Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-29
HOME TELEPHONE co.
Its Claims Laid before the Ncmb.,
OF the Council.


The following IL copy OF a le,,,.
addressed 20 each and every member n,
the City Council and Board % ADJ.
men. 1t is now given through the pres,
TO the public at large. that all lnteres,st
in the matter OF telephone franchi,.,
may know what ia going on;
Dear Sir.-AssgminR that you desire an
the facts pertaining TO the matter -
telephone franchise. now before the ca,
Council, In order that you may act Ii.
diligently and for the best interests \,
the community, We respectfully submit ia
following:
In June last the Home Telephono Com
pany, OF Baltimore. composed o. .-s
controlled by some OF the most enllrs-.
citizens and capitalists OF that city. corr
missioned an electrical expert 20 ino..-.
into all OF the different systems u t..
phone service in actual use outside ~ ,..
Bell company After inspecting an otbs-,
this expert came TO Richmond, AMI ace.
making a thorough examination into r.
system OF switchboard and telega..s,
owned and controlled by Mr. c. : Nav.
well the manager OF the Mason no.
phone Company. and the Electrical ON
struction Company, OF this city. he h..
ported the same 70 the Baltimore ,5r,.
pany. with his positive ont0rsauon Ii,
the best Ia be found The Baitl7,o,s
company then engaged Professor Iol,
Duncan, OF the Johns Hopkins Uuyer..fy
who is also president Of tne An.arf-.'
Institute OF Electrical Engineer, ~ f,.
United States, TO inquire into tra merle.
and utility OF these devices ans as.
into the validity Of the letters n4ta.,
upon which they were based. prIr,
his inquiry he visited an exchange which
M fff IRA mn nj az ina
actual working Of these devices. ana h,
report unqualifedly confirmed their "a.
cellence ana superiority. After this ra
sort the Baltimore company az ores
adopted the Maxwell system. AMI Gs,.-
mined 10 use IL I'm all OF the compsn...
affiliated with itself-viz.. Baltimore. J.r
sey City, Newark. y. j.. Bridgeport Pst.
tcrs0n, Washington, and other place,
where they have franchises. In order o.
con:rUi the use OF these devices in the
cities named and elsewhere they h,vs
made proposition 20 order $3.50 'ph.n.,
within sixty days. and this number o,
be increased 70 $500 within tie re4-
twelve months, and I'm addition thereto
1000 each year for the next succeeding
i've years. The acceptance OF such
contract means a business OF considerably
more than million OF dollars. 10 mean,
IL
VIII be owned exclusively in Rlcamln.
in class OF manufacturing which I,
entirely Pew 10 the South. and b. uolr,
the disbursement OF hundreds NJ taor.
sands Of dollars 20 the merchant arl
labOrlne men Of this city. % means
too. he establishment In our mid. I d
techn.C.i SCHOOL. for here the sons q
the poor can learn something OK ,ha
mystery Of electricity. and. at the same
time earn wages necessary Tor the slr.
port Of their widowed mothers Hereto.
fore such young men have been lcn..i
the privilege OF such an education We
already have in our employ sons OF some
Of our best-knOwn cltizers AMI 10 is ou
desire to enlarge our usefulness IN thai
particular.
An enterprise Of such character az.
magnitude must 81 Necessity elevate Tbs
standard Of home labor and ada 90 Oh.
good name ana commercial standing u
this city. and we think. therefore thai
IL Is well worthy OF your careful atteu.
ton and favor.
Some Of you, We are Informed have
promised your support TO an opposition
company, but II a. the wise mar. who
when he sees his error corrects H. Tile
system offered by the Home company
Is as good as IL can be had. and - fsci...
ties for carrying out the requirements
you may make are fully equal u those
of It's competitors. II these things ts
true. we have an abiding belief that yol.
az a citizen, but more particularly as ths
representative Of the Interests OF thou.
sands Of others. viii grant the franchl-
asked. To that corporation which VIII give
satisfaction 20 it, patrons and At th,
same time build up the industries OF tbs
community. Were this Tight raging else.
where, the sound OF our voice would ro;
be heard. but We cannot afford o. la
silent II there even be a possibility 0f
defeat OF the company which purposas %
use our system. what would the ballGo,
OF the country think II Richmond i-
clined TO use the goods MANUFACTURED
within its walls? IL Is unnecessary %
make answer
Hoping that this question may present
itself to your mind rs IL does 20 us. ani
apoogizlng for writing az such length,
we are. very respectfully.
THE MASON TELEPHONE COMPANY.
THE SOUTHERN ELECTRICAL con-
STRUCTION COMPANY.
BY +. \. Catlin. President.