Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-01
THIRTY YEARS TODAY.

l, 1855, the Deseret Telegraph ilne
was opened between Salt Lake City
and Ogden. Tive years previous the
overland telegraph had reached Salt
Lake City, and the first message car
ried eastward conveyed the announce.
ment, by President Brigham Young,
OF Utah's feaIty to the Constitution
aud laws OF the Union; while dis.
patch from President Lincoln to
Acting Governor Fuller declared that
"the completion OF the telegraph TO
Great Salt Lake City 10 auspi.
cious of the stability and union
Of the Republic" The force Of such
statements is readily comprehended
when It 10 remembered that at that
time the nation was In the throes Of
the great civil war.
When the overland telegraph crossed
Utah from east to west, President
Young conceived the idea Of connect.
ing the settlements In these valleys by
line from north to south. At that
time the enterprise was stupendous
one. There was no heavy comb.
nation OF wealth to draw upon; but the
President proceeded with chnracteris-
tic vigor to carry out his plan. The
people responded to the mission-
AIRY call, and by the fret day
Of December, 1855, the wires
were strung on the poles between
this city and Ogden. The first message
was from President Young (the tele-
graph operators being John Z. Cloves
Mt Salt Lake and Joseph A. West at
0gien), and read as foliows:
GREAT SALT LAKE Cry, Utah Terri,
December lst, 1896.
To President Lorin FAIR, and Bishop
Chauncey w. West, Ogden, and the
Saints in the northern country who
gave up freely when called upon.
Greeting:
In my heart l dedicate the line which
Is now completed, and being completed,
to the Lord God OF Israel, whom we
serve, and for the building up OF His
kingdom, praying that this and all
other improvements may contribute to
our benefit and the glory OF God, until
we can waft ourselves by the power OF
the Almighty from world to world to our
fulleat satisfaction,
BRIGHAM YOUNG.
This Ia the response that came from
Ogden:
OGDEN, Utah, December /, 1866.
To President Brigham Young:
From our hearts we say "Amenl" to
The dedication which you have lust
uttered, and we congratulate you as the
great mover of this enterprise, on it's
successful accomplishment thus lar, con-
sidering 1t as one OF the great helps in
the building up OF the Kingdom OF God.
We trust that not only will tho Saints
who have contributed to this great work
continue their efforts, but others will
also assist in developing other improve
ments for the benefit OF Gods work.
May you live long to comfort the Saints
and by their integrity be comiorted.
LoHIS FARR,
CHAUNCEY w. WEST,
In that December there was q rapid
extension CT the line north and south;
on December sth communication wa,
opened with Logan, and on the 2slh
with Msnti; two weeks later ST.
George was resched, anu the Territory
was spannet from north to south by
500 miles OF telegraph line at a csst OF
about $3.50 per mile. Most OF the
the early operators bad been called on
missions to learn the business;
and one OF those who early be-
came proficient was VIM. Is.
Dougall, the present superintendent Of
the line. or tue incOrporslors and
tirst Ulcers only three are now living.
Alonzo III. Raleigh, a director, George
Y Cannon, treasurer, and A. Milton
Musser, superintendent. f .llowing
Is a Hat OF the pioneer operators on the
line:
Joseph Goddard, at Logan; Peter +.
Madsen, Brigham City; David f. Davis,
Ogden; Morris Wilkinson, Salt Lake;
Joseph A. West, Provo; John b. Stark,
fayson; WIN. G. A. Bryan, Nephl; Xeuos
Pratt, Scipioi Richard y. Horne, Fill
moIei Clarence Morrill,, Cove Greek; s,
a. kenner, Beaver; George A. Peart.
kanarra; George IL. Tribe, ToquervilIe,
a. *. Whitehead, Washington; Robert
=, Lund, 81. George; knud Torgerson,
Moroni; Anthem IL. Lund, Mt. Pleasanl;
and John IL. Hougaard, Manti.
IN a short time after, the line was
extended into Nevada and Idaho; ami
nsoon became an indispensable factor
In The business OF the intermountaln
region II was one OF those invest
ments which wss not made for u
monsy'gettipg purpose, but was main.
lAined At nnancial expense, the re.
tufn for the outlay for Its construction
being In tho general snhanc ement 1t