Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-12
Mr.. Dunbar's Explanation.

Mr.. Dunbar's Explanation.
Mr.. ). X. Dunbar, general manager
Of the Bell Telephone company, is out
In card In the San Antonio Express
In defense OF his company, and, as a
natural sequence, In condemnation Of
the city council Of Fort Worth. He
makes the best out of a weak case,
and is entirely right In attempting TO
defend his company's interests, but his
enthusiasm has beguiled him into
making statements which will hardly
hold water. That his being Southern
man was no bar to his appointment to
the position which he occupies
Is true. Mr.. Dunbar was for
a long time telegraph operator
In Texas, enlisted In the government
service II we are correctly informed,
and by his familiarity with Texas and
his known ability was just the man
for the place, and his selection WAS a
wise one. That "a large proportion OF
the stock Is held in Texas" is evil
IDENTIFY slip OF the pen. II we remem-
Der right, the only Southern stock
holders in the original company were
Logan A. Roots and Ed 9. Newton Of
Little Rock, and when the company
represented by Mr.. Kellar, known as
the Southwestern Telephone and Tele-
graph company, commenced opera
tons, these gentlemen were forced to
surrender their interests. Later,
when Mr.. Kellar and his associates
sold out, the property was turned over
TO Boston or New York company,
composed Of some Americans and a
number Of French and English capt.
talists, and, at the time of the transfer,
II WAS announced that Mr.. Kellar was
going to France to organize another
company. Mr.. Kellar lived I'm Texas
during his connection with the com.
pany and left MS soon as he could sell
TO advantage. He Is stakeholder y ct,
or was until recently. The proportion
of the stock held In Texas is very
small, II there Is any. We would like
TO see or hear OF the holder OF
one dollars worth. However,
this has no bearing on the real
issue. The stock might be owned
by bowling dervishes or Pluto Indi.
ans, and they would find full protec.
ton OF the law here rs long "a they,
like other people, were willing to con-
form to and abide by such regulations
and restrictions.as the authorities found
necessary to prescribe and impose; but
neither French, English nor Boston
stockholders should attempt to bull
doze community, which has permit
ted them to ply their calling and paid
for their services, into submission to
their wishes. "Chicago had ordered
all poles down to twenty-five feet
says Mr.. Dunbar. Did the telephone
company resist the Chicago order?
Did they run to the federal court for
an injunction restraining the city of
Chicago from enforcing the order? We
think not. The city Of Chicago had the
right to order the wires up or down
as suited her purpose and she had the
power to enforce her order. So with
Fort Worth. Although Texas city.
she will order IA telephone company, or
any other corporation, when the de-
mands OF her citizens require II, and
enforce her order also. In this in
stance the city was forced to pursue
the course adopted in order TO protect
the lives of her citizens, and the plea
OF haste and rush comes in poor grace
after sixty days time had been twice
granted. Mr.. Dunbar may be n
Southern man but it seems lac has vet
to learn that Texas city is not bound
to pattern after any Northern city,
however much superior the latter NAV
be In the eyes of an admiring few.
The insinuation couched in the last
paragraph of Mr.. Dunbar's letter ia
contemplate and unworthy of notice.