The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-29
4 THOUSAND MILES away
It's Nc Effort at All to Talk With
aMan in Portland.
LINE WORKS PERFECTLY
It's . Double Metallic Circle. Strung With
Heavy Copper wire-How the job
Was Rushed Through and the
Last Connection Made.

ably more telephoning done last night
over the long distance wires than has
been done In many months, the occa-
sion being the opening OF the new line
to the coast by way of Wallace. All
who tried the new line agreed that it's
working was amazingly good and there
were some skeptics who did not be-
lieve that they were talking through
to Portland. so clear and distinct were
the sounds. The wire is something
more than a thousand miles In length.
and, to one who has never used the
long distance machines for that length
of circuit. there Is something o In
the experience of talking with a man
1000 miles away and hearing him as
plainly as II he were in the next room.
The clearness OF the sound lemon
strates that the new Linz has been well
built and that il will be of practical
benefit TO business men all along the
circuit. For some time the line has
been complete from Wallace to SLo-
kane and thence to the coast. and for
two or three years the company has
had In contemplation the connecting
line from Wallace to Miseoula that
should join the Montana circuits with
the coast lines. IL was not till last
summer that this work was undertake
tns Guu " mas bttn DuSutu tnfOuEn
with no other delay han that caused
by the failure of the pole contractors
TO deliver poles promptly. This threw
the completion of the work far into
the winter, when IL should have been
finished last October. But II Is all
right now and the results are very sat
isfactory.
The line follows the old Mullan trail
nearly the entire distance between
Missoula n Wallace. IL is well built
and the poles are placed nearer togeth-
er than usual All the way u the st.
Regis the trees have been cut down
for a distance from the line great
enough to prevent any falling timber
from breaking the wire. In the noun
tains of the Idaho divide the insula-
tors are placed on the ui-ser side of
the cross arms. so that. i'm case a fall
ing limb of a tree or a slide strikes the
wire, IL will not break the circuit, hut
VIII simply pull OF the wire and thus
prevent the opening of the line. IL is
a double metallic circuit. strung with
heavy copper wire and gives splendid
service both at the local n the
through stations.
Manager Deffebach of the Missoula
office has had direct charge of the con-
struction work and has done a good
job. He has kept the men as close
ly to work AZ possible. and the only
delay has been the one already men.
TONED. Even the attractions of Christ
mas day did not allure the men from
their camps. Mr.. Deffebach sent
down to the two outfits an ample sip-
ply of turkey and the necessary fixings
to furnish a bang-up Christmas din
ner. and up there In the snow the men
ate their holiday dinner and enjoyed
IL as thoroughly as II they had been
i'm town. II is safe to say that they
49, . 49, L.. ~ l.
the morning after IL was over than
many who sat down to dinner in the
city. But that's another story.
Wien IL became apparent that the
completion OF the line would be delay
ed somewhat. IL was determined to
put two ang OF men to work. One
had been working westward from Mis-
soula for several months and a second
outfit was put in the place OF he
one. which was sent to Wallace to
bring the work eastward from that
end. In this way the snowy summit
OF the divide was crossed before the
heavy storms of this month came and
the men were not tied up In their work
by the heavy snow fall. Had this not
been done, IL Is doubtful II the lire
would have been finished this winter
as It would not have been easy to
build a line In 10 feet of snow. The
camps of the two outfits have been APP
preaching more and more closely for
some weeks and their progress has
been watched with interest by the
people at both end of the line. The
last camp was named Camp Depart
ure by the construction men, and here
they made the last connection yester-
day. The results OF the work have al
ready been commented upon. Last
nights mail from the Occur d'Alene
branch brought a letter to the West
err Montana office OF the Standard,
which said: II am not much of a poet,
and this is the best hat I can do. AS
the line Is completed. I thought / would
have something TO say. and IL this
will not look out of the way in your
paper please fix IL up and put IL i'm.
- 1T" is a little piece OF rhyme,
whose author Is of the linemen,
who is well known in Missoula, and
which reads a follows:
Far out on the Saint Regis river
In the noble forests of pine,
Worked a crew of telephone builders
Putting up the line.
Low their spirits fell on Friday
Christmas caught them In the wood:
But the next day brought some tur-
keys.
Which. with fxings. tasted good.
But the line was finished Tuesday:
Nov the world becomes quite bright.
In the tents on the Saint Regis
There Is JOY in camp tonight.
From the far-on Garden City
Denebach came down to-day,
Bringing pay checks for the llnemen,
Which will cheer them in their way.
Now our camp pm the Saint Regis
VIII be gone In one more day.
For the last of the connections
To the coast was made to-day.
Besgrove-he's our noble foreman
Said we'll bid adieu this time.
On the banks of the St. Regis
We to-day complete the line"
Camp Departure, Dec. %, 1895.
At the Hotels.
The F1orence-Peter b. Steele, c.