The Telegraph in Williamsburgh

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THE TELEGRAPH IN WILLIAMSBURGH.

The people of the Eastern District are not behind the age in their appreciation of the benefits resulting from the great enterprises of the day. They did their full share, as individuals, in celebrating both by word and deed the problematic success of the Atlantic Telegraph¹. Now, however, an enterprise of the same kind has been brought home to our own doors, and we are placed within the possibility of instantaneous communication with "all the world and the rest of mankind"—or, to speak less hyerbolically, with all the other leading cities of the United States and Canada. The American Telegraph Company, who some two years since extended their communication from New York to the Western District of this city, have now opened an office at 91 South 7th street, by a connection effected near the corner of First and South 7th streets with their line running from Hurlgate to Court street, Brooklyn. It will be remembered that the Morse Company prior to this established telegraphic communication between New York and Brooklyn by a submarine cable across the river at Fulton Ferry, but the frequent anchoring of vessels at that spot soon damaged the cable and rendered it useless. House's telegraph, which has been in successful operation in the Western District during the past two years, communicates with Long Island by a submarine cable at Hurlgate. It was intended at first, we believe, to prolong the line to Philadelphia from Brooklyn; but some other route is now deemed shorter and preferable. The business at Brooklyn has gone on steadily increasing since the office was first opened, and now averages thirty or forty messages a day. Many of these messages are sent to the Eastern section of Brooklyn, and it was the delay and trouble caused by sending messengers with them to long distances, that induced the enterprising superintendent, Mr. Hendrickson, to resolve upon establishing a connection and branch office here.

We bring the matter thus prominently before the citizens of the Eastern District with the conviction that the facilities thus afforded them of communication with the Western District and New York city will be gladly embraced, as soon as sufficient promulgation and notoriety is given to the enterprise. We should be sorry to see the enterprise fail of that measure of support which would warrant the Company in permanently locating an office here.

There are many of our business men who would often be glad to avail themselves of the facility of sending a message and receiving a reply from Brooklyn and New York, and thus save the time and trouble of a personal visit. It is to this source that the Company must mainly look for the remuneration for their outlay. The scale of charges they have adopted is moderate enough to warrant them in expecting a large measure of patronage. For 25 cents we can send twenty words (an average length of message) to New York, Brooklyn, or Philadelphia; to Albany for 47 cents; Washington 50 cents; and even to New Orleans for $2,60. During the session of the next Legislature the line may reckon on an extensive patronage from inside and outside members at Albany to their friends here; but, as we have said, the chief use of the Telegraph to us will be to save the time of business men by often rendering visits to New York and Brooklyn unnecessary. It is plain that if a man's time is worth anything it is cheaper for him to telegraph to the City Hall for 25 cents, than to spend ten cents in going and coming, and lose two hours beside. It will also be a great convenience to our citizens, in sending messages to distant cities, to transmit them from their own doors, instead of having to lose time in going to an office in New York. The office here will be kept open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

We have no doubt that the new office will be extensively patronised, when once our citizens of the Eastern District realise the fact that we have a telegraph station in our Burgh. It is with the view of bringing this fact plainly before them, that we have thus prominently called attention to the matter.

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