The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-17

| annum. for the privilege OF carrying on
I a telegraph business.
The ordinance above referred TO pro-
yfdes that a conduit owner ana all per-
sons using the conduits which he mas
laid down. shall pay = per WIZ, per mile.
per annum. TO the city for the privilege
Of placing the conduits IN me streets,
and by another ordinance, from and ar IT
December 18th. every company owning
poles within the city of Richmond is as
sessed a tax Of s. per pole. FOR such poles
as are not eliminated by the conduit or
dinence. which as above stited. proposes
10 place in conduits about - .iuares of
wires.
There are many other details OF these
ordinances which are onerous and hos
TIE 10 the interests OF the public AID tho
telegraph company. Unless they are
modified II il difficult TO determine how
any company using electrical currents
can live under them"
PgHsorKL OF THE SERVICE IN RICHMOND
The First Southern District is in charge
OF Mr.. j. Il. Tree. as district sueprintend-
ent. During his long Geographic career,
embracing "A service Of forty-eight years
IN the early days of telegraphy, he was
Manager 81 the Petersburg. Va. Office
then manager OF the Washington. ID. c.,
once. superintendent and builder Of the
Lynchburg and Abingdon Telegraph CO..
subsequently superintendent and builder
OF the Norfolk and Petersburg r. r. Tele-
graph line; treasurer during the first
two years OF the war. OF the Nofolk and
Petersburg railroad; general superintend-
ent Of the Southern Telegraph Company
for the latter part OF the war, and I'm
that connection i'm charge OF the Con-
federate military telegraph lines, under
direction OF Postmaster Gen. Reagan and
Or. VIM. 5. Morris, with his headquar-
tiers In Richno nd.
After the surrender, from bis intimate
acquaintance with the telegraph compa-
ny's property in the states south OF the
Potomac. ne was called to the New York
headquarters, and assisted the telegraph
companys authorities there Ia re-orsaniz-
ing their Southern lines.
Subsequently he was transferred TO CO.
rinth. Miss, as District superintendent;
thence 20 Louisville. Ky. thence 10 Nash
VILE AMI thence TO Richmond Va. At
the latter place he has been stationed
nearly fourteen ycars.
Mr.. Tree WAS born In Washington. ID.
c., and came 20 Virginia IN his early
youth 10 I'LL his first appointment IN the
81 rvice.
His Office staff consists Of seven clerks.
Mr.. John Parker Stith. chief clerk. who
has been In the service thirteen years,
and IS well POSTED in the varied duties
Of his position; Mr.. l.. d. Beall, and Mr.
John ;. Calvert. who audit and register
the monthly accounts OF the nine hundred
offices In the district Miss Sargent and
Miss Mcclellan. the accomplished stenog-
the office and line supply clerk. who at
tends TO the acquisitions for such mate
rial. and Miss Wincneld, the phone
mailing and index clerk.
THE OPERATING ROOM
requires the services Of twenty-seven
operators and six distribution clerks.
-Four young ladies' ale employed in this
room. two as distributing clerks and
two as operators. The whole force is d.
rected by Mr. r. D.. Cudlipp and Mr. w. p.
Cline. the former as the controlling spir-
IL and acting as chief Of the day ff<ce
the latter as night chief. The operating
room is never closed: at any minute Of
the day or night messages can be trans
mitted to any other "all night office" I'm
the United States. or In foreign countries.
Mr. Cudlipp has managed the operat-
ing room for many years with great sue
cess. and has seen his wires and force Of
employees increase from year 10 year,
until now a special operator. Mr.. O. NJ.
McCullen. has to stay 10y the large
switchboard throughout the day to test
the wires when complaints OF defec-
tive service are made by the operators.
Interruptions 10 the wires are frequent;
caused some times by farmers Telling
trees in proximity TO the lines, and some