The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-08
LONG DISTANCE LINE HERE.
SAVANNAH SOON TO SAY 'HELLO"
TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

ing POint-Within Two Weeks at
the Most Conversations May Be
Held With cities in the East and
West-GeOrgia Towns Will Be Con-
nected-TeIephOne Company WIZ
Have Public Opening of the
Line, when Conversations May Be
Held without Cost.
It is now a question of days when
Savannah will have telephone connection
with all the great cities east OF the Mis-
sissippi river, and many of the smaller
places that have been entered by the Bell
Telephone Company
For several years the city has
been longing for such connections
and missing them nightly. The
long-felt want is to be relieved and it is
said the line that is to form the connect
ing link by telephone between Savannah
and the great world outside will be COM
plete and ready for use possibly by Sept
15 Two weeks from date is given by those
who understand the situation as the out
side time for the finishing up of the de-
tails that yet remain to be performed in
the work.
The connection will be by way of Den
mark. That place will be switching sta
ton, ard from it will branch off connec-
tons to several of the larger cities Of
this section. They already have their
connections complete, and for some time
have been enjoying the long distance tele-
phone service The cities with which Sa-
vannah will thus be directly connected
through the medium of Denmark are
Charleston, Atlanta. Augusta and Column
bus. From those places more remote con-
| nections viii be furnished, and the plan
will work out ad lnfinltum, or until the
limits of the Bell Telephone Company's
apparatus power OF transmission is reach
ed.
New York, Boston, Washington, Albany
Cincinnati. Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago,
Louisville, Memphis, New Orleans, Nash
vile, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Mont
gomery, Mobile and a hundred other places
Will be given connection with Savannah.
aud the benefits that other cities have long
enjoyed through their long-distance SER
vice will no longer be withheld from this.
Macon. Americas, Albany and Townsville
ere Georgia towns that will come within
speaking distance of Savannah the con-
nection being around by Atlanta. Com
paratively recently the company has run
line from Atlanta including all those
points, and Savannah people will be put
in communicated with them through the
easy medium of telephones.
The line from Denmark to Savannah has
already been run. 1t follows the public
highway. a corps of the compuny's line
men is now in the city finishing up the
work. In telephone parlance, lot Of
transpositons are yet to be made. Max
ing them is delicate featu CT the OPP
eTations, and for that reason it cannot be
told with any degree of certainty just
when the work will be completed. No rea
son is seen, however, why everything
should not be finished up by two weeks
from now.
The opening of the line will be a sort of
gala occasion with the company. Ar
engagements for the opening have not yet
been mode, but it is probable some public
| place will be secured and thrown open 10
all who may care to use the new telephone
| free OF charge. For one day the privilege
Will be extended to all corners, 1t being the
| intention of the company to open up early
! in the morning and keep busy until mid
| nightif before that hour all who may de-
| sire have not had their opportunity TO
| talk with the distant friends whom they
! wish to call up.
| Ii has been customary with the COM
| pany TO accommodate the public in tn :
! way LOT one uaF Wherever lnSfe nave
| been long distance stations established.
| Crowds have taken advantage of the op-
| portunity and the run on The line has been
| constant. AS soon as ono person has had
| the one or two minutes converse ton per-
mitted, room is made for the next The
way the company makes Nn the plan is by
| the advertising secured. The public learns
of the facility with which cor nectlons may
be secured, and the wonder full distinct
ness with which converse tons may be car
RED on with those engaged i'm them hun
dreds or even thousands Of mihas apart.
A tariff sheet of rates for conversation
has not yet been made up for Savannah.
1t Will be forthcoming, however, as soon
as the line is ready for the use of the
public AS yet there has not been a word
to pass over the wire, the absence of the
transposiiionS preventing even the oper-
atOrS holding conversations. 1t is believed
this city will get quite an equitable rate,
as 1t is understood the company rOoog-
nizes the fact that there Will be considhar-
able business secured. As with raiirt,a q
and other transportation rates, those OF
the long distance telephone are based upon
the distance to be traversed and the vol
ume of business. The whole schedule of
rates will be low If many conversatio
are held by Savannahians, the scale as
ceOding in accordance with the distance
of the city with which connection may be
desired.
The long distance connection comes in
good season. Had il been sooner 1t would
not have found th@ local, exchange
50 well equipped. Three months ago any
one desiring to secure a long distance con-
nection would have been forced to look up
an instrument fitted with the long distance
transmitter. Within that time every tele-
phone in Savannah has been so equipped
and from any one of them a connection
with a distant city may be secured.
Until the line to The northward is opened
up Savannah's experience with the long
distance telephone viii have been confined
to The short line that extends TO Jackson
vill taking in Daren and Brunswick.
That has been in existence for some time
and has been found a great convenience.