The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-02
THE SUMTER TELEPHONE
EXCHANGE.
It's Difficulties, Growth and Pres
ent Success.

For all around pluck, enterprise and per-
sistency the Sumter Telephone Exchange
takes the cake. Very few, if any enterprises
ever have undergone as many drawbacks
and came out as victorious as has this Ex-
change.
IN January 1891 it was decided to establish
a..Telept one Exchange il Sumter. COM
pany vas organized with capital stock of
~, 600.
The Bell Patents were then IN force and
.hev could not put in an electric system with
or, infringing. So the Shaver Molecular
Telephone. mechanical instrument which
vas highly recommended, was used. The Ex-
change began business with the Central Of
Zee in the old Independent Fire Engine Hall,
on June 18th, 1891, and after faithful trial
Of ut one year, the mechanical telephone
did no. give satisfaction as an exchange sys-
ZEN. The Exchange was then closed and
lew private lines successfully operated until
he fall of 1892, when arrangements were
made wi,h Mason Bros, to transform the
neclAocai xelephene into electrical phones,
looking forward to the expiration Of the Bell
Patents in the Spring of 1893, when telephones
OF The Bell Patent could be made without in
:ringemen;.
mechanical phones as they could get no Bell
Phones as pattern. Mason Bros, however,
with their characteristic inventive ingeouity
aod persistent efforts, kept experimenting and
testing for about one year and succeeded.
Tbev would make models and the Snmter
Telephone Company would put them up aud
;es, Them and whatever feature proved salts
factory they would adopt and those unsatls-
factory would he discarded anG new cnes
made and tested, uutil 'he present Mason
hone was the result, which las been tested
sloogside the original Bell telephone. and
:ound equal TO the Bell aud in many
,nsiaoces al has replaced the original Bell
ahooa. Fiualy on the first CT Cctoher. 1893,
me exchange was again started in the second
s,ocv OF the VIM building, being The first
s,ec,-ical Telephone exchange IN tie United
states 20 operate successfully, which was due
- ,be perfected Mason Telephone.
THIS had he etfec: Of bringing down upon
ne Sumter Company the special ennity OF
.be4 ne-ican Bell Telephone Company. who
,eaaa;edly sent experts here to Dry into the
workings aad make of the perfected lostru-
,oants. and attempts were made to inilmidste
.hs Sumter Company and bjaH The Sumter
exchange into closing. This at'e;apt w@s
3ne 20 he fact that ,ae Deil ie!eDhOne cIaltl-
II ,ha. their pa:en.s had not expired inas-
,nncb ss they had oaly fled statement Of
.be make of their ins,rument5 and model
~ The pa,ent Office. and had never made regu-
Jar Application for patent, hoping that
..fe>n the time allowed By law expired they
conld r-ke application and renew their
osteot for seventeen years more The matter
.rss taken 10 the I. S. Court, however, and
.ans;ng decision the Sumter Exchange
g,ea, ahead, and it was not until few weeks
aao that The courts decided that the Bell
,s.eo;s had expired. When the Exchange
ga.s. rss s,ar,sd in 1899 there were 26 lines snd
.nhscrj6ers, and the subscribers have now
;aoyssd ;oo-sssed 10 81. On Nov. 18th of this year
:. ,-as e)und necessary to increase the capital
..o~s :. from s., 00J TO $4,000
''V sIsre,ofo,e their hours of service have been
s.a., a NJ. TO or p m but arrange
.sn,s .-s are being made for al all night service
This all night service will necessltate con,
i:sarshle a., additional expense as 40 additional
::S. of wire will have to be put up In dorer
} 49, on,,erac. the effect Of the electric light
~ . when the lights are burning.
The charges of the Sumter Exchange are