The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-28
0RCHEAPER RATES
Telephone leaders Issue Con.
vention Gall.
UNION OF INDEPENDENT LINES
In Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia
Is Proposed-A PIa" Of camppisn-A
Great Impetus Given to the ,fovcment.
The Convention to Meet on juno j mt
Pittsburgh.


Pittsburgh for the organization of all
the independent telephone companies
in western Pennsylvania. The tele-
phone leaders who attended the private
conference were enthusiastic for tho
formation OF great anti-Bcl company
at once, but this matter was deferred
to the convention OF all the companies,
called for June 3. The Pittsburgh Dis
patch has the following account OF tho
conference:
The conference was held In the office
OF the keystone Telephone Company
Present We're Bert HubbelI and j. G.
lhmscn. OF Pittsburgh; Attorney d. c.
Ogden. president of the GrCcnsburg
Telephone Company; David JHmisOn,
president OF the New Castle Telephone
Company; NJ. j. Carroll, secretary and
general manager OF the Johnstown Tel
cphone Company; W. Il. Peters, presi-
dent OF the McKccsport Telephone
Company, and j. Il. Forsythe. general
manager OF the Peoples Telephone
Company, OF Butler, A hearty in
dorscment came by letter from {. w.
Bollinger, OF the Apollo company.
The conference was quite n protractcd
one. and the following call was issued
TO all tho telephone exchanges in west
Grn Pennsylvania, signed by d, G. Og-
den, David Iamison, NJ. ]. Carroll, w.
Il. Peters, ], l.. Forsythe, j, q. lhmsen,
and Bert Hubbell:
Delegates and representatives OF all
the telephone companies in western
Pennsylvania, west OF Altoona, In
northern West Virginia. cast OF Sisters
Vile. and in eastern Ohio. now built
and in operation. being constructed or
proposed, are hereby invited to attend
conference OF telephone companies in
tcrCSted In the Independent movement,
to be held in Pittsburgh, Wednesday,
June 3. The purpose OF the conference
Is to form an association for the mutual
protection and advancement VI indie
pendent telephone interests. Informa-
ton as to the place of meeting may be
had by communicating With the Keystone
Telephone Company, Of Pittsburgh
Eager for Consolidation.
1t was developed at the conference
that the members were unanimous In
favor Of consolidating the varlous dis
toInted and scattered lines now COM
pcting with the great Bell monopoly
The first real work OF the leaders then
was to map out a territory which
should be included in the association
and In the proposed great inter-county
line. Some wanted the association con-
fined to Pennsylvania and<H few cOun-
ties I'm West Virginia and Ohio. but 1t
WAS decided to include all independent
lines in the following counties In the
new organizations:
Pennsylvania - Allegheny, Arm
strong. Beaver. Bedford. Blair, Butlsr.
Cambria. Cameron. Clarion. Clenrield.
Fulton, Greene. Indiana, Jefferson,
Lawrence, Mercer, Mexican. Somerset.
VenanEO, Warren. Washington. West
moreiand, and possibly Huntington.
Ohl0-Belmont. Carroll. COiumbiann,
Guernsey. Harrison. Jefferson, Monroe,
Morgan. Noble, Trumbull, Tusclruwas,
Washington.
West Virginia = Barbour, Brooke.
Doddridge. Hancock. Harrison. Marion,
Marshall, MonOngalia, Ohio. Peasants.
Preston, RItchie. Taylor, Tucker, Ty-
Ter. Wetzel. Writ and Wood.
The lines of the Central District and
Printing Telegraph Company reach all
these counties with the exception of
Blair, Cameron, Clearheld. Erie, Elk.
Forest, Fulton. Mexican and Warren
counties. In Pennsylvania. and the as
ISOLATION to be organized Will have
for it's object the cambatting against
the Bell lines. IT Is expected cheap
rates will cause a sudden cut in Bell
rates and rush Of patrons 10 the new
lines. Delesates IRON all t!lt ~
IN this tGrrltory nte expected ~ "1.siau
the meeting OF June D, rms WI, p[oD-
ably lie convened ut 'He "lo"'''s""-'''
house.
Want TO Break Into PitiHb"rEh'
Tho conference decided that the con-
,.o,,ia, oh,uId ordinarily, no held 10 OK
change Views on the independent move
mcnt and to form an association ri6T