The morning news., 1897-07-28
TALES OF THREE CITIES.
CAN NOW BE TOLD BY TELEPHONE
IN A JIFFY.


Brunswick, Jacksonville and Savan-
nah Talked Yesterday and Listen
ed to Music and SOng-A Reception
at the DeSOtO-Mnny Savannahians
Gathered to Enjoy the Music From
Brunswick and JacksonviIIe-Free
Telephones the Balance of the
Week.
For two hours yesterday afternoon Jack
sonville and Brunswick were suburbs of
Savannah.
The opening of the new line of the
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph
Company between these cities was for
mally celebrated at a reception given by
the management of the telephone company
in the parlors of the De Soto.
There was a gathering of representative
citizens and they were all supplied with
receivers" and were enabled to hear a
programme of conversation, music and
song furnished by Jacksonville and Bruins
wick, alternately
The telephone never showed up
to better advantage. The voices Of
the people in Brunswick and
Jacksonville were heard as distinctly as
if they had been right within the walls
of the DE Soto, where the reception was
held and if the latest in
vention of transmitting pictures
over the wire had been at
tached so that the Savannah people could
have seen the faces of those at the other
end, the whole affair would have been the
next thing to really lifting up the two
cities as in mirage and throwing them
right down on Savannah with Bul street
as a center.
For years Savannah people have been in
instantaneous communication with Bruins
wick and Jacksonville by telegraph, but
not until yesterday have they had the
opportunity of actually hearing the voices
OF people in these cities, of catching the
exact intonations of their utterances, and
thus getting at the exact shade of mean
ing they wished to convey, of talking with
them at length.
1t was novel entertainment and very
enjoyable one that Manager Polk had
mapped out. The first thing on the pro-
gramme was music by the orchestra,
which Brunswick furnished.
This was followed by a converse ton be-
tween the three managers of the telephone
system in the three cities, Mr.. b. f. Dill
lon of Jacksonville, MIR. J. w. Haley of
Brunswick and Mr.. r. H. Polk of Savan-
nah. They chatted about the weather in
three cities, and congratulated them
selves on being associated in one big sys-
tenn, where they could talk with each
other At any moment
The Brunswick orchestra furnished more
music, after which the cities of Savannah
and Jacksonville exchanged cOngratula-
uons. Mayor Meldrim was out of the
city, but eX-Alderman ]. A. G. Carson
represented Savannah in talking with the
mayor of Jacksonville.
Mr.. S. Girkin of Jacksonville then ia
vored the audience in the De Soto parlors
with a whistling solo, making some mar
velous music with the familiar old tune
Listen to the Mocking Bird
The most enjoyable feature of the entire
programme was the singing of Mrs. w H
Dyer of Brunswick who sang angels Ser
enade" in a remarkably sweet and clear
voice. She was encored by her Savan-
nah audience and responded by singing
Dear Heart" which completely capti-
waited the Savannah listeners, there being
additional charm to her voice in the violin
obligato by Miss Winter and piano accom-
panlments by Mr.. H. M. Miller.
The Morning News and the Jacksonville
Times-Union then conversed over the
phone, a representative of the Morning
News chatted with business Manager
Stockton of the Times-Union.
JfCkSOnNllle 1urnlSned the next feature
of the programme, a tenor solo by Mr..
Russell Ingram.
Then followed in rapid succession talks
over the phone by Mr.. ]. Solomons of this
| city and DR.. Butts of Brunswick music
by the Brunswick orchestra, a vocal solo
by Mr.. c. r. Jones of Jacksonville, and
several songs by the Western Union quar-
tette of Jacksonville. This quartette is
composed of the messenger boys of the
| Western Union Office in that city and they
rendered some excellent selections in a
very enjoyable way. A mandolin and
guitar duet from Jacksonville closed the
programme.
The people at the reception, despite the
rains, was evidence of the interest Savan-
nah takes in the enterprise
The lines to Brunswick and Jackson
vile and Fernandina will be open to the
people of Savannah the remainder of the
week free Of charge.
After that the company will charge so
cents for three-minute connections to
Brunswick, rs cents to Fernandlna, and IS
cents to Jacksonville
----e--e--e--
CITY RREcNITWUyG