Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-21
TeIephOm1c.

l The telephone is becoming institution I of the greatest convenience, not to say al ready indispensable; but it is not yet fully 1 understood by the public in all it's relations | to them. For instance, there are a good | many people to-day who think that to allow | the telephone wire upon one's premises is to waive right which cannot be recovered. It I is knowingly said that after two years the l telephone companies acquire the absolute ] right to keep their wires where they are and ! will then be beyond the reach of control by
 the owners of the property. Another story has it that after five years the right of the ! companies, if undisturbed during that period, | becomes absolute. A still milder suggestion
 than this is that 'after while" this will be ! the case.
 1 So far as can be learned, the following are 1 the facts: The telephone companies acquire no rights whatever. They go upon private property by the license of the owner, wheth- | CT simply to accommodate him or to go on | further to other houses and the license thus | granted is at any time revokable at the wish l of the owner. Undisputed possession does ! not bring with 1t any permanent right. The l managers of the telephone companies do not l contend that they do acquire any right, but are perfectly reasonable in their declaration l that they go upon the territory of others only by sufferance. The district company, | indeed, whenever it is desired, make the fol ! lowing agreement with parties whose prem ises its wires go upon
 1 This indenture between the District Tele- phone and Automatic Signal Company, a | corporation incorporated under the laws of \ the State of Connecticut, and located in the
 town and county of New Haven in said State | party of the first part, and -, of the town 1 of -, county of -, and State of -, l party of the second part Witnesseth that | whereas, said party of the second part has 1 allowed said company to attach it's wires to a ! part of a certain building in said town, known
 as number -, street, without making any charge therefor.
 1 Now, therefore, said company hereby ac- l knowledge that the same has been done by 1 the leave and license of said party of the sec- ond part, used simply as a matter of accom- 1 modation, and that it's use of said portion of | said building for it's wires as above stated is | now and is to be continued by 1t, as a matter I of accommodation and not of right, and never
 can or shall be the foundation of any claim of | right adverse possession, on the part | either of said company it's successorssor assigns, and that said wires shall be removed | by said company, at its own expense, if re- l quested by said party of the second part. Witness the corporate name and seal of said company hereunto affixed at New Haven, this - day Of -, 1879, by -, It's preS1- l dent and agent duly authorized.
 The companies acknowledging that their deviations from the highway are by courtesy, l and law and lawyers saying that in case of future disputes the Connecticut Statutes and | the common law are all on the side of the 1 property holders, so that the companies can-
 not acquire any permanent hold, it certainly 1 looks as if the fear that has been entertained about letting the wires run over one's land or building had but slender foundation in fact 1 And it may be added that statistics are all 1 the time strengthening the notion that the
 more wires we run about the city the less is 1 the danger of lightning. ng.-Hartford Courant