The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1895-12-21
HELLOA NEW YORK,
HELLOA CHICAGO,
HELLOA CINCINNATI!
ALL RIGHT SIR, WHAT is
IT?
How Are You Today HOw's the
Weather There2

How Are You To-day7 How's the
Weather There2
MOrgantown Now Has the long distance
Telephone and can Talk as Though
Face TO Face with People from Au-
gusta, Maine, to MilWaukee-NeW
York, Philadelphia and all the Prin-
eipal Cities of the North Now on
Speaking terms With us-Songs Sung
in New York and Chicago Listened TO
BY Morganiown Audienee-M Many
CoHrtesies from the Superintendent
And his Gentlemanly Assistants.
The opening OF the long distance
telephone line last Wednesday was
red letter day in the history Of
Morgantown for it took the town up
bodily from the center of the wilder
ness and set il down right in the
heart of this busy, busting country,
just half way between New York and
Chicago where she sketches 'em
both comm an agoin'." The opening
day had been announced and an in
vitation issued to the public to call
at the central office and talk to
friends in the cities on the line, and
the people were not slow to take ad
vantage of the opportunity The
/. vacant store room in the |. o. o. F.
building just under the central office
was used for the occasion and from
p %. till late a. night from 80 to
40 people were seated along the big
table on which had been arranged as
many receivers and at the end of
which was placed the transmitter
and enjoyed to the utmost the pleas
ure of carrying on a conversation
with people in New York, Chicago,
Cincinnati, Washington, Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Cleveland, Wheeling,
Pittsburg and other cities. A gen
tleman in New York sang several
songs every word of which was as
distinct as though he had been in
the room in which were seated his
auditors five hundred miles away,
and 90 well did he sing that the 40
people listening clapped their hands
and several yelled out give us an
other one forgetting for the instant
that the sweet singer was half a
thousand miles away, and their
mouths were not near the transmit
ter. Superintendent NJ r. Wolf
who was seated at the transmitter
told the New Yorker that he had
been encored whereupon he related
a joke that convused his hearers
with laughter
Dozens OF people would call up
friends in the above cities and after
talking to them moment the query
would come What hotel are you
stopping at, I'll call around and see
you" then the Morgantowner would
get in his fine work by replying, "oh !
I'm staying at my own house,
"W hat? have you moved to the eity?"
"Oh, no, I'm here in Morgantown,"
then his city friend would yell,
"Wh what's that, you don't mean
to say that M talking to Morgan
town, congratulations old man, glad
YOUR out of the woods" etc Many
amusing incidents occurred, especial
~ was it amusing when a student
called up his mother in a town 100
miles away and after talking to her
for some time she cautioned him to
be careful Of his health and asked
him If he had good, warm flannel
pants, the young man FASTENED to
inform her that she was talking to
% strangers as well as himself and
the embarrassment of the lady was
noticeable in her voice as she said,
,,ohl oh oh dear, good by" This was
only one of fifty or more like instan-
ces where people we're not told for
several minutes that they had num-
Der of auditors as this was the open
ing day and the utility Of long dis
tance line was being demonstrated
for the benefit of the public. The
value of the long distance line to
business men is inestimable, a tele-
gram is frequently unsatisfactory
and often altogether misleading but
with the telephone a person living
five hundred miles away is called up
and you hold a conversation with
him that is Just as satisfactory as
though be was standing two feet
away There can be no mistake, you
talk to him and he knows just what
you want and tells you what he can
do, there is no go between to make
mistakes and you rest easy knowing
that the man in the city or town
knows exactly what should be done
in the business matter you have
with him.
The gentlemen were entertained by
Supt. Wolff assisted by D. r. Tappln
and Mr. Curl, from p. M. till sup.
per time aad the ladies from s p. m.
till 10 O'clock Did the ladies all
want to talk at once? well, that's an
other question. The few DAYS the
long distance line has been in use has
demonstrated its great value to the
business men in this section and it
is safe to predict that every town in
this State will be clamoring for con
nection with the line. When bust
ness man desires to see a man ON
business who resides 200 or 300
miles away, he don't lose three or
four days from his business and
spend $40 or $50 but simply walks
to the telephone office, calls up his
man, talks the matter over with him
and returns to his office, all within
10 minutes time.
o>~N1gs-~ ~