The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-08
SAL E NJ
EDWARD JETER. REPORTER.

A short time ago when the Bell Tele
phone Company were putting their sys-
TEN in Salem the correspondent OF The
Times took occasion TO refer to the TACT
that the Intersta Telephone Company
would soon put their instruments in most
of the business houses of Roanoke city
and asked the pertinent queston-with
the Interstate phones in Roanoke and
the Bell 'phcnes in Salem, how about
connection? This question seems equally
as pertinent now rs then. The Bell
Company when they put in their phones
here told the merchants that they would
have connection with the wholesale and
retail merchants of Roanoke, and IL was
with that understanding THAI the one
year contracts were signed. 1t now turns
out that nearly..all of the Roanoke bust
ness houses will in a few days have Inter.
state phones, and IL the Bell phones are
taken out, n account of the five year con-
tracts with the Interstate, then the
takers of the Bell phones in Salem will
only nave connections with few other
people in this city. This makes the hello
system in Salem of very precarious exist
ence as the merchants, some of whom
have only taken the Bell phones on trial
for from one to three months, say that
they cannot keep the phones without
Roanoke connections. Besides all of
this, the Bell Company will not even
allow takers .of their phones lin Salem
the privilege:of extending the courtesy of
chat with any one in Roanoke, whether
in business or otherwise, without the
payment of ten cents, thus defeating one
of the very ends, that of courtesyssto Gus.
toners, supposed to be accomplished by
the renting of the phones. If this he the
true state Of affairs (aEd we..have gather
ed the above facts from the subscribers
themselves)then it will be safe to say that
the tenure Of the Bell Telephone Company
in Salem will be short lived.
Mrs. Bernard Pitzer, of Washington
DC, is stopping for the summer at DR..
S. Z. Wells, ION High street, at which
place she will he glad to see her friends
Miss Eta Cabell, of Variety Mills. who
has been the guest of Tie Misses Logan
on Broad street, returned home yester
day.
Mrs. R. w. Kline, who has been in
Hagerstown, Nd, returned home yester-
day evening.
Jackson Taylor, colored, who lives
about six miles east of Salem, was in
town yesterday consulting physicians
concerning the Pasteur Institute of New
York. On Sunday last his little girl
was bitten on the arm by a rahid dog, but
as the skin on the arm was not broken,
it was the opinion of DR.. Buckner that
no harm would result.
In the account given in yesterday
Times of the proceedings of the city
council, in which it was stated that the
sergeant was instructed to advertise all
property upon which sewer assessments
had been made, we beg leave to state that
such was an error. A motion to that
eject was made, hut as it was not voted
on, was lost.
The chairmen of the Democratic eXecu-
tive committees of Roanoke city. Craig
and Roanoke counties, will in few days
name the day for the meeting of the leg
islative convention of this district, which
will be held at Salem. In this convention
Roanoke city will be entitled to 90 dele
gates, Roanoke county II and Craig
county g.. In looking Mt these figures it
at once becomes apparent that Roanoke
city holds within her grasp the desti MES
of all Legislative aspirants..in this district.
We wish to sound Il timely note of warn
ing to the Roanoke delegates, whoever
they may he, that, as Roanoke city's
candidate two years ago captured the
senatorial nomination and also the legis-
alive nomination in the person of Captain
w. W. Berkeley, who TO all intents and
purposes is a Roanoke city man, aud that
Craig county at this time secured the
nomination of Major Andrew Mccartney,
ii will readily he observed that Roanoke