Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-12

1t I'm connection with the main line at
Julesburg, but my offer was declined ana
l lost an opportunity.
In the TALL of 1866. when Macmillan had
entered Mexico and had beenA proclaimed
emperor of that country and the president
of the republic General Juarez had fed
north to lei Paso for refuge In the United
States. General Brooks, who was in COM
mand in that part of Texas, was uncertain
as to what he should DO. protect him or res
turn him to Mexican territory, Just across
the Rio Grande river.
Costly Dispatch.
The matter was considered so urgent ana
important that he and two other United
States officers came TO Denver. about 700
miles distant. where they could communi-
cate by telegraph with the authorities at
Washington They paid me about 800 for
one lengthy telegram and promptly re-
ceived instructions in reply.
The rates were very high at that tina.
I doubt If a larger sum up 20 that date
had ever been paid for one telegram on
land lines.
General Brooks was very anxious for
telegraphic connection with the outside
world. He said no doubt the government
would literally aid in the construction OF
a wire from Denver to Ell Peso. During
the following winter we organized the
United States & Mexico Telegraph and
Railroad company, with Henry NJ. Porter
president; David H. Moffat treasurer; b.
F. Woodward secretary and superintend-
emf, and number of influential men OF
Colorado and New Mexico as directors.
The purpose was to first construct a tele-
graph line and later a railroad from Dem
yer to the City Of Mexico. We secured
stock subscriptions at most of the towns
between Denver and Santa Fe and, with
some aid from the military posts along
the route, completed the line to Santa Be.
about 400 miles, in the fan Of 1858. We also
built from Denver to Cheyenne, 40 miles.
on the rlEht-Of-way of the Denver Pa
cihc railroad. about a year before the latter
road was completed. We maintained our
railway franchise for two OF three years
by laying a half dozen ties in West Dem
yer. The scarcity of timber for poles, tina
sparsely settled country and failure TO OBJ
tain aid from the impoverished Mexican
republic caused the abandonment OF the
work south Of Santa Fe. The line was
later sold to the Western Union Telegraph
company. It's construction doubtless infiu-
enced the building OF the Denver & Rio
Grande railway by General William j.
Palmer and his associates, which was
projected TO follow our telegraph route,
but was only built as far as Trinidad
Colo, the Atohison. Topeka s. Santa Be
building from Trinidad to Ell Paso
Wreck of Supplies.
An incident Of the operation of tine line
between Denver and Santa Fe may be OF
interest 1 had purchased in st. Louis
three carboyB OF nitric and one carboy oe
sulphurio acid for the Grove battery in
Santa Fe. II was shipped by Mexican
OK team from Kansas City. Somewhere
on the plains the stopper of the carboY
OF sulphuric acid was Jerked out and tho
acid stopped over into the wagon. causing
It to smoke The Mexican driver thought
his wagon was on fire and dumped the
entire load upon the ground, split all the
acid and later delivered the empty car
boys at eur Santa Re ONCE, demanding
his freight charges and damages for In
jury 10 his wagon. The matter was ads
justed by our attorney, 8. B. Elkins now
United States senator from West Virginia.
We never paid the freight. For two
months or longer we worked the wire
without any battery except at Denver. 400
miles and return, something that could
not be done east Of the Missouri river.
where the earth is moist and rains are ire
quent IL