New-York tribune., 1909-07-11
Ano1o-American Memories
copyright. 1909. by George ". smaneyD



great measure upon MI Cyrus Field and other
directors of the Anglo American Telegraph Com
pany- 1t was Mr.. weaver's business to make
rules 1t was the business of the public to obey
them. At that time there between the
public and the Anglo American company no
direct intercourse. We were obliged 10 hand In
our messages over the counter of one of the two
inland telegraph companies. which between them
had a monopoly-the British and Magnetic and
the Electric. Mr.. Weaver sat in solitary state
in Telegraph street You approached his Office
as you would approach a shrine: a temple OF
some far ofs deity During the next few years
I had often to discuss matters with Mr.. Weaver,
whose regulations embarrassed and delayed
press messages He was opposed to all conces-
sions 70 the press. He framed a code under
which press messages at a reduced rate were
dealt with he chose He would give US no
assurance as to when ne would begin when
complete the transmission Of such messages.
He would interrupt the transmission Of them in
a purely arbitrary wav, so that the first half Of
a message might reach New York for next
mornings paper and the last half for the day
after
At last there came a crisis. I had fled
account Of the oxford Harvard four-oared race
from PUtney To Mortlake. column and half
long. in good time for next days Tribune It
did not appear till the day following I had
gone with il myself 10 the City and handed in
my dispatch over the counter Of the British and
Magnetic office. in ThreadneedIe street The Of
fee Of the -AngIo-American was but two minutes
distant Ny inquiries about the delay were met
with civil evasions. The Anglo people said they
sent on the dispatch as soon as they got it
The British and Magnetic people said 1t had
been forwarded 70 the Anglo in the ordinary
course Of business" Under that specious phrase
lUrked the mischief II came out after much
ct
ness and by rule Of the Magnetic company,
every dispatch for the cable must be copied be
fore il was sent on 10 the Anglo. The staff in
attendance when ! committed my message 10
the Magnetic consisted Of boy at the counter.
It was his duty 10 copy the dispatch when not
otherwise engaged He completed his copy early
the next morning. This was finally admitted
I then saw Mr.. Weaver and put all I had to
say into two sentences. First. the delayed dis
patch would not he paid for since IL was the
Anglo which made itself responsible for the
delay by refusing n receive the message from
the sender Second unless this rule was aboI-
ished 7 would notify The Tribune that It was
useless 10 forward messages from London. and
advise the editor to direct their discontinuance.
Then came a curious thing. Mr.. Weaver.
having reflected this utimatUm for some
thirty seconds. said:
Mr.. SmaTey. I viii agree 20 your proposal on
one condition-that you tell nobody you are
allowed 10 hand in your messages 10 Us. We do
not intend 10 alter cur rule. We make an ex-
ception in your case"
I do not suppose Mr.. Weaver was aware that
he giving ne great advantage or that
he meant n give II But. although the copying
regulation Of the Magnetic was abolished di-
rect access to the Anglo was a great advan-
tage and 2 great saving of precious time II
was 10 mean in the following year of 1870 that
dispatches could be sent through to New York
as fled. and in time for the regular morning
issue. which otherwise would have arrived in
whole OF in part. late II was one among sew
eral causes 10 which was due the success Of
The Tribune in the early months Of the Franco
German War. The fact did not become known
in the world of Journalism tin some time in the
late autumn Of 1870 In February. 1870. the
British government had taken over the inland
telegraphs and with them the duty OF receiving
transatlantic dispatches. The government could
have enforced the old rule had # chosen. but II
did not choose. The executive officer OF the
postoff1ce was Mr.. Seudamore. secretary To the
Postmaster General who had no good will 70
tho press and none TO me. Probably ne knew
nothing about the matter. But since 1870 the
cable Offices have all been thrown open, or
special Offices opened for the receipt Of mes
sages, and you may now file cable messages for
America in any postoffce or any cable Office.
The English postal telegraph service is won
derfuIly good-far better than any telegraph
service IN America-but I should never file q
press message in postal Office if within reach
OF cable Office
All this is highly technical and I suppose Of
no interest TO anybody but journalists and tele-
graph managers. But there are other expe-
riences which I hope may be found worth read
ing by that select audience. O. VS.