New-York tribune., 1900-03-15
JAMES G. SMITH DEAD.
THE WELL KNOWN TELEGRAPH PIO-
NEER AND INVENTOR OF DUPLEX
SYSTEM PASSES AWAY.

James G. Smith, who grew UP and lived with
the telegraph, and was known all over the
try as one Of it's pioneers. died on Tuesday at
his home. No. PSI West -hundred-and- TWEEN
ty-seventh-st Apart from his many business
connections with the telegraph and also the
telephone Mr.. Smith was probably best known
for his invention. in conjunction with Stephen
B. Stearns of the duplex system Of telegraphy.
He was also of the first telegraph operators
to receive by sound.
Mr.. Smith born at Durham N H. on
April a. 1886. and when he was boy of four
teen years he went into the local office of the
old Balm Line as a messenger. He soon be-
came operator. He served his apprentice
ship under Joseph B. Stearns. and when Mr.
Stearns was ordered to another post, he sue
ceeded the latter manager of the office six
months after he had entered It.
1t in this office that Mr. Smith took off
by sound 3,00O-word foreign news dispatch for
one of the local newspapers. There were few
operators who could receive by sound that
time the ordinary method of receiving being
by means of pencil tracings on a cylinder. This
feat Of the boy operator brought him consdera-
BILE fame
He went TO the main office of the line in Port
land, Me-. in 1901, and year later he entered
the employ of the Maine Telegraph Company.
ton against the users of the Balm system. He
was made manager Of the Portland office of the
Maine Telegraph Company in 1856. The first
automatic repeater was about this time invented
by Farmer and Woodman and Mr. Smith
travelled through the West introducing it. He
started working the first repeaters in Utica,
Cleveland, Cincinnati Louisville and Pittsburg
In 1860 he entered the employ of the American
Telegraph Company. which had leased the
10 Tfr,1-
ager of the office there. While he was at Hall
fax he married Miss KimbaIl, of Portland
Mr. Smith came to New-York two years later
He was in charge of all dispatches going between
New-York and the South throughout the war
and was virtually Government official When
the draft riots broke out in this city
in 1853, and the rioters began tearing down
the telegraph lines. Mr. Smith was sent
out by President Sanford with a force Of
picked men 20 keep the lines up on the
upper East Side so that communication with
Boston should be cut off He met with
violent opposition from the rioters, and had
several exciting and dangerous fights in his
work of repairing the lines. In the same year
he was made assistant TO General Marshall
Leferts the company's engineer. and in that
post he reformed the operation of the short
city lines. dispensing with relays and local bat
teries.
Mr.. Smith at this time wrote an address to
teegraphers and formed the National Telegraph
ers' Union, acting it's first president. He was
appointed a superintendent OF the second di-
vision of the company. with lines running from
Boston to Nova Scotia. in 1864 in 1869 he re-
signed from this company, and with Mr. Stearns
and two other bought the Franklin Tee-
graph Company. whose wires ran from Boston
to New-York. The Franklin company then alb
sorbed the Insulated Lines Telegraph Company
with wires running from Boston to Washing
ton, Mr.. Stearns becoming president of the new
company and Mr.. Smith its general superintend-
ent.
The duplex system was invented at this time
by Mr.. Stearns and Mr.. Smith TO accommodate
the rush Of business between Boston and New
York This company leased to Harrison Broth
ers Of Gray's Ferry Lead Works. the first pri-
vate line between cities The Atlantic and the
Pacific Telegraph companies came into conbi-
nation with the Franklin company. and z. D.
L. Sweet became the consolidated company's
general manager Mr.. Smith con ntinuing as gen
eral superintendent.
Mr.. Smith resigned in 1877 and went into the
electric light business with William E. Sawyer
for a few years. He then organized the Cont
mental Telegraph Company and established the
rapid Stock Exchange service between New
York and Philadelphia This caused big jump
in the Continentars business and the company
was bought out by the Western Union.
In 1881 Mr.. Smith, organized the Bankers and
Merchants Telegraph Company in rivalry to the
Western Union, which he had refused to enter.
New lines built large number of compa-
MES were absorbed. and the fight went on
royalty until 1885 when the Grant & Ward fail
ure struck Wall Street and buried the company
in the ensuing panic. Mr.. Smith acted with
Judge Richard S. Newcomb receiver of the
company He connected at the time
with the United States Telephone Company.
which was fighting the Bell Telephone Company.
Since 1885 Mr.. Smith had turned his attention
to telephones entirely and the rest of his life he
spent in working up patents and inventions in
telephones. He was president Of the Smith
Vassar Telephone Company at the time Of his
death
Mr. Smith leaves a widow, four sons and three
daughters The funeral will be held this even
ing at the house, and the burial will be in Port
land Me.
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