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Show I NEW TELEGRAPM SERVICE FOR SALT LAKE I HISTORICAL SKETCH OP THE POSTAL COMPANY. N 9 Isy AIsT LAKE now has a new telc-W telc-W graphic ana cable service. The 3 opening of tho Postal Telegraph-Cable Telegraph-Cable company's ortlco for local business Is another step forward. In Jwlre facilities Salt Lake now equals tho best. The establishment of the View line Is additional evidence of the commercial and Industrial Importance '.not only of Salt Lake, but of Utah. j In this connection, an account of the growth and a resume of tho history and present extent of what has come to be one of the largest telegraph and cable systems in tho world, may be of Interest. Early In the year 1SS1 the Western Union Telegraph company, under the leadership of Jay Gould, acquired control con-trol of all the commercial telegraph lines in the United StateB and Canada, and before the end of that year had combined the "Western Union cables with the several other cable compa- Inlcs In a pooling agreement, thus forming form-ing a complete monopoly of tho telegraph tele-graph business of this continent and across the Atlantic ocean. Tho smaller companies that had previously been built up proved unprofitable, un-profitable, and impossible of permanent perma-nent maintenance, every ono of them having been founded upon mistaken notions of the telegraph business under various so-called improvements in methods of transmission, reduced rates, rebates and other forms of bidding for business which soon proved to be ruinous; ruin-ous; or upon a speculative plan not designed de-signed to be permanent, but to do tho most harm In the shortest time, for the purpose of being "bought off." The Telephone Camo in. The most available routes for the construction of telegraph lines between be-tween principal points had been fully occupied, rights of way had becomo difllcult and expensive to obtain; the telephone was just beginning to assume as-sume other than local importance, and by many was already deemed such a 3lrong competitor for the transmission of Intelligence as to seriously threaten at least the growth of the tolegraph. Under such circumstances It was a common belief on the part of the public, pub-lic, and also of many of the best informed in-formed telegraph managers and employees, em-ployees, that competition In this business busi-ness was at an end; that no capital would be found to undertake the building build-ing of new lines, and that no telegraph officers having the necessary experience and ability to conduct the business successfully, suc-cessfully, would hazard their reputation reputa-tion by entering upon so hopeless an enterprise. But the demand for competition between be-tween principal points, the growing requirements re-quirements of large business houses for private wires, and the disposition to exploit new systems of transmission, transmis-sion, together with the speculative element ele-ment which seems always to bo on the alert to make something to sell, resulted result-ed in building up within the three subsequent sub-sequent years, a mora extensive, diverse di-verse and damaging competition than had over before existed. The Mutual Union, tho American Rapid, the Bankers and Merchants, the Baltimore and Ohio, the Southern, tho Board of Trade, the Pacific Mutual and the original Postal were among the most extensive and Important of the corporations that were formed, and all were competing with each other as well as with the Western Union company, In the most wasteful manner. Samo Extravagant Theories. Tho original "prospectus" of the Postal Pos-tal company, setting forth expectations of vast profits from small expenditures through the use of compound steel and copper wires, automatic and multiple systems of transmission, a very low rate, made uniform, regardless of distance; dis-tance; business relations with the Post-office Post-office department of the Government, and other extravagant and Utopian theories, leads ono to wonder that so Intelligent men as Its original promoters promo-ters were, could have been so sanguine of the success of their scheme. In this almost chaotic condition of the affairs of the telegraph, John W. Mackay came Into control of the property prop-erty bearing tho Postal name. He was without knowledge of the details of the telegraph business, but with broad conception of its usefulness, and firm faith In Its growth, he determined to establish a business on a permanent basis, and under methods protective alike to the patrons of the telegraph and those who Invested their money In maintaining and increasing its usefulness. useful-ness. With this purpose in view from the first, he brought into his service men of large experience In both telegraph and cable business, of known Industry, integrity and sound and conservative judgment, and to them he left the de- ii i ii i ii iii in mill ai'uf.'