Great Telegraphic Feat

The President’s Message, which contained nearly eight thousand words, was transmitted by the American Telegraph Company from Washington, and a copy dropped at Philadelphia and Baltimore, in exactly fifty two minutes. The copy of the Message had to be delivered at the Telegraph office after its reading had commenced in the House, and yet it was all in New York City, and a portion in the hands of the press, a half hour before the reading of it was finished in the House. It was at once pushed forward for all the cities between this and Boston, and was all in Boston in one hour and thirty minutes from the time it started from Washington. While this was being done the regular business of the Office was not seriously delayed.

- Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, December 26, 1863