It had a monopoly of hotels and railroad offices.

No matter in what direction the Bell Company turned, the live wire of the Western Union lay across its path.
From the first, the Western Union relied more upon its strength than upon the merits of its case.

Its chief electrical expert, Frank L.Pope, had made a six months' examination of the Bell patents.

He had bought every book in the United States and Europe that was likely to have any reference to the transmission of speech, and employed a professor who knew eight languages to translate them.

He and his men ransacked libraries and patent offices; they rummaged and sleuthed and interviewed; and found nothing of any value.