.Mi velopmcnt of tho business, and the means of escape from tho then prevailing pre-vailing chaos, almost as completely as If they had themselves been the owners of tho properties. Unlimited Resources. Possessed of ample resources and unlimited un-limited patience, he brought about the laying of new and superior cables across the Atlantic ocean, the reorganization reorgan-ization of tho Postal company upon a greatly reduced basis of capitalization and free from bonded debt, he adoption adop-tion of the practical and buslnessllko methods, the just and considerate treatment treat-ment of the public In nil its varied Interests, In-terests, tho cordial and friendly relations rela-tions between employer and employee, and the result Is before us today In tho establishment upon a firm and financial foundation of the "Postal Telegraph-Cable Telegraph-Cable company," having a land-line system many times greater than ail previous competitors of the Western Union company, built and equipped In the most substantial and up-to-dato manner, and with cables not only connecting; con-necting; with Europe, but across tho vast Pacific ocean. To Mr. Mackay, primarily, and to those so effectively associated with him In part, the American people are indebted in-debted for rates of telegraphic transmission trans-mission as low as it Is possible to afford af-ford In view of the great 'cost of constructing, con-structing, maintaining and operating substantial lines: and also for the wholesome regard for tho public Interest Inter-est and convenience which has characterized char-acterized the Postal company, and which only genuine and efficient competition compe-tition can secure. ' f Organization of tho Postal. The Postal Telegraph company was organized In 18SC. two years after the Commercial Cable company. Tho growth of tho Postal has been as rapid rap-id as that of the cable company. Tho Postal company started by taking over a number of small telegraph lines, the majority of which were bankrupt. With this unpromising material the company ha3 built up Its present magnificent system. The properties In the United States owned and controlled by tho company represent an Investment aggregating ag-gregating more than 26,000,000. The pole mileage of tho Postal system sys-tem Is now -19.012 miles of land lines, the wire mileage 13 2S1.716 miles, and the points reached are 20.311. Of the points reached 1782 in 1903 wore reached by no other telegraph company. Near ly -1000 new offices were added last year. Tho number of messages handled by the Postal In 1903 was 21,000,077. The growth of tho Commercial Cable company has been moro rapid than that of any other cablo company in the world. It has been both rapid and continuous. It was found necessary in 1S9I to lay a third cable between New York and London. In 1000 a fourth was laid. The business of the company continued contin-ued to Increase and It also took over the operation of tho American end of tho German Atlantic Cablo company's lines. The Commercial Cable company therefore operates no less than five cables across the Atlantic ocoan. These give the company direct linos to London, Lon-don, Paris and Germany. From 'Frisco to Hawaii. In 1901 tho Commercial Pacific Cable company was organlzod for the purpose pur-pose of laying and operating a cable from San Francisco to the Hawaiian Islands, Midway, Guam, the Philippine islands and, China. This cablo, which Is nearly SO'OO nautical miles In length, has been completed at a coat of about $12,000,000, without asking any Bubsldy from the Government. It Is believed that tho cable lino will bo extended to Japan In tho near future. There are about 232,000 mllo3 of submarine sub-marine cables in the world. Of this tho Postal Telegraph Commercial Cable system controls about 27,000 miles, or moro than one-ninth of tho total, and also 2S1.000 miles of telegraph lino. In addition to the foregoing the Postal Pos-tal Telegraph system Jias direct communication, com-munication, via the Canadian Pacific Railroad telegraphs, with tho British Pacific Australian cable. Competition between the telegraph companies for patronago was never so sharp as now, but it Is baaed upon excellence ex-cellence of facilities and service, and civil treatment of patrons, tho rates of the two companies being tho same. The progress of the Postal Telegraph system Is evidenced by tho continued extension of land lines, the numerous and important railroad connections recently re-cently made, the valuable connections with the German cables, tho Paciflo cable, ca-ble, the direct West Indies cable, the Bermuda cable, etc. The present low rates and good service ser-vice have boon obtained only through Its competition. It has new lines and modern equipment. Roduced. Cablo Bates. Tho Commercial Cable company was established in 1881, since when, by remaining re-maining absolutely Independent, it has effected a reduction of CO per cent in Atlantic cable rates, and thus secured to tho cabling public a saving of at least 575.000,000. Its system embraces four cables across tho Atlantic from tho United States to Europe. Of these, on the American side, two land in and