Correctness in the transmission of messages to any point on the lines of this company can be INSURED by contract in writing, stating agreed amount of risk, and payment of premium thereon at the following rates, in addition to the usual charge for repeated messages, viz.: one per cent for any distance not exceeding one thousand miles, and two per cent for any greater distance. No employee of the company is authorized to vary the foregoing.
| Statement showing the Minimum Rate for Telegrams from London to Principal Cities in Europe, and from New York to Principal Cities in America. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From London | Distance in Eng. Miles. | Tariff. | From New York | Distance in Eng. Miles. | Tariff. | |||||
| £ | s. | d. | U.S. Cur. | $ cts. | ||||||
| To | Cambridge | 40 | 1 | 6 | = $0.52 | To | New Haven, Conn. | 70 | 0.20 | |
| Dover | 50 | 2 | 0 | = 0.70 | Hartford, Conn. | 100 | 0.20 | |||
| Birmingham | 100 | 1 | 0 | = 0.35 | Providence, R. I. | 150 | 0.20 | |||
| Worcester | 100 | 2 | 0 | = 0.70 | Springfield, Mass. | 125 | 0.30 | |||
| Havre | 125 | 3 | 6 | = 1.22 | Worcester, Mass. | 155 | 0.30 | |||
| Liverpool | 180 | 1 | 0 | = 0.35 | Boston, Mass. | 190 | 0.30 | |||
| Caen | 160 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Portsmouth, N. H. | 200 | 0.45 | |||
| Plymouth | 190 | 2 | 6 | = 0.87 | Washington, D. C. | 190 | 0.40 | |||
| Paris | 200 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Augusta, Me. | 280 | 0.65 | |||
| Amsterdam | 200 | 6 | 6 | = 2.27 | Oswego, N. Y. | 250 | 0.40 | |||
| Rheims | 250 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Portland, Me. | 250 | 0.65 | |||
| Aix-la-Chapelle | 265 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Bath, Me. | 275 | 0.65 | |||
| Wakefield | 300 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Rochester, N. Y. | 280 | 0.50 | |||
| Dublin | 290 | 5 | 0 | = 1.75 | Pittsburg, Pa. | 300 | 0.45 | |||
| Edinburgh | 320 | 4 | 0 | = 1.40 | Camden, Me. | 330 | 0.65 | |||
| Rochelle | 350 | 7 | 3 | = 2.53 | Belfast, Me. | 350 | 0.65 | |||
| Frankfort | 380 | 7 | 6 | = 2.62 | Buffalo, N. Y. | 330 | 0.50 | |||
| Hamburg | 380 | 8 | 0 | = 2.80 | Erie, Pa. | 360 | 1.00 | |||
| Strasburg | 385 | 7 | 3 | = 2.53 | Bangor, Me. | 340 | 0.65 | |||
| Hanover | 400 | 8 | 0 | = 2.80 | Cleveland, Ohio | 425 | 1.00 | |||
| Stuttgart | 420 | 7 | 6 | = 2.62 | Toledo, Ohio | 470 | 1.00 | |||
| Berne | 450 | 7 | 3 | = 2.53 | Columbus, Ohio | 475 | 0.95 | |||
| Bordeaux | 455 | 7 | 3 | = 2.53 | Sandusky, Ohio | 480 | 1.40 | |||
| Munich | 540 | 8 | 6 | = 2.67 | Cincinnati, Ohio | 550 | 1.00 | |||
| Turin | 550 | 7 | 3 | = 3.53 | Lexington, Ky. | 575 | 1.00 | |||
| Copenhagen | 552 | 8 | 0 | = 2.80 | Dayton, Ohio. | 552 | 1.00 | |||
| Berlin | 560 | 10 | 0 | = 3.50 | Charleston, S. C. | 590 | 2.00 | |||
| Milan | 575 | 8 | 6 | = 2.67 | Fort Wayne, Ind. | 580 | 1.70 | |||
| Marseilles | 576 | 8 | 6 | = 2.67 | Lansing, Mich. | 590 | 1.85 | |||
| Prague | 600 | 9 | 9 | = 3.41 | Louisville, Ky. | 625 | 1.00 | |||
| Modena | 650 | 9 | 6 | = 3.32 | Indianapolis, Ind. | 650 | 1.90 | |||
| Saragossa | 652 | 9 | 6 | = 3.32 | New Albany, Ind. | 660 | 1.75 | |||
| Christiania | 700 | 17 | 6 | = 5.95 | La Fayette, Ind. | 700 | 1.95 | |||
| Trieste | 720 | 11 | = 3.85 | Chicago, Ill. | 730 | 1.75 | ||||
| Vienna | 780 | 11 | = 3.85 | Racine, Wis. | 750 | 1.90 | ||||
| Madrid | 750 | 10 | 6 | = 3.67 | Milwaukee, Wis. | 770 | 1.90 | |||
| Ancona | 800 | 11 | = 3.85 | Peru, Ill. | 800 | 2.25 | ||||
| Rome | 850 | 12 | = 4.20 | Madison, Wis. | 850 | 2.40 | ||||
| Stockholm | 860 | 16 | 3 | = 5.69 | Montgomery, Ala. | 860 | 3.05 | |||
| Warsaw | 875 | 13 | 3 | = 4.64 | St. Louis, Mo. | 880 | 2.00 | |||
| Pesth | 880 | 12 | 3 | = 4.29 | Galena, Ill. | 880 | 2.35 | |||
| Cagliari | 925 | 14 | = 4.90 | Rock Island, Ill. | 900 | 2.35 | ||||
