Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-26
TELEPHONE INTERESTS.

will have the same things to contend
with when our local exchange is put in
that we will republish the comments
made in the newspapers there to keep
our readers posted. The Central COM
ments as follows about frls telephones:
WHAT FREE TELEPHONES MEAN
The Wisconsin Telephone Co. has not
yet given up the fight for Supremacy in
Wausau-not by long cfsllk, however
quiet it may have been Czlring the past
month or two. During tts past week
its emissaries have been making a
quiet canvass in the city and playing
what looks like the last card held by
the company in what appeared to be a
winning hand year ago. In other
words, the company's agents have gone
from house to house, as we'll as to most
of the business men who have not yet
become patrons Of the Wausau Tele-
phone Co. and offered to put in
telephones and furnish sert ice absolute
y free Of cost. 1t is very much to be
regretted that Il number Of business
men and occupants Of residences
accepted the specious offer and will
have their buildings wired for instru-
ments of the Wisconsin Telephone Co.
Just what is to be gained by having a
Wisconsin instrument III one home or
ones place of business when nearly
every leading business place IN the city
can only be reached by the Hires of the
home company is difficult to under
stand. All Of the large mercantile
houses, factories, banks, printing Offices,
and other public places which one has
occasion to communicate with have
thrown out the Wisconsin Telephone
Co.'S instruments, so it can readily be
seen that a phone connected with the
wires of this company is Of little or no
utility. Almost as well might a resident
run a line from his home to the pest
house, or the cemetery, or the fair
grounds OF some boom shanty up the
river. He would have telephone, but
Of what practical good would it be to
him? And then, too, do those few who
have accepted the offer OF free tele-
phone service realize that lie service
will continue free only so long as it is of
40 practical value? In orde to make
the service worth the having, the
principal business places md many
residences would have to become sub
scribers Of the Wisconsin Telephone
Co. This would imply / general
deseTtiOn of the home CT Wausau
Telephone Co., which would eventually
be driven from the field. A I'd with its
successful rival out Of the way, how
long does ANYBODY suppose II Wiscon-
sin Telephone Co. would continue to
give free service? Not day On the
contrary it is reasonable TO su )pose that
it would restore its Old-time xorbitant
rates in short order The Il oral of it
all is very plain: Stand by 5he home
company, which is made up f Wausau
men and backed by Wausau lpital 1t
is furnishing service at m ch lower
rate than the Wisconsin pee e would
ever have consented to had Icy been
LETT in sole pOssession- OF the s'9Id.s {,
Wausau company does not operate all
over the state, and therefore it must
have the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of its home
town in order to be the success that
every pubhc-splrited citizen hopes it
will be. Stand by it loyalty, and give
its monopolistic rival no comfort OF
encouragement.
The Wausau Record in commenting
about the free telephone scheme
adopted by the Wisconsin Company has
the following to say:
WILL PROBABLY RETALIATE.
When the Wisconsin Telephone Co.
| locked horns with the business men OF
| Wausau last winter they woke up the
wrong passengers, and the longer they
continue the fight the more trouble
| they will have. The local company
once organized was determined to
occupy the field, and no efforts have
been expended in any other direction
| When the victory was once fairly won
| had the old company submitted tC
defeat gracefully, there would have
! been no further clash between the two
companies, but they have lately come
into the field again and are using every
effort to seduce Wausau people from
their allegiance to the home company
In view of this fact plan is incubat
ing for retaliation. Should the de-
cisiOn be in the affirmative, the history
Of the telephone war here will be
! prepared in abstract, together with the
! plan adopted in forming the company
with full information so far as it can be
put into condensed form, and this
matter will be printed and circulated
broadcast throughout the state and
adjoining states. AS none of the
gentlemen who belong to the local
company are interested III any particu.
lar make of telephone or in any house
! uCdiiiiS III Su EJpIIGS, IIlOSG IIdII6fS VIII
be entirely omitted, but disinterested
statement will be made for the benefit
Of telephone users, and advice, counsel
and aid will be offered 10 any com
mun1tY that desires to be emancipated
from the clutches of the Bell Telephone
| 20. and Its subordinate organization.
This movement, if it is made, will be
carried forward with all the relentless
vigOr that has characterized the man.
agement of the Wausau Telephone Co
and it goes without saying that the
local company can make it exceedingly
lively fer the old company. Just wai
awhile and you are liable to hear some
! thiDo dTOn