Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-12
GREAT WORDY WAR.
BELL AND WESTERN UNION MAY
CLASH OVER TELEPHONES.

Cross competition Likely When Contract
Expires-HOw Edison Sold His Patent
For 100000, Which Was Immediately
Resold For 81, 100000.
Some two years ago attention was called
to the fact that the development of long
distance telephOning was giving anxiety
to tho managers Of the great telegraph
monopoly, and that it was very probable
upon tho expiration of the contract be-
tween the Bell people and tho Western
Union that there might be renewal of
those hOstilitios which characterized the
two companies some Is years ago Recent
indications suggest that this paper cor
rectly reported the situation us it then ex-
listed.
The contract between these two great
mOnopolies expires very A)on. Each will
be free unless new accommodations arc
agreed to to use it's wires how and where it
chooses, and it is thought here to be very
likely that the telegraph company may do
what 1t purpOsed 10 years ago to do-adopt
telcphoning as part of it's business
whereas the telephone company may choose
TO compete with the telegraph company
for tclegraphing service.
w HUI lNuloOl SOlu HIS important Jelc-
phone patent, the ono which was of tho
most value to the Western Union company,
for 100000, payment to be made in sums
of 50, 600 annually, ho did not know that
the Western Union people had already
| como to an understanding with the Bell
monopoly Each Of these companies pos
| sesscd important patents which We're neccs-
sary for the satisfactory operation of the
telephone. Each Of them perceived that
the instrument could not become CONNER
cially valuable unless the use Of these pat
ents was secured.
The Western Union abandoned to the
Bell people the telephone business and sold
to that company the right to use the Edi-
son patent. 1t made very pretty penny
by tho operation. Edison received $780,
600 for patent which a day later the tcle-
graph company turned over to the tele-
phone company for nearly 81, 900, GOO
No ono thon thought that it would ever
be possible for the telephone company to
engage in telegraph business The long
distance telephone was then almost I'M
thought Of. The business was practically
vicinity telephoning, and such it was ex-
pectCd 1t always would remain. Therefore
1t was easy for the telegraph and telephone
people to make an agreement that neither
thot na,rooo,,+ Ia,+ t to T,lttl '''
III ~ f9,,, ,.nars or,o " ''0 -0''o- I'LL
WI, ofta. r. o,.,,,,,,,;.,,uo 80
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toIenbono neonlo dscororod tbat h +bo ,,so
NJ cor,,or I,.,rn +,,,ict,d iii,
occ,rarv and in aI,,,os+
nortor H. ,aO roseIio ~ +I
for many bnndrod r,iIos tbo o,,iIs - IN
duction boinc, dono ,,,,,o,, ,ri+t, tbor, +bo
abIo mon yhn ,o.a Jiraoti,, ~
wore ~ tho oririon +bat ,Iti,,otnII 80 ~
r,rnot ,,roFt, ~ 49,, 1,,,ai,I, ia ,,
fron, InnC, djstoro ,, 90 t,Io,,h -
Tho,, Io,,,, Co.,
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leased o+ o,1cb ficr,,ros &c aFtor - ,,I,,o,,,I
nee nod boor os9aIIiel,oI ,,,oI,1I -
tbon LARGO motif Ain,nst i,,,,,odfatnlr,
Now Ynri brol,ors boC,o,, +c 1ooso IT., 20
Boe+on pbiIodoIrbi, nd otI,o, Ia,,,,o' oi+ios
and II wac oncn whom an occiJont oc.
c,,rrod +o an inetr,,n,o,,t ut tbo and ~ ono
~ tboso ,,,iros in Rostor +bo+ tbo s,,,,r,os.
tion ,,os made Tint Morse ins+rnn,onfe ho
attached 10 oitbnr and and +bo yyiro rsoJ
fo,, +aIol,ro,,Lir,[, ,TtiI +bo +oIor,bo,,o Id
he rcnaireG Tho idon yos found tn bo
,,r,oat;.IIa - - -, -, -. ~
Tho +oIonbono noonIo tbot +bo InsSoos %
,riros WOW, ,,sirC, tha,,, hotb snr +nIo,,na,,S,
10 md +oio,,Lorio ,,,,a,o, Tbo "a ~
+boI, ooTld ,,o+ ,,ra,.o,I+ tLn4
Thon +bo +oIoo.o,,h on,,,,,0r,, ,,o.ooi,.od
+bo+ Lnpoma +haI, "a e. 49, ~
tnIaY,t Wy l''' ~ ~ 'litiO Diio
uooiII, or fp-t to,nh - "ilav ",'o
80 90 +ha piotoi ~"
sisslppl' Ihey We're persuaded that IL was
P' tiio ~ 10
tho OllO COHIlGhCGS Will JllO NtSlCIu OIllOLl