are, operated ope-rated from New York City, and the other two land at a point near Boston; whllo on the European side three land within 160 miles of London, with which city they are connected by special wires; and the fourth cable lands at Havre, France, where It connects with special underground wires to Paris, In which city the company has Its own receiving office. The Commercial Pacific Cablo company, com-pany, whose cables extend from San Francisco via Hawaiian Islands, Midway Mid-way Inlands, and Guam to the Philippines, Philip-pines, connects at San Francisco with the lines of tho Postal Telegraph company, com-pany, and at Manila with tho30 of the Eastern Extension company, and thus furnishes the most direct route to tho Philippines, Hongkong, China, Japan, Ja-pan, Korea and Formosa. The system of the Commercial Cable company, therefore, extends from tho United States of America, east and west to Europe and tho Philippines respectively, re-spectively, or moro than two-thirds around the world, tho remaining third bolng covered by the Commercial company's com-pany's connections, tho Eastern and Eastern Extension companies. Offices on tho Other Side, This company has Its own offices In London, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Glas-gow, Bradford, Lclth, Dundee, New-castle-on-Tyno, Edinburgh, Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare; ail of which are in direct communication with the cable stations by special wires operated by Its own staff. It receives and delivers messages and Is therefore In direct touch with tho public at u.il of these cities. The Commercial Cable company's connection with tho German Atlantic company provides facilities for the handling of German traffic. Tho German Ger-man company has, at present, ono, and Is now engaged In laying a second cable direct from New York to Germany via the Azores. The American end of this German system is operated by the Commercial Cablo company from Its New York office, whence messages are sent direct to and received from Germany Ger-many via the Azores. In Europe the Gorman cables land at Emden and ter-mlnuatc ter-mlnuatc In the office, in that city, of the German Telegraph Administration, whence special wires are operated to all points In Germany and Holland. To All Parts of Africa. At the Azore lolands tho Commercial Cablo company connects and oocuples a Joint office with tho Eastern Telegraph Tele-graph company, at which messages to and from Mediterranean ports, all parts of Africa and the cast coast of South America are transferred. Tme Commercial company's traffic to and from Norway, Sweden, Denmark vnd Russia io by direct special wire transferred to and received from the lines of tho Great Northern Telegraph company at London. The Commercial company's traffic to and from France and central Europe transits direct over the Commercial company's submarine cable to Havre and by underground cables to Paris. Tho Halifax and Bermudas Cable company and the Direct West India Cable company occupy a Joint office with tho Commercial Cable company at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and thus provide the most direct route and efficient service ser-vice to the Bermudas, Jamaica and the Windward islands. The Western Union is tho only company com-pany whose land line facilities In America Amer-ica equal those of the Postal Telegraph Commercial Cablo system, but the Commercial possesses four Atlantic cables ca-bles o3 compared with the Western Union's two. Bost Cables Obtainable. The cables of the Commercial company com-pany are the bost which human skill and Ingenuity could produce. Two of thorn virtually are new and tho original two are In excellent condition. The company Is therefore In a position to offer the public the use of the moat reliable re-liable channels of communication. The Commercial cables are equipped with the latest and most efficient apparatus appa-ratus In which tho company's electricians electri-cians are constantly making improvements. improve-ments. All uro duplexed and their carrying car-rying capacity thus doubled. It has also Introduced on its cables a now system sys-tem of automatic repeaters, whereby one cable may be electrically coupled to anothor and re-transmission thus dispensed dis-pensed with. The Introduction of this eystem enables the Commercial to work direct from New York City to Water-ville, Water-ville, Its cable station In Ireland. The telegraphs In Europe, Asia, Australia Aus-tralia and South America are administered adminis-tered by tho governments of tho respective re-spective countries which comprise those geological divisions of the world, and their operation 1b governed' by a code of International telegraph rules and regulations to which the Foreign Government Administrations rigidly adhere. All tho cable companies are compelled to transfer to Government Administrations messages for points at which they have not offices of their own. The messages so tranDforrcd vro subject to these international rules and regulations. |