Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-12-13
THE TELi,PiiUNE.
in Hancock County lts Rise, Prog
ress and Importance.

interesting sketch OF the telephone in
Hancock county-its introduction, early
struggles and final triumph and also Of
its prime mover, George " Grant, 81
Ellsworth. The following are extracts.
ain the spring of 1879 MIR. Grant came b. Bar
IIarbor as operator for the Bar Harbor a NJ
Desert Telegraph Co. He arrived May -, but
was not able to go to work for several day-, -
the line was down. The office was In the ba-e
ment of the old Agamont and the aecommosla-
tions were very poor. Mr.. Grant occupied tive
different rooms in this building before the com
pany built the Office across the street. The
sum of $50 was expended on this building aud
when Mr. Grant moved again IL was like going
from wigwam to a palace.
eat that time very few people came 10 BAR
Harbc- till after the Fourth of July and were
about all gone Sept. l. Mr.. Grant was scarcely
more than boy at that time, but he even then
showed the enterprise and ambition that have
made him a successful business man. He
worked that summer for the magnificent salary
of SS4 and his board. In the fall oppor
tunity offered itself to take charge Of Sprouts
market for the winter, Mr.. Grant moved his
instrument in there and gave Bar Harbor it,
first winter telegraph service, which proved n
great convenience. Previously they had only
been in communication with the outside world
four months out of the year. The next winter
the Office was in Higgins Bros store.
'In the spring of 1881 DIR. Robert Amory
built private telephone line from his house
the hill to the ST. Sauyeur hotel and persuaded
Mr.. Grant to start telephone exchange, SO he
bought small ten drop switch. board and made
n start with an instrument in the Newport
house, the Rodick house, and the American
express office. in addition to the two already
mentioned. This exchange run for three
months that season.
'In the spring of 1882 he was able to move
again into still more commodious quarters in
the block now occupied by the Western Union
Telegraph Co., and things began to look like
business. a new twenty -fye-drop switch
board was purchased, and many more sub
scribers added.
''ln the spring of 50 the old telegraph line to
Somesville being insufficient to do the business,
line built to connect with the
Western Union direct to Ellsworth. When this
was all built the Western Union refused to allow
them connection there, and it looked us if they
wanted to freeze out the smaller company, but
this could not be done, for the Bar tiarbor and
Mt. Desert telegraph company at once opened il
telephone exchange in Ellsworth with few
subscribers and A. T. Jellson as OPERATOR
which position he still retains.
About this time the New England telegraph
and telephone company, then young, decided to
build line from Bangor to Ellsworth to
connect with the Bar lIarbor line, and at this
time Mr.. Grant organized the Hancock county
telegraph and telephone company, with A r
Wiswell, president, and himself as treasurer
and manager, w. NJ. Roberts, f. IL. Greedy
and |. Il. Deslsles, directors. This company
decided to extend its lines, and connections
were made with Seal Harbor, Northeast Ilarbor
and SomesvIle, the island, and Franklin,
Lamoine and sullivan ON the main land.
"ln lSs6 the company moved again into still
better quarters in the then new brick block.
Some improvements have been made every
year since until in 1880 the Hancock county
telephone and telegraph company sold out to
the New England telephone and telegraph
company, and MIR. Grant was retained as
manager. He proposed new extensions until
now it has fine metallic switch boards in
nice, convenient offices in Bar Harbor, Somes
Vile, Ellsworth, sullivan, and Winter Earbor,
with over thirty other public Offices scattered
along the shore from Castine to Cherry field.
"In the territory managed by Mr.. Grant there
are over l15 miles of poles and over 400 miles OF
wire. This does not include the new long dis
lance copper circuit from Bar Ifarbor to Bos
ton, just completed, which will prove such a
convenience to the summer people. The com
pany anticipates trouble in talking from Bar
Harbor to New York and possibly Chicago
Already the shore offices have talked with ease
with Portland subscribers. The first Office on
the eastern line to call up n Portland subscriber