New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-14
A TALK ON TELEPHONES.
i. N. DIcKERsoN nIsPosEs OF A BMoR
WHY THE SERVICE is BETTER IN THE COUNTY,
THAN IN TowNs-DIFFIoULTrEs WITH
SUBMARINE WIRES.

A rImor hos been current recently that the Bcil
Telephone Company might oltcr into competition WIN
the Western Union IN tire Geographic business, anu lof
this purpose proposed to unite with some o'her cum
pany or to consolidate IT'S various branches win inc
present organization. Tribune reporter callcl on
E. n Dckerson counsel for the Bell Company In their
various patent Ltgations TO learn II there was any
truth I'm the report Mr. Dickcson said that he couid
not imagine how the story originated. In bis ludg-
ment the relationship at present between the Western
Union and the Bel companies was hardly such as 10
werrant suppositcn that the Bell Company was
about TO set up in the business Of sending topographic
u,esssres on It's own hook He recalled the iact
that the Western Union owned twothlds OF INC stocA
Of the Speaking Telephone Company, which owned one
fifth OF the Bell Company. For. five or six years
there had been suit between the Western Union ana
tho Bell Company as to what the exact earnings Oh
the Speaking Telephone Company amounted to, but
this would hardly be sufficient to lead the Ben
Company to fly off on a tangent Besides, there nau
been n contract between the Bell Company and tho
western Union since 1873 or 1870 by which the tof-
mer company bound itself not to compete win ule
older Line This contract would run until the ex-
pratlon of the Bell patents. and unless the Western
Union broke that agreement It difficult TO see no"
the Bell people could get away from 1t even II they
wished to.
Speaking on other phases Of tho matter. Mr. Dick
erson said: Our company is, 1t IS true, engaged In
extending the scope OF It's l0ngdstance SERVICE anu
this species of service is growing in popularity IL
Is natural that people should often find 1t more con-
yenlcnt to talk to their friends few hundred mics
away than TO telegraph them. But the company docs
not receive or send any written messages The com
pany in strlngng wires for the longdstance SYSTEM
is careful keep them outside Of the cities as far as
It Is possible. This gives more perfect service, De-
cause tho wires free from the electrical disturb
ances prevailing where large numbers OF them are
placed in close contgity clustered together me
worst evil which the telephone has to contend with
Is the induction from other telegraph electric light
wires which produces the loud humming sound ire
quently heard in the telephone. and conuses tho tone
sound of the instrument In cities this evil Is con-
slant, and there Is no perfect remedy for It, There
fore in the country telephone utterances are more dis
tinct than I'm the city.
." AT night, when telegraph wires are not IN use, on
the original Bell telephone, without battery, and in
which the only electricity on the line is that made Dy
the vibrations Of air set up by the voice itself, COLI
yersatlon can be carried thousand miles Oh
wire and II the wire is coiled up. over 10000 miles
and this though the strength OF the current Is not
more than one-milonth part OF one cell OF Dattety
III turned into heat IL would not raise the Temperature
of an ounce Of water one degree in century. N, -
DO you think II viii ever be possible 10 lalk 10
tween Liverpool and New-York by telephOneP
& That Is another matter A cable IS Leyden jar
of great size and the induction is very great so Lhas
resistance Is much more In such medium IMAM When
the wire is In the air, and as consequences inc ac-
tOn Il slow. Sometimes, 1t Is true the One1lstance
they are short to interfere to any apprecaoe eA-
toni