Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-12
WILL THEY BE READY
The Standard People Claim Their EI-
change Will Be Open In a Month.
col. cUTsHAw DON'T THINK so.
The He'll Representatives Deny That
Their Company Has Made Any
Effort TO Acquire the New Corpo-
ratiou's Franchise.

a great deal OF interest Is felt In the
progress being made by the Richmond
Standard Telephone Company In the es-
Establishment of its telephone plant.
The ordinance under which that cor
poration is working only gives 1t some
thing like a month longer in which TO
have its exchange in operation. The
people, the business men especially, are
anxlously awaiting the institution of
the service that the Standard has agreed
to give at reduced prices.
Captain a. B. Guigon, counsel for the
company, when seen by a Dispatch re-
porter yesterday and questioned regard
ing the work being done by his company,
said that his people had practically
erected all the poles necessary to the
installation OF the system in the heart
OF the city from Second to Eighteenth
streets and from Clay street 10 the river.
He remarked that the company was
going straight ahead in the matter OF
establishing its plant, exercising all pos
sible speed. He said pole-planting was
naturally slow and tedious proceeding.
because of so many questions which arise
to make their location arbitrary. He
felt sure that the Standard would be in
operation here in the prescribed time.
and that the citizens would be more
than pleased with the service which 1t
would furnish.
AT THE HEADQUARTERS.
The Dispatch man also visited the OFF,
ces of the Standard company on the
third floor Of the Times building. and
t..f Il Ixr hn
charge that all the material for the es-
tablishment of the plant had been Or
dered Some of this, IL was stated had
been received and some was now on the
way A shipment of phones was ex-
pected yesterday, but they were delayed,
and are expected to-day. The Interior
OF the apartments for the exchange has
been somewhat rearranged, but appa-
rently very little work has been done In
the matter of the actual establishment
of the exchange.
THE BELL PEOPLE QUIET.
The Richmond representatives. OF the
Southern Bell company are still reticent.
as they have been all through the tele-
phone fight. One OF them when seen by
Dispatch reporter yesterday afternoon
assured the scribe that he knew OF no
attempt, made directly or indirectly, on
Standard or secure the control of the
franchise OF that company. Indeed. he
| did not believe there was the slightest
ground for any such idea. Such offers
as were reported to have been made 70
| officers of the Standard must, he said.
have come from other sources. This gem
| tleman remarked that the Bell company
was carrying on its business I'm It's ac-
customed manner, and was having no
| trouble whatever with its customers.
VIEWS OF COLONEL CUTSHAW.
Colonel Cutshaw, the City Engineer,
does not think the Standard people are
going to be able TO finish their work
in accordance with the provisions OF their
| ordinance In the time allotted. He was
| called upon by Dispatch man last night.
and said he thought about all the company
| had done so far was to erect 80 to 200
poles i'm the business part of the city.
| These poles, he stated, would carry about
| 500 phones and they would be confined
| TO the business section of the city en-
tirely. This. Colonel Cutshaw said. would
cause untold inconvenience In the matter
| OF transacting business with persons in
| the outlying districts.
Speaking of the position taken by the
Bell people, Colonel Cutshaw said he did
not understand what they hoped to &C
| complish by their silence. He remarked
that they might be relying as a final
resort upon the hope that the courts
would declare that the Council having
taken away their rights would have TO
| give them a route through the city. The
| city would then be in t. position TO say
that their poles were an obstruction,
and do as had been done I'm New York,
cut down the poles, and give the COM
pany a route along some streets in the
suburbs, requiring that the wires even
| tbara ba f,la ce1 I'm cOpduitS