The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-11
NATIVE INGENUITY
Kansas Wire Fences Have Be-
come Telephone Systems.
Farmers Are Keeping Up With
the Procession.
TREBLE THE NUMBER.
Wonderful Growth of Telephone
Industry Recently.
Railroad Assessors Fix Basis
of Valuation.
TREBLE THE NUMBER.

The telephone industry In Kansas is
Furnishing. The board of railroad
assessors say that the number Of in
dependent telephone companies has
Tebled during the past two years.
One company reports that the poles
upon which the lines of telephone wires
are placed consist Of 2x4 hard pine
scantlings Another states that the
supports for wires are saplings which
were cut by the officers Of the company
in a neighboring brush patch.
Another explains in detail how the
company attached insulators to the
fences maintained by the railroads on
the right of way lines and strung the
wires for several miles. avoiding the
expense Of purchasing and setting poles
at the same time furnishing an eff
Gent service for patrons
Another officer bemoans the dire pow
erty OF the company with which he is
identified, and explains the financial
straits in which it was placed by say
ing:
We were compelled to work between
two days, attaching our insulators and
wires TO the poles put up and main
tanned by our local electric light COM
pany- We are still there
Another company notifies the assess
ors that the returns do not show a num-
Der Of poles and wire supports sufficient
to make a complete system for the
mileage of wire which is reported, but
this is explained by the following state
ment:
IN several instances we attached the
wires, by insulatOrs. TO the roofs and
sides of houses and barns. The service
is not impaired and the expense is de-
creased by eliminating heavy outlay
for poles and also for having poles set
in the ground properly.
Our experience has been that this
system is Just as good as the use Of
poles at regular intervals. We were
careful to avoid getting in the way Of
| Instructions, such as trees and rough
| edges, and We have been progressing
nicely"
Several companies testify to the use of
/ barb wire fences as a means of cOmmu-
| nication- Some Of them deny that the
/ real barb wire is used. but they do say
/ that the telephone wires are made a
/ part of the fence, being attached by
/ insulators, making q cheap telephone
line, but ore that is always Serviceable,
and one which also adds To the use
/ fuIness Of an ordinary fence, in that
/ two wires are added
The assessors have been at work for
| several days going over the returns Of
/ the telephone companies, fixing the val
uation OF the property and transacting
! other official business in connection
| with the assessment.
They have divided the telephone
| property into three classes designated
| as first. second and third.
The valuations, or.tbasIs Of assess
| ment, in the first class has not been
! fixed, but.the second and third classes
have been fixed and adopted by the
| assessors as follows:
Second class geS-POleS, 81;
iron wire, 81 per mile; copper wire. sc
per mile; instruments. So; switchbcar1s
/ 81 per drop or number
/ Third class nges-Assessed val
uatiOn the same as the second class
except reduction on poles. which are
herein assessed at 75 cents each.
Automatic switchboards are assessed
at 81 per drop, but the telephone IN
struments for this class Of exchanges
are valued at IS.
In the toll lines Of the second class
the instruments are assessed at s. each
Some of the Kansas independent
lines are growing very poorsome, being
almost poverty stricken and worthless
too. according to some of the officers
Officers of some Of the companies
have written to the assessors claiming
that their wires are the cheapest pcs
sible wire TO be purchased that the.
have inferior instruments; that th'
service is limited and not q paying ven
ture. Added to these large numbai
of other evils which the officials poin.
out is the conclusion that such prop
erty is worth very little, especially TO-
| assessment