The situation of Switzerland, in the centre of Europe, and forming the
pathway between nations, places her in a peculiar position with
reference to the transmission of messages from one country to another.
Just as Belgium is situated in relation to intercourse between France
and Germany, so Switzerland is placed in regard to telegraphic
communication between France and Italy, and Italy and Germany.
Switzerland, from many circumstances, is a country in which telegraphic
communication is eminently useful. In the first place it is a
mountainous country, over which postal communication is necessarily
slow, and conducted at all seasons under disadvantages. Besides all
this, Switzerland, at certain seasons of the year, is a country full of
travellers and tourists from all parts of the world, who find great
advantage and convenience in being able to transmit short messages from
one place to another, respecting hotel accommodations, baggage
arrangements, lost packages, horses, places in the diligence, and
general matters relating to their route, as well as business and social
messages to their relatives, friends, and agents at home.
Switzerland is in the same position with Belgium in respect to the means
of cheap telegraphic communication. The railways of the country all
belong to the state; so that every railway is available, without charge,
for the passage of wires along the line, and every railway official may
be employed for telegraphic service, at the pleasure of the government,
for nothing. It is scarcely necessary to point out how different must be
the working of such a system from that of the United States, where the
railways are in the hands of private companies, and with whom terms have
to be made for the right of way.