Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-14
LET THE PEOPLE CONTROL
EDITOR ROSEWATERss VIE WIS ON
THE TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.
What He Says Of Government Contr0 oil
HE Impressions AbrOnd-Amer.
cas's Inferior system.

1
New York Times: Not since its or
ganizatlon has the Electric club had
gathered within its spacious parlors a,
| II East Tweuty-second street such 9
number OF distinguished electricians
and telegraphers as mbled there
last night to listen to and take part in
q discussion of the question of govern
control OF telegraphs.
BY request of President Samuel In.
sui. Vice President Erastus Wiman,
who was once an operator, presided.
Among those present were: A. B.
Chandler. president of the Postal Tel
graph company; r. W. Pope. secreta-
ry OF the Electrical Engineers and
editor OF Electric Power; c. W. Price,
editor of the Electrical Review; John
h. Seeley. Alien X. Foote, special
agent for electrical industry in the
Census bureau; Joseph Wetzler, editor
of the Electrical Engineer; H. L.
Storke general manager of the Hud-
son River Telephone company; George
g. Ward. general manager Of the Com
mercial Cable company; Alfred S.
Brown, superintendent OF construction
OF the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany; w. J. Dealy manager OF the
Western Union Telegraph Office; H.
Ward Leonard, G. II. Usher OF the
Postal Telegraph company; George NJ.
Phelps, I. Z. Martin. w. d. Sergeant
OF the Brooklyn telephone system. and
+. A. Leslie, Manhattan Electric Ii ht
company.
The discussion was opened by Mr..
E. Rosewater, editor OF the Omaha
Bee. in o paper entitled 1.-The Govern
ment Telegraphs OF Europe" Mr..
Rosewater recently made q semi off,
cial investigation OF the government
telegraph systems OF England and the
continent and he came home q firm
believer in government and postal
telegraphy. Mr.. Rosewater spoke as
follows:
POSTAL HISTORY REVIEWED.
The founders OF our republic con-
ferred upon congress the power to es-
taoiish postoffices and post roads. It
Is scarcely conceivable that it was
their intention to limit the national
legislature to the conveyance Of the
mails in post coaches running over
wagon roads. The manifest scope OF
the constitution touching the exercise
OF the power to establish and maintain
q postal system is to facilitate COM
mercial intercourse between the peo-
pie by the use OF every device that will
insure the speedy and economic trans
mission OF intelligence. The century
that has elapsed since Benjamin Frank
lin assumed charge OF the first post
office in the United States has wit
messed the transition from the postal
stage coach, the pony express and tn
carrier pigeon to the 'iast mail" train
drawn across the continent at the rate
OF mile q minute; from the sixty
days across the Atlantic" packet sail
boat to the six days from New York
to Southampton or Liverpool" twin
screw steamer. But our postal system
cannot attain its full measure OF USE
fulness and efficiency until the electric
telegraph and long distance telephone
have been made an integral part of
our postal facilities with the pneu-
matte tube post us IN auxiliary for
conveying letters ana messages in our
great populous centers.
Every body familiar with the history
OF the telegraph knows that Prof.
Morse offered his invention to the gov
eminent for the paltry sum OF 500. 900
and urged the postmaster general to
construct and operate telegraph lines
a. an adjunct Of the mail service. 1t
10 also historic that the monumental
mossback who occupied the position
peremptorily declined the offer OF Prot.
Morse on the ground that in his judg-
ment such thing as transmitting mes
sAges from one point to another over q
wire was preposterous and impossible.
In due time Prof. Morse prevailed upon
congress to appropriate $50. 600 for the
OF an experimental line OF
and with this money the
flrst wire built ami operated in Amer
lea was erected between Baltimore and
So the telegraph at Its
very inception owed it, successful in
PRODUCTION in America to the munifi-
cence OF the government and by rights
It should have been operated as part
Df our postal system from the outset.
In 1862 congress was again invoked
10 aid In the extension Of our telegraph
facilities. At that time the most rapid
between the people east
of the Mississippi and those ON the
Pacific coast was by the overland stage
and pony express. A bonus OF $500,
300, payable in ten annual ins,allments,
vas voted to the company organized to
build the Pacific telegraph line. This
OF the telegraph across the
continent from the Missouri river to
involved the construction
II about ], 700 miles OF pole line. The
bonus Of $235 per mile not only paid
or the whole line but left very con-
'ideraole margin. The promoters of
he enterprise within Ave years real
zed Is for every Is cents they HAD ac-
lually invested. have recalled these
historic facts merely to disabuse the
minds 0f many who In hOr nm = -. &hn -