The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
telegraph company. covering Nsw York

Magnetic Telegraph Company. covering NeW 1efk
State:
4. The Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph Company
covering Pennsylvanla:
8. The Illinois and Mississippi Telegraph company
covering parts OF Illinois. Iowa and Missourl'
9. The New Orleans and Ohio Telegraph com
pany, covering the southern Mississippi VAiey
and the Southwest.
In addition to these six companies sunoTy
companies had sprung into existence on tine
Pacific Coast. and many other small COM
panies operated In alliance with the six
companies in their respective territories.
The next important extension was made
IN 1891. For several years there had peen u
growing demand for the construction OF a
line across the Western plains to connect
the Eastern system Of lines with those OF the
Pacific Coast, A quicker method OF COM
munioatlon than that furnished by mails by
way Of the Isthmus OF Panama was not only
a necessity to the general Government In
dealing with its Pacific stations, but it was
also urgently required by the commercial
interests In both sections. The, dinioultiee
In the way Of a telegraph line were regarded
by many as almost insuperable. 1t was
alleged. for instance, that the Indians would
tear down the wires as fast as they were put
up. or that the poles would be swept away by
the irresistible movements OF the Immense
herds OF BURIAL o then roaming over the plains.
To men not swayed by speculative considera.
tions such as these, other serious, practical
obstacles presented themselves. Among
these were such difficulties as those OF pro-
curing and transporting poles and Of repair
ing the Lines when injured; while not the
least OF the uncertainties was the amount OF
business TO be depended upon after the line
was up. 1t was therefore not believed hat
the line could be built. or afterward main
tanned, without substantial aid from the Gov
ernment and when Congress pared down
the appropriation to $40. 600 per year for the
preferential use Of the line. and limited 1t to
ten years duration the disappointment OF
the telegraph companies was very great.
To such an extent was this the case that
at the convention of the six companies held
in August, 1850. the delegates voted that the
act passed by Congress was so Objectionable
in principle and detail that this convention
declines to recommend It's adoption by the
associated companies forming the North
American Telegraph Confederation" The
Western Union delegates to the convention,
however, took a different view. and wanted
to have the Pacific line built. They accord
ingly offered and carried through q resolu-
ton providing that nothing in the preceding
resolution was to be 30 construed as to pro-
hibit any company. either alone or in con-
junction with others. from bidding for the
work.
When the bids were opened the Western
Union company, represented by Hiram Stb-
ley, was found to be the only bidder, and to
Sibley the contract was therefore awarded.
AS a preliminary to Its work the Western
Union acquired from c.. M. Stebbins and others
a majority Of the stock Of the Missouri and
Western Telegraph Company and the ST.
Louis and Missouri River Telegraph Com
pany, OF which last named company Robert
@. Clowry, now president and general man
ager Of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany. was superintendent and secretary.
For the purpose of building the eastern
section Of the line the Pacific Telegraph Com
pany was at once organized. 1t engaged q
great number OF OK teams to transport ms
terlRl over the plains: it contracted with
Brigham Young of Salt Lake City for poles
and labor. and 1t sent q representative to
California who arranged for and effected a
consolidation of the California companies.
which were to build the western section.
Notwithstanding the discoura gements aris-
ing from the refusal OF many to participate
in the work by taking stock in the new enter
prise, the Pacific Company and the California
Company pushed the work with such visor
that the line was completed on March is, 1851,
a little over four months from the time it
was begun, and in time to be Of incalculable
service to the Government at Washington and
to the general public during the civil war.
In 1863, after consolidation with the New
York, Albany and Buffalo and the Atlantic
and Ohio Telegraph companies, which gave
the desired entrance into both New York City
and Philadelphia and full control Of the inter-
vening territory and the Pacific Telegraph
Company and the lines Of the California State
Telegraph Company the lines owned by or
under the control OF the Western Union COM
pany extended from New York city to the
Pacific Coast, covering substantially all the
territory west OF New York city and north
Of the Ohio River and Fort Smith. Ark, and
Santa Fe. n. NJ. The remainder Of the United
States was assigned to the American Tele-
graph Company, which by similar methods
had acquired the lines of the New Orleans
and Ohio, or Southwestern. and other COM
panies.
In opposition to these two great combina-
tions and coincldent with the expiration OF
the Morse patents there had sprung into
existence a number Of organizations which
in 1884 were combined under the name of
the United States Telegraph Company. The
advantages possessed by one company under
one mana gement over two companies, one
OF them managed at Rochester and one at
New York city, were too apparent to be
ignored. and as in previous instances where
similar conditions had obtained, they led
inevitably to the consolidation, which took
place In 1860, and which was concluded by
an exchange OF Western Union stock for the
stock OF the two other organizations.
Thus, In fifteen years from it's or ganization,
the Western Union company rose from the
position Of a local company controlling about
$50 miles OF wire 10 that OF a national system
controlling over rs. 900 miles Of wire.
OF the properties which have been men
toned as having been acquired some were
very proflta BILE. others were not Immediately
so. but all acquisitions and extensions were
OF benefit to the public. and they were essen
tial TO the Improvement OF the service and
made possible reductions in rates on a scale
which could hardly have been carried out
under the old conditions. How great such
reductions have been may be seen by an
examination OF the following table Of rates
for ten words from New York city to the
principal cities OF the United States.
1865. 1908.
Atlanta S323 30
Boston, Observation-Disclosures. Is rs
ChlcaRn. onh "a