At the beginning of 1881, telegraph lines were beginning to appear on more streets in Willimantic and were also reaching out from Willimantic to and beyond Columbia, Andover, Windham Center, Scotland, and Brooklyn. Of one line,”The Chronicle” reported, “Work is being carried on at the Boston end of the line, and it is said that the two gangs will meet at Providence. We understand that the route through the village, over which there has been considerable discussion, will be on Pleasant street.” By now, people were taking a closer look at these projects and many were not pleased. “The new telegraph line makes a circuit around the village of Windham, taking to the fields on the plain and coming out into the highway again at the Frog Pond. The people of Scotland also object to the line passing through the village, fearing injury to the shade trees in the street. The poles are being set through the town of Scotland.” Early stories aren’t specific as to the actual route of the wires through Scotland but one is led to believe they followed what is now RT 14. Apparently, Scotland residents were quite opposed to having the poles set in front of their houses and so there was an attempt to bypass the village for a short distance. One resident of note was Henry Ashley who complained that a pole was set “under protest” in front of his house. He stated that would have to come down. It should be noted here that some people along the routes of the wiring projects were seeing temporary benefits. Many farmers in several areas were being paid for trees that could be used for poles. Companies were also temporarily boarding their workers in private homes and encouraging homeowners to accepts a large a group as possible. Finally, the land owners in the towns “reaped a harvest from the company wherever they were obliged to leave the highway, charging from $2.50 to $5 a pole.” Unfortunately though, the line gangs of the Mutual Union Telegraph Company did a lot of damage to private property. They worked quickly, setting poles and stringing six sets of wires through Scotland, but in the process they tore down walls and fences and mutilated trees. While the company was responsible for damages and lawsuits were threatened, the company paid little heed to these threats. The company would pay nothing without a lawsuit, and a lawsuit was just too expensive a luxury for the average farmer to indulge in. In the meantime, Henry Ashley was ready to fight. We’ll let “The Chronicle” tell the story. “Considerable talk and some excitement has prevailed in town for some days, in reference to the case of Henry Ashley and the new telegraph company. Workmen set a pole on Mr. Ashley's front, against his orders, and he promptly cut it down. The company's agents visited Mr. Ashley and several pow wows were held over the matter, and dire were the threats uttered against our worthy townsman for his temerity in destroying the property of the company. A costly lawsuit was promised, and one of the men stated that the company had one thousand dollars to spend in the suit and that they would make it a test case. The town records were searched to see if Mr. Ashley had a clear title to his farm, and some of the neighbors began to fear that the cutting of the pole was an unwise act and would prove a costly job for the chopper. On Saturday, another pole was drawn and laid beside the fallen one, and it was rumored that on Monday morning the whole force of workmen would place it in position and attach the wires before they left the spot, and then defy anybody to cut the pole. But this brave program was not carried out. The agents of the company quietly communicated with Mr. Corbin, who owns the land on the opposite side of the street, and who was in West Haven at the time, and it is supposed obtained permission to set the pole on his front, where it was planted on Monday, leaving Mr. Ashley victorious and his front unencumbered.” In Willimantic, things were going more smoothly. The Rapid Telegraph Company was in good graces with the City’s leadership and its business was increasing.