The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
FIFTY YEARS OF THE WESTERN
UNION.
Anna ring Growth OF the Telegraph uSlne
Illustrated by That COmpany's History.

From he Telegraph Age.
The current year of 1909 marks the hftieth
anniversary OF the founding Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. BY act OF the
Legislature OF the State Of New York, passed
April I, 1856, the company was granted us
original charter. Prior to that date and
between the years 1851 and 1855 the preue-
cessor company was known as the New YORK
and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph
Company. The change TO the name OF the
Western Union was to shorten a long TUE
and to adopt one that would indicate the
union of the Western lines. which had Just
been contaminated, in one compact system,
Mr.. AbJah r.. Brewer. the secretary OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company and It's
historian. whose mind Is q veritable treasure"
house Of important facts concerning the
telegraph In general and his own company
In particular, has delved deeply into the
history Of the Western Union company.
What he has to say In this respect Of the
growth and development Of his company
forms a most interesting chapter In tele.
graphic history, and Is told with a detailed
reference to facts which shows careful re-
search, establishing him as an authority In
suoh matters probably without equal. We
are indebted to Mr.. Brewer for much OF our
information. and in what follows We quote
oopiously from his writings.
In 1881 over fifty different telegraph COM
| bNhtCb HVl III wv tl WV
Of the United States, Moot Of the companies
were licensed by the owners Of the Morse
patents; q few used the devices OF Alexander
Balm, which were afterward adjudged TO in
fringe the Morse, and one or two used another
and very. attractive instrument. which had
Just been brought to completion. and which
was not an infringement Of any patent. This
was the printing telegraph, invented by
Royal z. House Of Vermont, which seemed to
possess a feature OF superiority over the
Morse in that the MESA ges 1t received were
printed In plain Roman letters. ready for
delivery to the persons addressed. while the
Morse messages were received In dots and
dashes, which had to be translated and writ
ten out by the operators before they could
DO delivered.
Lines to operate the House instruments
were built between New York city and Bos-
ton and between New York city and Phila-
| delphia prior to 1850, and at about that time
Judge Samuel L. Selden Of Rochester, n. Y,
secured an agency for the extension Of tho
House system through the rest OF the United
States. When. In arranging for the con-
stru otlon of his New York city to Buffalo
line, Judge Selden reached the city OF Roches-
ter, he applied to his friends In that place
and vicinity for funds to extend the line
westward. This solicitation for assistance
from the people Of Rochester led to the or
ganization In that place Of a ompany which
afterward became the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. and from that place II was
managed for fifteen years.
The undertaking upon which the projec-
tors Of the new company entered was the ex-
tension throughout the West Of the House
telegraph system. To carry on the work they
organized the New York and Mississippi
Valley Printing Tele Company" after
ward the Western Cnion). with a proposed
capital of 100000. to build a line Of two wires
from Buffalo to st. Aouis, Mo. as a nucleus
for further extensions. The plan thus in
dictated failed, In consequence OF the made
quacy Of subscriptions to stock. and the pro-
moters were consequently compelled to
modify their plans and make special con-
cessions to attract subscriptions These con-
cessions brought a few subscriptions. but
only enough to build a line of one wire over a
part of the route originally selected from
Buffalo to Louisville, and amended articles
Of association were therefore filed covering
the route and reducing the stock to $4,000.
This was the original capital Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company.
Wire, and other material had
been purchased on credit. and the following
extract from the minutes Of the executive
committee. June 20. 1852. shows that even
this resource was precarious:
RESOLVED, That the secretary DO authorised TO
order or purchase two instruments for this line OF
y. d W. n III u ~ wa ~ ASii eiNNA th ga
PLANTATION OF the condition OF the line and the imam
cial affairs OF the company.
Although about $4,000 in debt, the new
company was In better condition than most
Of the other telegraph companies in the West.
Two rival systems. consisting OF thirteen
different companies, all using Morse patents.
were in operation In the five States north OF
the Ohio River. and were waging a three
cornered fight with the new company and
with each other.
By 1854 the lines OF two OF the thirteen
companies had been sold for debt: another
company had assessed It's stockholders TO
the point OF conflsoation; the stock of some
OF the others could be bought for a few cents
on the dollar, and many side lines or connect
ing lines had failed and their poles and wires
were abandoned and allowed to go to decay.
Only one company. that between Pittsburg
and Louisville. carrying the st. Louis and
New Orleans trafio to and from the East.
was yielding a proper return to its stock
holders.
On the other hand, the ~resolute energy Of
the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing
Company had begun TO make an impression.
That company had succeeded In arran cling
for an extension Of It's line to Chicago by max
ing a contract with the railroad companies
which provided that they should build the
limo and take pay therefor In telegraph stock.
and il had also made a contract Of alliance
with the purchasers OF one OF the bankrupt
Morse lines, At this stage the principal
owners of some Of the other companies be-
came discoura ged and resolved to sell their
tele properties If they could do 80 and
invest their money more conservatlvely.
Unable to find any other purchaser. and as
a last resort. they went to Rochester and
offered their interests to the New York and
Mississippi Valley Company. At the same
time, and as a part OF the same transaction,
the company purchased the property and
lines OF the bankrupt Morse company men
toned as its first ally, and the House tele-
graph patents for seven States. paying for
both in its stock. which was increased for that
purpose.
= Soon after the conclusion Of the contracts
described, one by one, lease by lease. by
purchase or by exchange of stock, the re-
naming companies in the West came into the
new company's system; their imperfect lines
were rebuilt according TO improved standards
OF construction, their wires were multiplied,
numerous extensions were made in all d.
~rections. the service was improved. and, in
short. order and system took the place OF
confusion. Soon afterward, In 1856, by act
OF the New York Legislature, the company's
.a,,N r.n. 1bannaJ from, tho Nauy Veil. -