Daily Republican., 1883-11-02
Tae Telephone Poles

Il
will be long drawn out battle OF the
telephone pole in Wilmington, in when
the law will be the implement OF war.
Skirmishes have already occurred with
undecisive results in various other To-
calities but if things are pushed IN osr
city the skirmish already commenced
between f. II. Rumford and the Della
ware and Atlantic Telephone Company,
will develop into real battle OF con-
siderable magnitude. MIR. Rumford Is
= prominent halter with his place ofl
business on Market street above
Fourth, one of the most public business
thoroughfares of the city. He has
,iRu out over his store that attention
may be attracted to his place OF busl-
meas and IN the front part Of his store is
the usual bulk wiadow, (gradually be-
coming anothe source of trouble for
the display Of his goods. Every art is
employed to assist in driving lu-
crative trade that will pay him living
profit on his investment. he owns
twelve feet of the sidewalk in front OF
his store and pays for the stone curb as
the outer edge and the brick that covers
the surface, but he Is prohibited by
we'll recognized law from using it in
auy manner that will obstruct or i'm
pede public travel. A we'll recognized
ordinance of local law permits him TO
occupy four feet directly in front and
adjoining his building line, but only
for the display of his goods. He is not
even permitted the privilege of traffic
ing and selling goods outside OF his
store. These We believe ara about the
restrictions which apply to all business
places in the city, though they are often
violated with impunity without the
viola: ors running any great risk Of pun
ishm mt.
On the other hand the telephone com
pany, controlling virtually a new en-,
terprise, which is apparently yet only
in its infancy, comes in t)r a share OF
attention and asks for extraordinary
franchises such as were never before
granted simply because but few years
ago telephones were never thought
about. Nobody will deny at this EN-
lightened stage Of electrical progress
that telephones are not great benefit tt
the business community. When pro
visions were made regulating an'
adapting sidewalks TO business re
quirements, there were none made reg
ulating telegraph and telephone pole
aud hence the trouble now. At first
permission was granted that telegraph
poles might be planted along cer,ail
streets. The authority to permit sucI
All infringement upon the rights
property holders wa, always questione'
but then tine poles at first were small
but few were needtd and i'll some III
stances they served II good purpose
hitchug and advertising posts and the
were permitted to remain without fol
midable protest. At that time onI
telegraph poles were in use but the II
vention of the telephone created such
revolution in the conveyance OF loc;
messages and became Ot such impoI
tance to business men, that fresh an
larger eucroaChmeuts upon Triva
property were requisite 10 meet puol
demands Then came as a sUDstltu
for the small poles what might
termed forest trees, some ftheln near
three feet in diameter and towerii
above the tops Ct the houses, IN"
trees are very different from the Nina
telegraph poles and when planted
front of a popular store as IN the r"N''
Mr.. RumfOrd',, il il claimed that IN
are a real nuisance and all INJURY
business, because they are 50 'rsr as
partially shut oft view OF III" ''o
Aud then every body knows that "h
ever there is a large telephone pole
b comes place for street g"as prTr
meet who are Intent upon anythi
more than upon purchasing the partIt
lar goods in that particular store
fore which they Congregate. Str
pedestrians have been known to IN
aud then djourn to tie first couv"ni'
and freddy telephone pole agai
which they could lean comfortably a
pass an hour or two in a discussion
the news of the day. Then it is q
tended by Mr. N1tntorl and ma
more who feel similarly annoyed 1
there IL no knowing to what eX'
these rncroachmrnts may be rarrl
If telephone poles upw tine" feet in
ame,cr and from forty ~ htty feet
height are permitted 10 hr erected, :
larger ones aud NOR" of them wO
follow if necessity reVuirrd
If any other telephone comp
should be organized and take no.
that no other spot would do for plant
a teephon pole than right IN from
Mr.. Rumford's store, that comp
would have just as good right to =
apolc there rs the company that
preCeded il, and there would b.
knowing when and where the encro
ments would stop.
On the part Of the telephone comp
it will be argued that even though
poles may in measure be nuis
they are such "A public benefit that
good they 90 is several mes ovel
Offset to the Inconvenience and
harm they do. The telephone ha
come Indispensable with business
and they are found to be a great
venieuce in the social as well a
business departments of every day
If an accident occurs or there Is
of sudden sickness the doctor is