The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

766 THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR TELEGRAPHS.
telegraph route; and fig. 8 the Azore Atlantic telegraph
route. The merchant in New-Orleans can present his dispatch to be sent to B, and thence by line 2, 3, or 4, as
he may prefer, to New-York, and thence by either 5, 6,
7, or 8, to London. Neither the company receiving the message at New-Orleans, nor any intermediate company, can
change the route from the one directed by the sender.
I have written that the public has the right to transmit
messages by such route or routes as it prefers; provided, the
lines proposed to be employed in the transmission of the message, by such an act, do not violate the purchased rights of
others. In the diagram above given, if line 3, or either of the
others, has purchased the exclusive right to transmit messages between B and C, originating at those places and along
that route, and also all messages from points beyond B and C
respectively, destined to B and C and points beyond respectively, then lines 2 and 4 would violate the rights of line
3 by the transmission of business originating as specified, and
the line cannot be compelled to thus involve itself. If, however, line 3 has only purchased the right to send dispatches,
and has not the exclusive right, there will be no violation of
the patent franchise of 3 by the sending of messages over the
lines 2 and 4, which have also the right by purchase, to transmit dispatches between B and C in common with other lines.
In case the route is not specified by the sender, the company
can transmit the message by such lines as may be in its particular combination. As a general rule, it may be admitted, that
every company will be glad to send the message by the route
that ean do the business the most prompt, and all combinations fettering the efficient line with the inefficient, will fail
in execution, and sooner or later cease to exist. The interest
of the line is the better subserved by the greatest promptness
in the dispatch of business. By these remarks, it will be seen
that the common and statute laws, the interest of the telegraph, and the rights of the public, harmonize one with the
other, each aiming for " the greatest good to the greatest
number."
TIHE RIGHT OF WAY FOR TE'LEGRAPHIS.
rn nearly all the States laws have been passed, giving the
free right of way to any and all telegraph companies, to build
lines over the public lands and highways. The following is
an extract from one of these statutes:; Any telegraph company may construct lines of electric telegraphs
upon and along any of the highways and public roads, and across any of