Interest in Newfoundland as a landing place for transatlantic cable heightened when it was realized that it was 1,000 miles (1600 kilometers) closer to Europe than was New York, the commercial hub of the United States. By 1856, St. John's was connected by cable to mainland Canada. In 1866, the cable ship Great Eastern was successful in connecting Newfoundland to Valentia, Ireland. Transatlantic messages from Europe were then relayed by an overland cable from Heart's Content to Harbour Grace, to St. John's, and then on to Nova Scotia and New York.As the cable business grew, more transatlantic cables were required and suitable landing sites in Newfoundland were considered. With the knowledge that the Western Union Telegraph Company was considering a site in Conception Bay, Mr. Charles E. Russell, owner and editor of "The Guardian", began a campaign to promote Bay Roberts as a preferred site. In addition to articles in his paper, he formed "The Cable Committee" to lobby Western Union. They were successful in having Western Union consider, and eventually select, Bay Roberts as the site for their 1910 transatlantic cable.The Guardian, June 5, 1910"Meeting of the Cable Committee" As a number of the members of the Cable Committee are leaving for Labrador shortly, a meeting was held on Friday evening last in the Courthouse. The secretary, Mr. C.E. Russell, gave an interim report on the work of the Committee up to that time, and announced that the Western Union Telegraph Co. had secured beach lots in Beachy Cove, which indicated that they were seriously considering Bay Roberts as their cable base in this country. Something definite would likely be known shortly. The expenditure of the Committee to date amounted to $7.77 and "if there is any luck in the figure 7, surely we have it all."Also the August 12, 1910 edition of The Guardian contained a telegram of congratulations dated August 7, 1910, as follows; "Greetings. Clowry at sea, to Russell, Guardian, Bay Roberts, Nfld. We congratulate you and the Committee."This is an official acknowledgement of the role played by Mr. Charles E. Russell and the Committee in having Western Union established in Bay Roberts.