| Naples | 950 | 11 | = 3.85 | Prairie du Chien, Wis. | 950 | 2.65 | ||||
| Lisbon | 955 | 14 | = 4.90 | Quincy, Ill. | 950 | 2.60 | ||||
| Seville | 980 | 13 | = 4.55 | Jefferson City, Mo. | 975 | 2.70 | ||||
| Cadiz | 1,000 | 13 | = 4.55 | Mobile, Ala. | 1,000 | 3.00 | ||||
| Belgrade | 1,005 | 13 | 6 | = 4.72 | Little Rock, Ark. | 1,050 | 4.00 | |||
| Palermo | 1,080 | 12 | = 4.20 | Des Moines, Iowa. | 1,080 | 2.70 | ||||
| St. Petersburg | 1,160 | 18 | 6 | = 6.47 | New Orleans, La. | 1,100 | 3.25 | |||
| Novgorod | 1,275 | 18 | 6 | = 6.47 | Houston, La. | 1,330 | 5.00 | |||
| Smolensk | 1,280 | 18 | 6 | = 6.47 | Galveston, Texas | 1,340 | 3.95 | |||
| Malta | 1,250 | 16 | 9 | = 5.87 | Grand Island, Nebraska | 1,350 | 4.60 | |||
| Odessa | 1,360 | 18 | 6 | = 6.47 | Fort Kearney, Nebraska | 1,380 | 5.25 | |||
| Athens | 1,450 | 1 | 12 | = 11.36 | Austin, Texas | 1,460 | 5.50 | |||
| Constantinople | 1,480 | 19 | 6 | = 7.00 | San Antonio, Texas | 1,550 | 5.50 | |||
| Smyrna | 1,540 | 1 | 6 | 6 | = 9.43 | Fort Laramie, Nebraska | 1,600 | 6.40 | ||
| Nishni Novgorod | 1,700 | 1 | 2 | = 7.86 | Denver, Colorado | 1,700 | 7.60 | |||
| Moscow | 1,485 | 19 | = 6.65 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 2,100 | 5.95 | ||||
| Taganrog | 1,490 | 1 | 6 | = 9.26 | Sacramento, California | 2,500 | 6.75 | |||
| Sjumen | 1,500 | 1 | 8 | = 9.96 | Stockton, California | 2,500 | 6.75 | |||
| Alexandria | 1,867 | 2 | 6 | 9 | = 16.69 | San Francisco, California | 2,600 | 6.75 | ||
MORE ERRONEOUS STATEMENTS.
Mr. Hubbard’s assertion that, “where a message is repeated, the expense is increased about seventy-five per cent, but on well-constructed lines, in ordinary weather, messages between any two stations east of a line from St. Paul to New Orleans require but one repetition,” hardly needs refutation. East of the line named there are more than four thousand telegraph offices, and at least 1,300 separate and distinct circuits. How, then, can separate wires be maintained between every two stations over this vast territory? Even confining the statement to one office at the East,—say Boston, for example,—how is it possible to maintain separate circuits that will enable that office to work direct with each one of four thousand offices? It would be more practicable to travel from every town in the United States to every other town, without change of cars, than it would to establish direct telegraphic connection between each.
The Western Union Telegraph Company maintains independent circuits, and works direct between New York and Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Portland, Plaister Cove, and many other points; but to work with every office in the United States without repetition would require more wires upon each pole than the mythical Briareus had hands.
SINGULAR NOTIONS OF PRACTICAL TELEGRAPHY.
It seems scarcely worth while to follow Mr. Hubbard in his statements regarding the capital of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and the cost of its lines. We have given a statement on pages [37] to [40] of the organization of this company, the amount of its capital, length of lines, and other matters of interest.
Mr. Hubbard’s statement that the directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company have steadfastly refused to reduce rates until forced by competition, and then consolidated with the competing company, and again raised the rates, is without the slightest foundation in fact. We have previously stated that no increase in the rates has been made since the consolidation with the United States and American companies, but, on the contrary, they have been reduced to more than one thousand stations, while the opposition have less than three hundred offices all told.
ABSURD THEORIES REGARDING THE WORKING CAPACITY OF TELEGRAPH LINES.
Mr. Hubbard says:—