Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-03-07

Oar TT phone Companies
Il Is s5id on good authority lha, IIonelulu
has greater number Of telephones in operation,
per thousand inhabitants, than any other city
in the word; and while our system may not be
as nearly perfected as the systems Of other cities,
vet 1t is bu, truth to say that its practical work.
ing will compare fivorably with that Of any
other place in Europe or America. The ,cle.
phone has been judged by mos: pecpl, to be
luxury, outside Of the immediate needs OF husi.
ness, but in llono,u'u our topographic siiua-
tion. our climate, our lack Of other facilities
ior the speedy transmission q information, and
our general social conditions ha e made tele-
phonic Communication an absolute necessity.
The telephone is one e the recent great ihven.
tiuns which began coming in use in the year
1877. Its use has now so increased that in the
United States alone there are at present over
600, ,oco iusluments in operation, controlling
over Ioo, 600 niles of wire. Constant I'M
pruycmen,s in instrument continues to extend
the usefulness Of the science Of telephony. a
new system has lately b.en invented 10y Pr
fessor Do'bcar, which, besides being capable
u transmitting speech over long lines, is also
free from the interference of those eStrancous
sounds which have so often caused laughter ur
annoyance to the good people Of Ilono'ulu.
This instrument has not as yet come into
general usc, and the Bel telephone, nothwith.
standing this fault and Other evils arising from
induction, still continues the best instrunt mt
in general use. II will not he out Of placn 81
this time, when the Mutual company is about 10
open its lihcs, to give short history OF the rise
and progress of our two companies. The lla.
waiian Bell Telephone Companywas incorpora-
ted December 80. 1880. The hecompanycummerc ID
putting up poles and running their wires, in ,he
month Of October proceeding, and opened their
Office for business during the following month.
November, tn on'y g subscribers. a, that
time telephony was somewhat Of an experiment
in Honolulu, but the enterprise Of the com
pany and the hearty support Of the people made
such success Of it that the company now has,
up To the frs, day Of March, 1885, at leas, 4as
subscribers on its books. Mr. Jhn Cassidy,
the compnnys superintendent, declares they
have never solicited subscriber of this nun
Der. The company has at the present time
about S25 miles Of wire in use. or this amount
about 700 niles is in use in Honolulu The
remainder is tistr 5utcd in single lines as fol
lows To Wananao, IL miles TO Punal, IL,
26 miles to Plu!oa, 20 miles TO Waan;c c
IS mi es and to Waia'un, rs miles. The gal
vanized iron wire which is now IN Use viii un
last in this climate about six years the com
PAW has, therefore, determined to put up in
future all improved, hard.drawn, copper wire
and has already done so in the new line
lately run 10 Diamond Head. The telephone
in use is the one known as the American Bell
telephone Cumpany's instrument. Connec
tion betwcons Instruments are made upon the
Law switch table, which is a marvel OF dis
patch and accuracy. The company is nj pres
ent engaged in making extensive improvement:
in the central Office. Among other things al
improved Law system switch table is being pu
up and will be so arranged that it can b'
operated by one person, or il business demand
by four persons, each working indepen lent c
the others. This will greatly facilitate matters ii
cases Of fire or in other, mergencies wherea "rusl
of questions" comes into the Office. Superin
tendent Cassidy states that rs soon as the nev
switch is in place and the other improvement
finished he will transfer the wires, by mean
Of some mechanical magic known to himself
from the old tables without a stoppage OF bus!
ness. The average expense per month 70
running and keeping up es.esclusive of rents
salaries. ETC.. /, abou, $3.50; while the ba,terie
cost s. per yea-, EACH having to he renewed
every three moaths and having the principal part
restored once year. Taking into Con 'id;rl
ton the eexpenseat,aching to telephone lines, on
rates are much lower thanin eastern cities. lnSa
Francisco, for instance, they charge you SIS pc
month for the use OF the instrumen and add
royalty Of tise cents pr m;'s,gs.
Among other improvements the company ha
has completed new line to point known .
Diamond Head Station which will give the maj
inc rep irter an unobitr ucted view Of the ocea
to B,rbsr's point and up the channel. Th
lNcW Huttcio NStS oeSupiSb 'h~ wa
last "Wednesday.
The superintendent says that some troubl
exists AT PRESENT in the working Of the line
owing to II fact thit the Mutual company i
putting up their wires sometimes makes groun
connections accidenily, or causes in,erferenc
by allowing their wires to touch, in crossing
the prescn, comp,ny's lines. This a,noyanc
will cease, however, as soon as the new CON
p,ny gets to work.
The Mutual Bell T.l'phonc Company r,
ceived its charter August I6. 1883, and fo
ma ly organized On the 23td Of the same mouth
The directors Of The company are, II. A
Widemann, II. Waterhouse, A. J. Cartwright
W G. Irwin, ]. II. Patty, A. eyer and !.
Hopper. The original capital stock of tn
company was placed at $4,000, divided in,
5000 shares. For the purposes Of buyin
lind. building Offices, etc., the capital stoc
was increased on April II, 1884, to $4,000
divided into 500 shares. Oflh number J. "
) have been sol !, leaving I,Sa2 to be disposed ,
!, al $Io per share. The c mpiny paid $500
FOR 10, On the corner Of Merchan, and Aake
streets upon which it has erected fine, con
mod Gus brick building for Offices, at COS,