The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-17
aHELLO- TO SPOKANE.
Second Longest Telephone Line
in the World Opened.
THE TWO MAYORS CONVERSE.
naeeessfaI Exehsnge of Compliments
Besweea onzelals Over $50
Miles Apart.

Yesterday 80 o'clock the last connsc-
ton was made on the iong-distsnee sele-
phone besueen Spokane. Portland and So
stsle. and completing the second longest
telephone line in the World. involving an
oatlay Of nearly $50 co. The tsiephons
people are iustly proud 81 their great
achievement and evidenced the fact by
rgactag the line ~ the disposal Of the pnh-
lie free Of charge and permitting every one
Who 40 desired 20 say hello" and all else
De or she coaid think Of 20 friends in the
cities east Of Portland. Mayor Ronald
was present a. the opening Of the line and
tie fret message cent over the wire vas
his greeting 10 Mayor Powell. Of Spokane,
who wss present So the other end. ead
which was as follows:
Tonorrow Seattle and Spokane will Re
advertised fhtoughoutthec civilized portion
OF the world as the teFmIni Of the second
longest distance telephone line on earth. l
congratulate you that our two young cities
in this young state should be the heralds
announcing this second greatest triumph
50 the eudeavors Of sciences 10 bring the
world closer together. It's first message -
the greeting Of Seattle, the Queen Cgty OF
the Northwest, 20 Spokane, the metropolis
OF the interior. expressing the faith that
nifty years from today, when Seattle, by
reason Of her unity Of spirit and purpose,
her energy. her manifest destiny, her loc.-
ton ~ the gateway where the commerce
Of the Oecident must meet the commerce
OF the Orient. and OF the future Island
Empire. destined 10 spring into life in the
Pacific ocean, shall have attained popa-
las1an OF over 100000, Spokane. true TO
her destiny, will he fitting monument
marking the pathway Of progress in mann
features and improvements OF the North
west Pacific Empire.
Mayor Powell, Of Spokane, answered
that he had just returned home from q
trip TO Seattle. and be wished 10 consratu-
late this city upon the many evidences Of
progress and prosperity on every hand in
Seattle. This triumph Of science, said
he, brings still closer together The two
great cities OF Seattle and Spokane, aad
will cement still stronger the ties OF good
feeling which exist between the two cities
In exchange for the coal. iron and lumber
and other like products found in such
plenty around Seattle. the future metropo-
lis OF the Northwestern empire. Spokane,
- the metropolis of the great inland en-
rire, will send the wheat. -four. precious
ores ana other products and manufactures
of this region, and at Seattle they will
meet the fleets of the world"
The line worked very well, and the voice
OF the speaker at the other end could be
heard - distinctly as If he we're only
few feet away instead of 80 miles. The
success Of long-distance telephoning is re-
markable. and this line will prove a great
convenience TO the public. For q man
who wants to converse with correspond
ent nc distance the telephone Is more
convenient and cheaper than the tele-
graph. Notwithstanding the fact that the
price Of three-minutes' conversation
with Spokane is $3.50
''if there bad been a line like this be-
tween Seattle and New Westminster a'few
weeks ago IL would have saved the city
several dollars" said Mayor Ronald. II
wanted TO talk with Cuddihee about krug,
ask him some questions and tell him lot
of stuff. So got him at the other end OF
tho telegraph wire. and the operators
talked si2 worth for US In less than five
minutes
The way TO use a long-distance wire"
said Manager Clark, OF the Seattle ex.
change. lis by means of engagements.
When you want to talk with man in
Spokane You ring up this Office or come
here and ask US to get John Smith NJ the
other end OF the line at q certain hour.
We call him up at the other end or send
out messenger for him, and II We can't
set him will let yon know it, Ii we do
get him and he can't come at the time Won
want him TO, he can fix another hour and
We will advise you. Al the appointed
time the line will be ready tor Won. and
thus neither you nor your correspondent
lose any time"
The route of the line is from Spokane TO
Garfield; thence down the Paiouse river
10 Coltax and from there across country
via Almo,a, PoIneroy, Dayton and WallA
Walla 10 the Columbia river at Walluia.
then down the Columbia river along the
line of the Union Pacific railroad 10 Port
land, from which point one branch leads
south into the Willamette valley and the
other north via Vancouver 10 Olympia.
Seattle, Tacoma and Puget sound points.
The section from Spokane 20 John DAYS
on the Columbia river. 900 miles in
length. is owned hy the Inland Telephone
and Telegraph Company. OF Spokane The
section between John DAYS and Port.
land, lis miles. aud from Portland 10
the north line of Clarke county
Washington. about forty miles, belongs 10
the Oregon Telephone and Telegraph Com.
pany, Of Portland. Or. and the remaining
section from the Clarke county line via
Olympia. Tacoma and Seattle 10 Everett
about 200 miles, is the property Of the
Sunset Telephone ana Telegraph Com.
pany, of san Francisco. Altogether the
main line Is over 80 miles in length The
line between New York aud CHICAGO. the
longest In the world, covers $50 miles.
Between Spokane and Portland there
are hat three stations permanently on the
main line. viz, Colfax, Walla walla and
The nalies. but switches can be made at
any of these points and by means Of raai.
ating lines connection given 20 any of the
surrounding towns.
Long distance telephony has within the
past iew years been brought almost 20
the leves II an exact science. Itfsan
exact science IN 80 far IS whatever il
attempts g. 30 10 done vel. and the rnsuIt.
are assured beforehand, bat Ia woula he
by no means wise 10 attempt 10 define ,hr
lisslits OF the transmission OF spssr}, BY
telephone. So much has been done ia
Improving the apparatus employed and in
the construction and arrangement Of lines
that distances considered ltaposs .bis =
few years ago have been exceeded Nita-
ont any difficulty.
Starting with comparatively small Ia.
ginning. the long~iis,snce telsphon.
system has reached a magnitude THAI leu
people have any idea. fhis development
has been attained by sound scientific wo-k
In every detail Of instrument and Inns
construction. and by energetic business
management which have resalie.i m ne
hasldlng up of an industry that Is orc a,