The story of the Sun, New York: 1833-1928 / by Frank M. O'Brien ; with an introduction by Edward Page Mitchell ...

CHAPTER VII

"THE SUN" IN THE MEXICAN WAR
Moses I'. Beach as an Emissary of President Polk.-The
Associated Press Founded in the Office of the
"Sun."-Ben Day's Brother-in-Law Retires with a
Small Fortune.
TIE Beaches, father and sons, owned the Sun
throughout the Mexican War, a period notable for
the advance of newspaper enterprise; and Moses Yale
Beach proved more than once that he was the peer of
Bennett in the matter of getting news.
Shortly before war was declared-April 24, 1846 -the telegraph line was built from Philadelphia to Fort
Lee, New Jersey, opposite New York. June found a
line opened from New York to Boston; September, a
line from New York to Albany. The ports and the capitals of the nation were no longer dependent on horse
expresses, or even upon the railroads, for brief news of
importance. Morse had subdued space.
For a little time after the Mexican War began there
was a gap in the telegraph between Washington and New
York, the line between Baltimore and Philadelphia not
having been completed; but with the aid of special trains
the Sun was able to present the news a few hours after it
left Washington. It was, of course, not exactly fresh
news, for the actual hostilities in Mexico were not heard
of at Washington until May 11, more than two weeks
after their accomplishment.
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