The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-07
IN THE DAYS Of LONG AGO.
How News Was Gathered in the
Early Forties.
4 Pony Express and Short Tele.
graph Line.
DR.. Craig, the Pioneer Nowsgsthsrer OF
the United 5tatas, Passes Away
IN New York.
By THE HERA1p's Leased Wire.

BY THE HERALDs Leased Wire.
New YORK, Jan. 6.--Many stories
have been told in connection with DR..
Craig, the pioneer news gstnersr in the
United States, who died today. When
in 1874 the telegraph line from Boston
was com pleted to Calais, Me-, Craig es-
tablished pony news express covering
the 100 miles between Halifax and
Digby, N. S., and engaged an express
steamer thence 80 miles across the Bay
of Fundy to st. Johns, N. B. This en-
abled him 30 distance competition and
put it in his power to command extrav-
agant prices for his budget of news. 1t
also earned for him the position OF Eu-
ropean news agent of the New York
press.
SMITHS SCOOPS"
John I. Smith was at this time Craig q
most formidable competition. The
rivalry OF the two men constituted q
subject of interest to the residents of
Halifax, who enjoyed watching the race
from the steamer to the telegraph office.
On one occasion Smith succeeded in
was tossed by the ship's purser from the
paddle box to the dock, and a few
minutes later it was being transmitted
by the only wire from Halifax to Smiths
patrons in New York. Craig's revenge
came q few weeks sfterward, and all was
carefully pre-arranged. He instructed
his Liverpool agent to send by special
messenger on succeeding steamers
duplicate copies OF the latest European
journals and news summarize, one par.
eel TO be thrown to his news boat five
miles below the city, and the other to
be thrown over to another tow boat
stationed opposite and near to the tele-
graph Office, one mile from the steamers
wharf. A week before the next steamer
was due Craig engaged his two news
boats and arranged for fast horse OK
press from point five miles below the
city, and caused the secret to leak out to
Smith that his news parcels were to be
thrown over to his boat az this steamer
neared the city.
THE DOCTORS REVENGE.
The evening before the steamer was
due Craig made up lot of parcels of
European journels. including Wilmer &
Smiths European Times, then a noted
paper OF Liverpool, taking care to have
portion of the name outside the wrap.
per but carefully concealng the date. A
trusty agent was employed to stand by
waters edge and as the steamer passed
up the harbor he threw this parcel into
the water, recovered it, and then the
messenger rushed at the top OF his speed
to the telegraph Office and deposited the
dripping bogus parcel upon the table of
the office with the brsathless announce.
ment:
Here's Craig's parcel OF European
newsw
Fifteen minutes afterwards Smith,
driving fast horse, rushed from the
steamers wharf to the telegraph Office
Before the horse had fairly stopped,
Smith had cleared the carriage at one
jump and was at the top of the flight OF
stairs which led to the operating room.
The clerk pointed to the package on the
table and told him he was beaten. With |
q single glance at the drippi ng package
and curse upon mis- competitor, Smith !
turned upon his heel, drove to his hotel |
and in hall an hour afterwards was
steaming out of the harbor on the
steamer bound to Boston, having been
hoaxed into leaving his rival the wire |
Craig in the meantime proceeded at |
his leisure. after receiving his parcel
from the steamer, to prepare the news
Tor the telegraph. Alter this Smith, |
who was the largest Htockholder in the |
New England Morse lines, undertook to
shut out his rival from the use OF the
company's lines, which extended from
Portland to Boston. Craig retaliated
by inducing the managers of the Maine
Telegraph company's line, link in the
system, to stop Smiths messages from
Halifax to Portland until his own press
and other European members were
served at that point. Craig then ran a
locomotive express over the Eastern
railroad from Portland to Boston, carry.
ing his press news and other messages
and at Boston they were telegraphed by
the Balm line to New York. This was
only temporary experiment, but it |
served until the Balm line could be ex.
tended to Portland, establishing direct
communication by wire between New i
\ ork and Halifax. Thus was the frat
telegraph monopoly broken.
ORGANIZED THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Craig remained at Halifax in charge |
of the press end commercial trsnsatlan.
tic telegraph business until 1851, when |
he removed to New York and thoroughly
organized the Associated Press service. /
which may be said to have beea the
parent of all the press news agencies
which have an existence to the present
day. His connection with the Aeso.
clated Press continued until about 1857.
Since that time he has been engaged in
various enterprises.
Mr.. Craig was born in Rumney, N. Y,
on November 4, 1911. He came to New
York in 1851. His death resulted from
heart disease while he was sitting in a
chair, lie leaves widow, one daugh-
Ter, Mrs. j. B. Brown, and one son, w.
L. Craig, who is connected with the
New York health department..
THREE PERYSRED.