Death of Jeptha Wade

Death of Jeptha Wade.

Jeptha H. Wade, whose name is identified with the early days of the telegraph, died at his home in Cleveland on Saturday last. He was one of the wealthiest and most highly esteemed residents of the city. Mr. Wade was born in Seneca county, N. Y., in 1811. He became interested in telegraphy as soon as the first message had been sent from Baltimore to Washington. He began at once the study of the new science at Detroit. He then placed himself at the head of a corps of laborers and pushed into the woods of Michigan, constructing along the line of the Michigan Central, the first telegraph line west of Buffalo. He opened, equipped, and self-taught, conducted both as manager and operator, the office at Jackson. He soon entered the field as proprietor, and began building lines on his own account. He covered Ohio and Illinois, and "Wade's lines" were known as far west as St. Louis. At this time the manager of a telegraph line was expected to make insulators, wires, and all other appliances required for the equipment of the line. The greatest obstacle was imperfect insulation, and here Mr. Wade stepped in and invented the famous "Wade insulator." It was imperfect insulation that made

Jeptha H. Wade.

the first telegraph line between Cleveland and Cincinnati a failure, and Mr. Wade purchased the stock, and set the business on an efficient and paying basis. In extending his lines to St. Louis, he was first to demonstrate the practicability of inclosing a submarine cable in an iron armor. In 1852 no one was making any money in telegraphy, and telegraph stock was so low that whole blocks were given Mr. Wade on the guarantee that the stockholders would not be called upon for any further assessments. Much more was bought at 5 and 10 cents on a dollar. In 1854 Mr. Wade united his lines with those controlled by the House Telegraph Printing company of Rochester, and then Mr. Wade as general manager controlled all the lines from Buffalo, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and intermediate points. The later outcome of this combination was the Western Union Telegraph company. Mr. Wade next turned his face toward the "Great American Desert," which was then said to lie between the Mississippi and the Pacific states. He became the originator and first president of the Pacific Telegraph company. The construction with all its difficulties was effected under his direction. He blazed out the way which his telegraph line afterward assisted the Union Pacific Railway to follow. When the Pacific company was combined with the Western Union he became the first president of the combination and served there until 1867. After his retirement Mr. Wade began his career as banker, capitalist and philanthropist, which made him one of the best known of Cleveland's citizens. He left a fortune of about $5,000,000.