| From the Charleston Mercury |
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| January 15, 1861 |
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| The Telegraph in South Carolina |
| The Superintendent of this
section of the American Telegraph lately sent a communication to the New
York Herald to correct some errors that had been made in the
correspondence of that paper. The communication was published, but in a
mutilated form. As it contains many interesting facts in regard to the
telegraph in our State, we give it in full, as written by Superintendent
Heiss: |
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| Republic of South Carolina |
| Charleston, Jan. 8, 1861 |
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| To the Editor of the New York Herald: |
| In your issue of December 30, 1860, there
appears a letter from your correspondent, dated Columbia, S. C.,
December 14, 1860, which contains statements entirely erroneous, whether
intentional or accidental, I am unable to say. I quote his remarks: "The
telegraph wires within the State are as follows: From Marion C. H. to
Kingsville to Camden, one wire. From Kingsville to Charleston, two
wires. There is in course of erection a telegraphic line along the
Northeastern Railroad from Charleston to Savannah. It will be completed
in about three months." Had your correspondent made inquiry before
writing, he would not have committed so many glaring blunders. The
Northeastern Railroad has as much to do with the Charleston & Savannah
Railroad as the Hudson River Railroad with the Atlantic Telegraph Cable
Company. The American Telegraph Company have two wires from Wilmington,
N. C., to this city, and two wires from this point to Augusta, Ga.;
there is also one wire from Kingsville, S. C., to Columbia, S. C., and
one from Kingsville to Camden, S. C., which wires are at all times
capable of performing the business offered -- even the heavy pressure of
these exciting times. In addition to the facilities afforded by the
above mentioned lines, Adams' Express Company have a wire from Columbia,
S. C., to Charlotte, N. C., which connects with the American Telegraph
Company at Columbia, S. C. A substantial line is now being erected
between Charleston and Savannah, along the Charleston & Savannah
Railroad, and not the Northeastern Railroad, which runs northeast, while
the course of the former is southwest. It will thus be seen that your
correspondent was entirely ignorant, or has written for the purpose of
misleading the public mind. As the Superintendent of the American
Telegraph Company, through the State of South Carolina, and portions of
North Carolina and Georgia, I have deemed it my duty to correct these
glaring errors. I beg also to state, that the officers of the American
Telegraph Company in this State have never been under any restrictions
from the Government of South Carolina, and the reports that this office
has been under the espionage of the Governor and his Council, are
utterly without foundation. |
| W. H. Heiss, Sup't. |
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