BANKERS AND MERCHANTS 351 



delivery could be made Robert Garrett made 

 them a bigger bid and Brice sent the smooth- 

 tongued Thomas to me to explain what couldn't 

 be explained. We bought the American Rapid 

 Telegraph Company whose lines were extensive 

 but in poor condition and I wish I had back the 

 million or so that I put into repairs and exten- 

 sions of that plant of Boston multi-millionaires. 

 I had looked for aid from that crowd in work 

 done for our mutual interests, but never did a 

 penny of help come. I regret especially that in 

 response to their urgent appeal I sent my per- 

 sonal check for $125,000 to meet their maturing 

 coupons, at a time when I could ill spare it. 



We pushed the building of lines in many di- 

 rections, buying single lots of twenty thousand 

 miles of wire. 



We wanted a ticker and we bought the one 

 now controlled by the New York Stock Ex- 

 change which afterwards secured it upon sub- 

 stantially the terms upon which I offered it to 

 them. 



We bought the United States Telephone 



