BACK REFLECTION
BACK REFLECTION: NEWFOUNDLAND TERRESTRIAL ROUTE CONSTRUCTION 1853-1856 (PART1) BY PHILIP PILGRIM
T
he upcoming Back Reflections articles will focus on the construction of the Newfoundland Terrestrial Telegraph Line. This 400 mile route was needed to connect the eastern most point of North America to the North American telegraph network. Construction began in June 1853 and was completed in October 1856. To break the ice, here is a light story with a little mischievous humor that predates child labour laws and under-age drinking laws. It was written in 1915 by Samuel Ruby. He was a young boy of 14 who signed up to construct the telegraph line in July 1854. A little research shows that his background is farming and agriculture, so his ability to identify animal tracks should be considered accurate. Samuel’s story was published in The Newfoundland Quarterly magazine (Vol 15. No2, October 1915). At that time, he would have been 75 and mentions that he may be the only surviving member of the 360 man team that constructed the line.
BUILDING THE TRANSCONTINENTAL TELEGRAPH BY SAMUEL RUBY
When it was proposed to build an overland telegraph line from St. John’s to Port-aux Basque, the customary opposition to all great reforms showed itself. For years we had great difficulty in receiving news from the outside world. Letters were always scarce, because they were mostly brought by sailing vessel, and postage was expensive. Under such circumstances it can be
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imagined that a good telegraph service would be an immense boon to the city. Old-fashioned people said it would not pay and it could not be built. But finally, men of pluck and foresight took the problem in hand, and getting concessions from the Government, commenced work and carried the line through. This work was done when the Hon. Charles Fox Bennett was
Premier, and the Parliamentary reports of the time will show how strenuously the proposition was opposed. Frederic Newton Gisborne was the most active promoter of the transcontinental line. He was Engineer on construction for the company building the landlines in the Maritime Provinces of Canada in 1848—51. In the fall of 1851, he came to St. John’s and