The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-25
USE OF The TELEPHONE.

|
USE OF THE TELEPHONE.
Enormous Growth of the Business I'm
America In Recent Years
IN spite OF disappointments and dis
satisfaction, America is the foremost
country in the world in the art of tele.
phony, and in many particulars it has
SO lar surpassed EuropeaC countries
that no comparison is possible. THIS
Is especially true Of the long distance
service, which affords connections be-
tween thirty. eight exchange compan-
les having lilo, 900 subscribers, anu ia.
cludes IN lts equipment moro than
lo,OOo miles OF pole lines, carrying
nearly l25, 900 miles Of wire and con.
| nectlng go offices. 1t Is possible for
! persons 1000 miles apart to hold con-
versatiOn over the lines Of this COM
pany with as much clearness and dis.
| tlnctness as II they were separated BY
only 100 yards. In Europe the longest
telephone connection thus far attempt
ed Is only $50 miles. The long distance
system in this country has been de-
veloped at an expenditure Of $l5, 00O,-
OOO Tor line construction, equipment,
franchises, and supplies. 1t is the
main artery in the Bell structure, and
Is expected to prove the most impor.
tant feature OF the system in the i'm.
pending struggle Of the Bell interests
to maintain their supremacy in the
large cities Of the country.
Last year the exchanges operated
under the Bell patents employed |, ,l24.-
S40 instruments, an increase of POS, 125
over the previous year, and gain Of
992, lo4 telephones since the present
organization was affected in 1880 IN
that year the American Bell Telephone
Company began business with 1872 692
Instruments connected by 2S.3l6 miles
OF wire III the several exchanges then
established.
The most interesting statistics upon
the telephone Industry are those which
| mark it's gradual development since
1854, when systematic collection OF
data pertaining to the subject was be-
gun. The company had % ,422 circuits
and the business was divided among
9O6 exchanges, the entire force en-
| ployed numbering 4,162 men, women
and children. Today the payroll con-
tains 1865 names: there are 465, $50
stations connected by 7I22,9S9 miles Of
wire and l,l26 exchanges and l,OOS
branch offices included in the system.
These figures convey some idea OF the
enormous growth Of the business in
the last fifteen years, but they fail en-
tirely to show the Importance OF this
method OF communication in tho daily
commercial AMI social life Of the ma.
tlon. a better illustration Is afforded
| by the fact that last year | ,H3l 900. 900
were made through exchanges in this
country, 0r 1923, 100 daily conversa-
tions as estimated from the actual
count In many Of the cities Of the couu.
try. The use Of the toll-linc system,
| connecting city exchanges with subur-
| ban points has also greatly increased,
| tho number Of connections thus made
during the last year being 80, ,6OO, 600.
| This is entirely independent Of the
| long distance service, and furnishes
another proof Of the growing import
ance Of this method OF communication
Us n social factor: The number Of
| subscribers furnished last year was
Increased by nearly 81, 900, which is
certainly remarkable showing when
1t is remembered that tho Bell OK
changes lost many thousands OF patrons
through competition.
1t must bo remembered, too, that
the Independent telephone movement
| which has been growing rapidly since
the expiration Of the fundamental
Bell patents six years ago, has assumed
important proportions and that It's
| pIcihobolo auu supporters uaVo cSCaD-
lishcd In tho neighborhood OF 5000
exchanges throughout the country.
Naturally many Of these are in small
places whero the Bell company's ratos
had proved an insurmountable barrier,
but others are in towns whore cX-
| changes have boon In operation. The
low rates OF the anti-Ball companies
have greatly stimulated the business
and placed the service within the
roach OF many who could not afford the
Boil prices. In spite Of tho reduction
In prices the character of tho service
has bcon improved, as competition has
made 1T necessary for tho Boil com.
pany to use Inventions and improves
ments that otherwise would have boon
buried. This was tho policy Of the
Boil management during tho period
when 1t enjoyed monopoly, but this
course had to be abandoned as soon
as tho Independent movement got
fairly under way.-Now York Sun.