirtings at Shanghai, indigo at
Calcutta and diamonds at the Cape. All
this is the work OF the telegraph. 1t is the
nervous system OF commerce, the heart and
head OF trade. The breaking OF the cables
yesterday in the bay through the dragging
OF ships anchors put an eclipse upon the
news OF the world as far as San francisco
is concerned. There was also much de-
rangemeDt Of land lines.
In ali cities the time must come when
telegraph wires of every description viii be
laid underground. 1t is not evidently neces-
sary In California, because meteorological
troubles are rare in this State, but in the
East snowstorms and cyclones are terror
10 the teiegTaphist. The time may even
come when all lines will be laid under
ground along country roads. The initial
expense would be heavy, but the repairs
bill would be light, and so there would be a
saving in the long run. New York has now
most OF lis wires underground, and London
can hardly be said to have permitted exposed
wires for any purpose. II would decidedly
staye of many Inconvenience did cities at
least insist upon wires being placed under
sround.
The only telegraphs which are indepen-
dent of storms and stress are the deep-sea
cables. Miles deep these cables lie in coil
round the great globe itself. and none of the
accidents which come to the surface of the
earth mar their utility. The Thomson gal
vanometer gives them utterance sufficient
for all the wants OF commerce and The de-
sires of literature, critical and productive
Occasionally fault is discovered and then
it is located and the section of cable that
contains il is fished I'D and repaired. But
of all telegraph enterprises there is really
great profit In cables compared with land
lines. and mainly because there is SO little
10 do in repairs when the line has been well
laid. The earth is now pretty well girdIed
with submarine cables. but there is room for
more. Hardly any country of consequence
over the whole surface Of the globe is
isolated. Almost every region has touch
with London, New York or Paris. We
know more ia day now than the world
knew fifty years ago N six months. And
all by means Of the telegraph. So when the
telegraph is down the world is asleep-man's
world OF commerce, political gossip and
tattle.
Ii is notorious, not TO the credit of Cali
fornis. that very few murderers are hanged
in this State. But we must marvel at the
pardoning of murderer in the first degree
who is expected hereafter to abstain from
drinking intoxicating liquors. j. is possible
that the murderer will comply with his
promise, but it Is barely possible. The
probability Is that he will break out into a
debauch al the first opportunity with money
in his pocket, and then v hat is the remedy
Can lie be rearTested and condemned to
prison? What court would send him back
to Jail under the flood Of technicalues that
may be urged against double puu ishment
10 pardon man on promise that re viii
not drink any more is gubeTnAtorial mad
ness. The reputation of California is SUI
icieDily bad in homicide 10 excuse this de-
scent Into maudliuiSm.
Let citlzpns OF California think of it. Zola,
a novelist of renown. gets cents word
for his romances; Dumas used to get Z
cents a line. Colonel Morgan. the Illinois
railroad expert. specially employed by the
Railroad Commission and the Southern Pa
cifc Company, charges lbs cents word for
unmitigated rubbish, and will get It If Job
berry continues to thrive. This is the differ
ence between brains and dishonest bum
combe, and the people Of California are
fools II they stand H. A report OF the kind
presented by Colonel Morgan ought never
to have been heard of in civilized COM
muBity. IL Is not worth a dollar, far less
10000. The Southern Pacific may pay this
bill, but the people will not. The example
of this mans work is evident Let those
who hired him pay him.