A Rhode Island Man Wants To Start A Semaphore Telegraph Company: “The Suppling Of Books And Suits Of Flags At The Various Stations…Be Pleased To State The Several Sites You Have Thought The Best For The Location Of Stations”

WALTER R. DANFORTH (1787-1861). Danforth a Brown University graduate, was active in Providence politics and the clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court. ALS. 3pg. 8” x 10”. September 3, 1827. Providence. An autograph letter signed “W.R. Danforth” to John R. Parker about a Rhode Island semaphore system for faster communications: “The committee appointed on Saturday evening last on the subject of a Marine Telegraph in this port, have met but are not able to agree on a report, without some aid from you, and have requested me to address and request an answer as early as possible. We are as yet not impressed what benefit you are to derive from the establishment except from the suppling of books and suits of flags at the various Stations. If any thing is to be paid to you on getting these into operation, or if anything is to be paid annually we ought to know what that is; in order that we may be enabled to report at the adjourned meeting. 1st – the expense of erecting 2nd the expense of attendants and repairs by the year at each station and 3dly the same which is to be received by you (if any). I was at the Saturday evening meeting so short a time that I received but little explanation from you, and the other members of the Committee not so much as they require to act upon. From your experience, we are satisfied that we should procure of you a more certain estimate of the first expense and the annual expenses that we could derive in our inquiries from all other sources, and we therefore wish you to satisfy us on all these point in your answer to this, and to communicate such facts and observations as you may think proper to elucidate the subject, and induce our commercial men to engage in this undertaking, which we think will be of great utility. Should your answer arrive by return of mail, it is probably this Committee will form a report and call another meeting on Saturday evening. In your answer be pleased to state the several sites you have thought the best for the location of Stations, and supply us with all the information that you think may have a bearing on the question. The committee are well satisfied of the importance of the proposed measure, and you may rest assured that their efforts shall not be wanting to promote.” Parker was a Bostonian businessman who made money in early music publishing. In the years before Morse’s 1844 telegraph success, people were trying to speed up communications, including using semaphore; this was one early attempt to do this. The letter is in very fine condition with mailing folds.