OCR Text |
Show In THiflage of scienco and progress people are ready to believe pretty nearly every Ining wonderful that is told to them; but the Btory that eomea from New York this morning of the "American Rapid Telegraph company," will not be readily swallowed. swal-lowed. Tho iiit of transmitting by telegraph over a single wire a thousand thous-and words a minute, ia as much ol a strain upuu human credulity aa the work it.L-ll would bo upon tho lightning light-ning and the wiw, and tuo cheap ratca suggested are out ol the question. ques-tion. Tne Uriffo proposed would no moro than pay for the wear and tear of the messenger boya. Tne advanco in the science ol tolc-rapiiy is rapid anJ rum ark able, and wc may yet ex-pout ex-pout great improvements in the manner man-ner of doing tho work. Within the past fuw years tho invenlivo genius of electricians has made it poaaible for . .1- 1., ono wire to do what formerly required four. The coat of transmitting mesaages has hIso heeu reduced to less than a fourth of what it used to bo, and is gradually being lessened, though it must bo admitted that tho tarifla do not fall proportionately with tho improvements nnd increaao of capacity capa-city of the lull graph. Healthy competition com-petition is notded to cheapen the rates which might be done without iujustico to the companies. There may bo something in this New York concern, but beforo the public will placo much confidenco iu it, there must bo eomoLhinit done besides on paper. The change is too Budden, the promiuea too many. Cheaper telegraphy is what Ibe country wants; bet'er service it cares nothing about. |