The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-01-24
Cheap Telephouas NoR:


New YORK, Jan. 16.-After the Both
of this month you will bs able to buy
telephone for few dollars. and for $50
you can purchase complete system,
with all tbs necessary implements for
both ends of the line. Hitherto it
would have been impossible to pur-
chase the instruments at any price, as
they were controlled by patents own
ed by the American Bell Telephone
Company.
The fundamental Bell telephone Pat
ent expired on March Z, of last year.
The Bell Company, it was found, how
ever, still owned the patent on the re-
celver, and no telephone system would
be of much use without receiver.
Am ong other concerns which entered
into the telephone business upon the
expiration of the original Bell patent
of Pittsburg, Pa: The Bell Company
brought suit against the Shaver Corpo-
ration on the receiver, citing the pat
ent of Alexander Graham Bell of Jan.
80, 1877, as the one infringed. An in
junction was promptly granted and
that put an end to the opposition tele-
phone business for the time being. But
the patent of January 80. 1877, is now
about to expire. and thus both the re-
ceiver and the transm1tter will be free
20 the public.
After the 30th of this month tele..
phones will be sold like hats or cigars.
Instead of paying S240 a year for the
rent of an instrument you can buy one
outright for less than tenth of that
sum. If you only wish to use it be-
tween your house and Office, or bet
the house and the stable, or from office
to factory, you can have line pnt up
for trifing sum and yor will own
your system outright and can stop pay.
Ing the exorbitant prices now charged
by the Bell Company.
If, however, you wish telephone for
general use and have to depend upon
the exchange, you will still be at the
mercy of the Bell Company at least for
some time to come. It is evident from
the preparations now being made in
this city and elsewhere by manufactu
rers of electrical apparatus that big
boom is expected in the sale of tele
phones. a large number of instru-
ments have been made and these will
be put on the marked January 81.
Many large contracts have been maize
for the supply of telephones after that
date. All these new instruments will
be sold outright. None will be rented.
They do not differ IN appearance from
those of the Bell Company and, in fact,
are smaller. Being new, they are supe
rior to most of the instruments sup
piled by the Bell Telephone Company,
and which have been in use for years.
In view of the expiration Of this pat
ent, the Bell Company, it is said, has
about decided to aoandon the private
line business aod the Independent tele
phone system in the smaller country
towns. At present the Bell Company
charges $3.50 year for priVat~ line in
this city.
a rich field awaits the capitalists
who will engage to fight the Bell Com
pany in this city, which is its strong
hold. The enormous revenue which it
derives from the people of New York
may be judged from the fact that it
charges S240 year for a telephone in
a business house. and that it has 10000
subscribers. In Brooklyn, Jersey City
and adjacent suburbs there are 10000
additional subscribers. But from the
people of this city alone it is obvious
that 100000 year is taken for the
use of instruments which did not cost
S50O00..-World.