The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-13
MINING.
stocks.
The Detroit Telephone Company.
The following letter has been received
bY the Evening NEWS:

Aht AtANNA heE hNNh ANNNAhNN
by the Evening NEWS:
DETROIT TELEPHONE COMPANY.
HOME BANK BUILDING.
DETROIT, Mich, August ;, 1896
Fred Mackenzie, Esq Editor and Pro
prietOr Copper Country EreniHg News,
Calumet, Mich.
DEAR SIR-Uur attention was called to
an article published in your paper Tues
day, August I, entitled Mr.. Dee Talks
Ii was expected that the Bell Telephone
company would attempt 10 deprtciate
the stock OF the Detroit telephone com
pany and anv legitimate means takea by
the Bell company TO do this we shall not
complain OF, but we shall not submit to
that company, or any representative,
publishing in this State any ibelous ar
ticles, and We shall hold any publisher OF
the paper to strict responsibility.
The following statement IL libeiOus Il
know you can get ali YOU want OF them
in Detroit for less than $40 per share.
and during the past few days have been
offered in Saginaw for $40 per share. 4
firm OF lawyers in Detroit have a block
which they are very anxious 10 dispose
OF at considerable less than Mr.. Holmes
IL trying 10 sell the people here There
IL no firm OF lawyers in Detroit, OF any
where else, that has for sale any of the
stock of the Detroit telephone company
OF course, il might be possible that some
representative OF the Bell might purchase
share or two uf stock, and offer il for
sale below par, IN order 20 depreciate it,
value; but this has not been done as We
know the owners OF all the stock in Detroit
and elsewhere. and the statement il false
M rfaa ular md tra 10 4 s.r
traction Of the same.
None OF the stock OF the Detroit tele-
phone company is being sold By anyone
but the company itself and its author
lied agents While ibelous statements
such az MIR. Dee il making will not pre-
vent the building and successful opera
ton OF the Detroit telephone plant. II
might have some influence in preventing
cautious people from investing 10 the
stock OF the company, thereby damaging
them.
We have entered the field like hundreds
OF other local companies toiurnish first
class telephone service IN metallic circuits
at reasonable rates. At the rates which
We FIX, the Detroit telephone company
can make from 10 10 10 pr cent on the
stock OF the company. This is known by
every man connected with the Bell com
pany, hence the desire Of the company
and Its agents, TO impose on the people
oil Michigan, who they have deliberately
and willingly robbed for twenty years.
We have thought IL proper to call your
attention to this fact so that you might
not be imposed upon aud aid in circulat-
ing the barefaced deception which the |
people OF Michigan have submitted to
for 80 long.
We respectfully ask the publication o!
this letter, and that YOU send a marked
copy OF proper retraction.
Very truly yours,
DETROIT TELEPHONE COMPANY.
CHARLES FLOWERS, Vice President.
Upon receipt of the above, we at once
telegraphed to firm Of lawyers at De
troit, whom we understood had stock for
sale in the above company at $40. Their
answer to our enquiry was as follows:
DETROIT, Mich, August IL, 1896.
Fred Mackenzie. Calumet.
Don't know of any Detroit telephone
company stock below par. Have some
Detroit telephone construction company |
Sell at $40.
After the receipt ofthe telegram we saw
a letter sent to a gentleman in this town.
written by friend in Detroit, in answer
to an enquiry as to the above company. |
which letter, among other things, said:
"rhe company iscapitalzed at 81 900
900 and have authorized the issue of |
5000 900 OF stock, 10 he fuLy paid M |
and non aSSeSSabhe and sold only at Dar |
that they have sold about 1919 900 |
worth oil this stock, $40, 700 during the
last lew weeks. All of the above iniorma-
ton was obtained from the secretary OF
the company. As to the investment il.
self, am advised from other sources that
the stock can be bought forless than mar
understand that with every share Of
500 Of stock the company give a bond
Tor 800. The secretary gave me no in.
upon this point, but IearDoJ
from another source that the bond is
given only To subscribers who use the feL
ei1hones, The aim being TO create a sort
of partnership interest iu maintaining
the company in case of sharp competitor
from the old company"
The letter further stated that the com
pany had laid about half their conduit
and were advertising for offers for switch
boards, etc, and also stated that there
appeared to be politics in the game, M
Pingree's friends were very enthusiastic
,ver the company's success, while the
dcLillan party were very conservative"
IN the subject.
The News has since made the following
eply TO Vice President Flowers letter:
CALUMET, Mich, August ~, 1896.
'harles Flowers, Esq. Vice President.
DEAR SR-As matter Of courtesy, /