The Montreal Company never became aware of the trick that was played upon them.
The Queen’s Message.
When in August, 1858, the Atlantic cable had been successfully laid, uniting two continents telegraphically, there was universal rejoicing. The Queen sent a congratulatory message to “Her Good Friend,” the President of the United States, to which a suitable reply was returned.
The brevity of the Queen’s message was somewhat disappointing compared with the more lengthy reply of the President, and many unfavorable comments were made in the press and in conversation.
However, it was afterwards learned that only a portion of the communication had been received owing to a temporary interruption of the cable. When at last the completed message came there was no reason for disappointment, and general satisfaction was evinced.
Small pieces of the unused cable of about an inch to two or three inches in length mounted with brass or silver ferrules were sold on the street by speculators from 25 cents to a dollar each. The event was celebrated with great éclat on both sides of the Atlantic.
Banners were displayed with numerous devices and quotations from Scripture such as, “Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world,” and from Shakespeare, “I will put a girdle round the earth in forty minutes.”
There were torchlight processions, displays of fireworks, illuminations, etc., etc., together with addresses by distinguished men in honor of the event. I refer more particularly to Ogdensburg, N.Y., where I was then situated as operator and received the Queen’s message over the wire.
The rejoicing unfortunately was somewhat premature.