Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-01-28
HELLO! CENTRAL!
A Telephone Line to Be Built from Grea,
Falls Across to Levistown.

Under the above head the Great
Falls Tribune of the goth inst. con.
tains a column article on the PROPOSE.
ton to build a telephone line between
Great Falls and Lewistown. The
Tribune says:
Is Great Falls asleep? Certainly she has
always had the reputation of being a right
wide-awake city, but for once she has been
caught mapping, and unless her enterpris.
ing citizens bestir themselves they will find
themselves left out in the cold on a bust.
ness proposition that interests this city in
no small degree. There is a plum hanging
very close to the ground-a good-sized
plum at that-but unless Great Falls
wakes up to thefact it will drop into some.
one else's hand.
The Judith basin is one of the richest
parts OF Montana. 1t is a great sheep
country, rich in mineral and in agricultural
resources. There are several promising
towns now within it's limits, and sure to be
others. The natural outlet from the basin
is by way of Belt and Arlington to Great
Falls. 1t is naturally tributary to Great
Falls, and the business OF the basin and oil
it's growing towns would come to Great
Falls il the people OF this city tool interest
enough in the matter to turn il this way.
Thus far, however, Great Falls has made
no such effort, and as a result other less
favored towns have taken the matter in
hand. Unless the merchants OF this city
take quick action the trade OF Lewistown
and the Judith basin will he flowing south
to Billings and Livingston instead of tn
Great Falls.
How can this be avoided? Well. it has
been proposed that a telephone line be
built from Great Falls to- Lewistown Such
IA line would do much toward turning this
part OF the basin in this direction and
holding it when a railroad connection be,
tween the two towns becomes an estab-
lished fact. The matter has already been
canvassed to some extent in both Great
Falls and L~ewistown, and a fair amount
of encouragement has been given. Lewis
tow is anxious that the line should he
built, and will do it's share towards raising
the necessary funds. TIN line will not he
very costly.
With the view of determining what
the cost would be the Tribune made
inquiries of j. p. Dyas, manager OF
the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone
company OF that city. Mr.. Dyas
thought the line could be built with
out difficulty, and prove a paying in
vestment. His idea was to run the
line from Great Falls to Mann by way
of Belt and Arlington; then from
Mann to Lewistown by way OF Graf
ton, Stanford, Philbrook and Wilcox.
Mr.. Dyas said:
This line would follow the stage road ap.
p~roximately, and touch all the important
towns between here and I.ewistown. The
road is that by so doing a break in the line
can he easily located. This line would be
about 125 miles long. For a line OF this
distance, with instruments at intermediate
points, a metallic circuit would be neces-
sary. That is to say, instead Of using the
ground to complete the circuit we would be-
Obliged to put in a double wire. 1t would
10 w Nt1e w ooN tN'ffsh I'ife pdti
a line. fully equipped in the best possible
manner. would cost probably SI25 per
mile.
From Mann a line could be run To Mon
arch, and from Monarch to Neihart and
Barker, thus giving Great Falls through
telephone connection with all the country
tributary on the south and southeast.
Tbara uopld ha m 1ifEcnIfy IL, varli,u N
line of this length with the regular instru-
ments now in use. We have recently made
a test between this city and Lethbridge, a
distance Of 240 miles. using the telegraph
wires. OF course, in telegraph lines the
connections are not of the best, yet the
test was vey satisfactory. With good
connections the line would work in a man
ner most satisfactory. For those whose
business required constant use of the line a
long distance transmitter could be put in.
Others could use the public station"
Such is the opinion of one fully compe-
tent to pass upon the feasibility of the line.
Mr.. Dyas said further that the Rocky
Bell Telephone would
connect the line to Lewistown with the
exchange in this city free Of charge on the
condition hat the company could, il it so
desired. at any time purchase the line at
the cost price. The line could be built in
ten weeks or three months with proper ia
cilitiss for handling the material. As to
the question wht ther the line would pay, it
is the opinion of those qualified to judge
that it would. A regular toll would be
charged for the use of the line, say 81 for
five minutes conversation with L~ewistown
and proportionate rates for intermediate
points, The amount of business with Lew
istown, Barker and Neihart would I'M
doubtedly be great enough To pay good
interest on the Investment.
Now the question is: What will Great
Falls do a putting such a line in OPP
eration? II it is built the larger proper
ton Of the stock must be subscribed here.
Lewistown will undoubtedly help to the
best of her ability, and possibly something
can be done in the intermediate towns.
The people all along the proposed route
are favorably disposed and would aid the
line all in their power. But the initiative
must come from Great Falls.