West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-02-18


the Company sent out man from
their headquarters ut Wheeling,
who tried to bluff the President OF
our Company, Mr.. j. K. Monroe,
by telling him that the Company
here was infringing upon the legal
rights of the Bell Company. and
they could bring action in the
courts and recover damages. Well,
Mr.. Monroe didn't bluff worth a
cent. Everybody who knows him
knows that he is not easily bluffed.
The truth is, the Kingwood Com
pany are not infringing upon the
rights or patents Of any Company,
add they have a good paySg in
sestment, which the Bell Company
wanted to absorb and swallow up,
as the Standard Oil Company does
small plants.
The agent OF the Bell Company
returned home wiser man, per-
haps. So the latest plan they have
taken was to secure control of this
Company by buying up small
blocks of the stock. until they Sc
cured enough to control the Com
pany, and freeze out the other share
holders. Just how this plan has
been working we are not able to
state. but they have tried it, and
the information is reliable. Now
there comes word that Company
has been organized at Pittsburg,
with Morgantown and Pittsburg
capital, which is TO run competing
lines all over this section of the
country. Whether they mean to
enter this county or not, is not
known. But from all accounts they
may. 1t seems that the Central
District and Printing Telegraph
Company Ga branch of the Belly has
had monopoly of the business
throughout certain parts of Penn
sylvania, and the new Company is
to crush out this monopoly il pos
sible. Hero is what a Morgantown
man has TO say about the enter
prise, in private letter:
r "Thers ia to be telephone com
pany formed and imposed of Nor
gantown and Pittsburg capitalists,
with capital stock Of $500, 900 and
will build trunk line from this
place to Pittsburg, with headquar-
tiers in Pittsburg. The route Of the
lines will be from this place to
Point Marion. New Geneva, Ma.
sontown, McCIelhndtown and I'm
iontown, where will be an exchange,
thence one line will go via Browns.
vile and MOn0ngahela City to Pitts.
burg.
"Fhe company proposes to put
the very best long distance phones
in the offices, and the rates will be
much lower than the Bell monop-
oily rates. The rate from Morgan
town will be % cents for three
minutes talk. This company pro
poses to make the rates as low as
possible TO all points. The capital
stock will be increased il there is
demand for more lines.
This company has lots of CAPT
tai to back it and can make it in
terestiDg for new subscribers on ac
count of the low rates for boxes,
which will likely be, for business
houses S18, and private houses S12.
"ThIs company will Commence
work IN the spring and push their
work through as soon as possible.
After the line is built through to
Pittsburg with its tributaries, it is
probable II will extend south from
here via Fairmont, Grafton, Clarks-
burg, Parkersburg, etc. The com
pany will be known as the Pitts
burg & West Virginia Long Dis
lance Telephone Company"
II this new Company does come
in this county with lines they will
have to make much lower rates
than the ones quoted above, or they
will not do much business here.
Oar Company furnishes the very
best Of facilities, ot 80 a year for
the use Of line, and the boxes arc
sold to the Subscribers at cost. The
charges for a FIVE minutes talk arc
very reasonable, and We have moth
ing to complain Of. n the Bell
should come, then lock ont for a
high tariff, for II they get control
OF this Company the rates will 20
away up.
aeesaea
II ia good deal easier to dig up
the bones Of the dead and cart them
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