The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-23
"HELL0, CENTRALr
"wELL, WHAT DO you wANTT
Gossip About the Telephone and It's Futurt-rh'
Extent or the BusInssS In the unitsd States
andits GrOwth-EzpOss OF asehsmo 10
Eat Up the small Exchanges.

1
Extent or the BusIneI In the unlted States
andits GrOuth-E1pOss OF Scheme 10
Eat Up the small Exchanges.
CLEVELAND, March 23.-A correspondent
Of the Leader, writing from Washington
says: met to'day, at the Riggs House,
man who is largely interested in the man
} uiaciure OF the Bell telephone and in tele
graphic instrumts, and was much surprised
at some OF the statements he made in re-
gard to the business. This man is so well
known to the electricians Of the United
States and to the parties interested that he
does not wish to have bis name given.
"The telephone industry" said he, "is
growing like Jonah's gourd. Within the
last month l have been over nearly the
whole Of the Union, and l find the use Of
telephones increasing SO largely that the
manufacturers are unable to supply the
demand. Within the last six weeks
/ have taken orders for our factory alone
for GGO0 telephone bells, and will
sell ten thousand more within the next
month. The demand for the comingspring
promises to be the largest ever known In
the history of the telephone. We have
orders enough now on hand 10 keep us
busy for two years, and we are increasing
our capacity every year. There are five
other factories in the United State making
the Bell telephone and they are all doing
we'll"
as there any money in the telephones ?"
1 asked.
MONEY IN TELEPHONES.
"Well, should say so," was the reply.
~ don't know Of any business that pays
better. Telephone companies usually make
a dividend Of Is per cent the first year,
and this Notwithstanding the cost Of laying
wires and putting in the instruments.
After this the expense is comparatively
little and the receipts proportionately
greater.
"Nearly every man who has been largely
interested in telephones" continued this
gentleman, "has become wealthy. All OF
the original company Of the Bell invention,
with, perhaps, d single exception, are now
millionaires. Bell himself was seven years
ago poor Englshman, living in New Ha.
ven, Conn.,, and experimenting in tele.
graphy. He had come from England few,
years before. One day when he was ex-
perimenting on duplex messages he found
he could talk over the wires and he con-
ceived the idea OF his telephone. | was
with him at the time he made bis instru.
ment, and we gave the first exhibition OF 1t
in the hall Of Yale College before the stu.
dents. Our first attempt was not q success.
dience with the impression that the expert
ment was failure, and we were couple
Of visionary fools. We tried 1t again,
however, II few days later, in the Opera
House at New Haven, and succeeded so well
that the Bell Company was organized at
once. think established the first tele-
phone company using the instrument.
George W. Coy, the greatest electrician in
the United States to-day, aud myself were
in partnership. Our first exchange had
eight wires, and they ran to tile houses OF
friends over the city. No one thought Of
using it for business then. Wehad no bells
but used electric buttons like those for
calling servants at the hotels. The success
created great excitementinN New Haven and
we soon had twenty-five subscribers and
had TO put in thirteen more wires. We
next made board Of one hundred wires.
Up TO this time it had been used entirely
for social chatting and for the curl
osity OF the thing. Then the business men
saw the advantages oil the invention, and
subscribers came in faster than we could
put up the wires. 1t soon spread TO other
cities, first TO Boston, then Lowell, Albany,
Troy, and next to Chicago. Alter this ex-
changes sprung up so rapidly all over the
country that 1t was impossible 10 keep
track OF them. And from that time on the
new business was success. At present
there are more telephones in New York
than in any other city in the world, and
the number has been increasing at the rate
OF twenty day for the past year. Boston,
Chicago, baltimore, CLEVELAND, and Cincin.
natl are now putting in over tiity new tele.
phones every month, and Nashville is in
creasing its subscribers at the rate OF
two per day. The villages are estab.
fishing exchanges, and the time will come
when the major part OF the houses through
out the country will be connected by tele.
phone. The business is being pushed in
Europe US well as in America, but foreign.
ers are so slow to take up new things that
there is not now one telephone in England
to one hundred in America. In France the
telephone is used by some OF the larger
business houses, but as q convenience for
the people 1t Is almost unknown. In the
other countries OF Europe 1t Is much the
same. The people didn't seem 10 under.
stand the value Of the invention, and they
don't take hold OF il as the Americans do"
"What does It cost man to have tale.
phone?"
"The rates are different In different
places, ranging from s. to $50 month.
When Coy and myself started the first ex.
change we charged eighteen dollars year.
Now in New York each subscriber within
hall mile OF the exchange pays fifteen dol.
lars a month, and In Boston and Baltimore
from one hundred to one hundred and
twenty dollars year"
"What Is Mr.. Bell worth now?" I asked.
"At least
SIX MILLION DOLLARS"
was the reply. Ellis income Is very large,
and increases every year with the extent Of
the business. He Is dark complexioned
man, between thirty FIVE and forty years Of
age. He talks with an English accent, and
has keen eye for business. Attempts are
being now made to break down hisp patents,
but 1t is questionable whether they sue.
ceed."
"Tell me something about other men who
have made money In telephones"
"Itwould take all night" was the reply.
"Nearly every man who has handled them
has made money. One Of the most notable
instances Is that OF Thomas Watson, the
old gray.haired mechanic who used to help
Bell in his experiments. He had little
shop in New Haven, and made electrical