Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-10-11

Resolved, That it is the sense of this
meeting that the offer of the Central
Union Telephone company is unsat-
| isfactory, and that the committee be
continued and authorized to enlist the
services of the best talent it can OBJ
tain to organize a subscribers tele-
| phone company, and we pledge 10
such company our unanimous sup
port.
Promoters Are Heard.
c. c. Russell and S. A. Jones, of
GAINESVILLE, Wis, who make a business
of taking contracts for the installing OF
| independent exchanges, were invited
into the meeting. They were intro
duced by f. II. Guyer. Mr.. Russell
said the independent movement was
growing fast and in nearly every COM
munity had proven successful. Where
it had not, if investigated, he said it
would be found its failure was due to
! inferior construction and poor man
agement. The patents controlled by
the Bell company were gradual run-
ming out, and. we falling into the
hands of the independent concerns,
who were now providing a service su-
I'perior to that given by the Central
Union company. He said this was
possible owing to the fact that the in
dependent people could buy later APP
paratus, while the equipment held by
he Central was out of date, and the
ROYALTY for its use eXacted by the
Bell company was so high that the
Central was forced to charge excess
sive Rates in order to live. He said
the Independent company cut the
rates practically in two. lie said Mr..
Jones and himself had built eX-
changes at Fort Dodge, Iowa, James
vile, Edgerton, Mineral Point and
Beloit Wis, all of which were work
ing satisfactorily. and were now at
work putting in plants at Racine and
Rockford. He cited among the
larger cities, St. Louis, St. Paul, Indi
annapolis, Minneapolis, Columbus,
cleveland, Detroit and New Orleans
as localities where the independ-
ent company was in successful opera
ton. Places nearer home where sub
scri bers' companies were being con-
Quoted were Cedar Rapids, Des
Moines and Muscatine.
Estimated Cost.
Mr.. Jones, who is a constructing
engineer, said Il first-class system for
Rock Island and Moline, with all cop
per-metallic wire and long distance
phones. could be installed for about
$50, 900. He figured on 1900 sub
scribers. ID {. G. Carter asked as
to the trouble, complained of by the
Central company, OF obtaining ready
communication with Davenport, Il
condition it was claimed was due to
n peculiar engineering problem. Mr.
Jones said ne did rot understand
there was anything difficult in the
situation. He said it could he easily
solved, Just as in the case of the Chi
ca@o river, etc. Mr.. Jones proposed
Il system for Rock Island that would
he Il revelation To the people here,
who, he said, were annoyed now by
cross-talk. This was due to the old
return system, he said, and would not
be experienced if the independent
com pany took hold. He said towns
having local companies were rapidly
connecting up with one another, so
that it would not be long until the
Central Union would have in the
field formidable long distance rival.
Mr.. Guyer said Rock Island was
being Disseminated against in the
matter of communication with the
outlying country towns, the Central
company denying connection to out
side companies unless they used their
instruments and paid them ROYALTY
besides. This affected the business
interests of the city and gave cities
like Muscatine an advantage over US.
He said Geneseo was connected by
telephone with 20 small towns. Mr..
Guyer, in speaking of the cost of in
stailing an independent plant, said it
would he necessary to place solicitors
in the field to sell stock, one share rep
rcSenting the cost of the instrument
and the expense of attaching it, etc,
parties so wishing being allowed any
amount of stock in excess of This that
they desired.
DIR. Eyster believed if Rock Island
and Moline went in together on an
exchange Davenport would eventually |
he compelled to follow suit, owing to |
the great amount of social and bust |
mesa communication that was carried |
on between the three communities.
Other speakers favorable to the local |
Carter, L. ii. McNevin. Mai. c. w. |
tld"CS NMdJ Hd"eS dlsO spoke OF Ihe |
and advantage of retaining |
Bell long distance phones in places of
business, including his own oiiice), |
l.. :. McCabe, w. II. Marshall, l..
Simon and q. w. McCaskrin.
ii. II. Cleaveland, chairman of the |
committee on Augustana campus, re-
ported about 81 600 had been raised
in Rock Island, like amount in Mo
line. and that the debt had been re-
moved and the property decided to
the college president.
obituary.
The funeral of John Conway was
held from the home at 1922 Ninth |
L q IL l.