Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-11-22
sarbed-Wire Telephones.


A gentleman named Cassius Alley
of Pendletoa, Ind, has hit upon a plan
which enables the farmers and resi-
.gnts Of hamlets and small towns in
tic vicinity to secure telephone com
r.g1rcation with one another at triting
Arrnsc. He uses the top strand OF
The barbed-wire fence along the Big
-Four railroad as his main line, max
ing connection with the offices and
ZONES of his neighbOrs with ordinary
TELEPHONE wire. 1t is even said that
he has already opened up a line III
teen miles long connecting the towns
Of Anderson, PendletOn, and ingalls,,
and that farmers along the railway
can now call each other up, COM
municare about the weather talk over
the spring blowing, and discuss the
political outlook at a price which
lenders such social intercourse in that
section of Indiana ridiculously mex
rcusivn as compared with the cost
involved in the farmer practice or
keeping appointments in the nearest
market towns on Saturdays, in order
to exchange views and swap stories.
There is serious side to this matter,
however. Mr.. Alley seems to have
demonstrated that his scheme is per
fectly plausible, and that similar one
may be employed in any part Of the
country where barbed-wire fences are
in general use The present line, ac-
cOrding to a contemporary, crosses
wagon roads thirty-siX times and rail-
road lines six times. At these cross
tngs the wire was carried under the
roadway through a gas pipe conduit
or overhead by fastening long poles to
the fence posts on either side. The
whole line was constructed at a cost
of 500, and the outfit for each house,
including receiver, transmitter, bat
terry, and call did not cost more than
$40 At ingalls, the line is connected
with the long-dstanCe telephone, and
its subscribers can in this way reach
indianapolis and the larger cities.
Coming down to the commercial
proposition contained in the enter
prise, it is announced that Mr.. Alley
has six subscribers already who are
paying him $50 per annum for the
service One clothing company in
Anderson, which conducts branches at
PcndIeton and Ingalls,, is using the
barbed-wire system in its daily bust
ness transactions, and a glass factory.
which has its works at ingalls, and its
Offices at Anderson, uses the line
hundred times a day. The success
of the plan having been demonstrated,
new subscribers are now Joining the
list, and Mr. Alley says there is no
reason why the barbed-wire fences
on all farms cannot be put to similar
use Wherever they extend to any
distance this plan is practical, and it
offers a cheap method OF securing
communication with the towns and
between adjoining farms-something
that Is Of the greatest value to the
agriculturist The strangest thing
about the matter is that nobody ever
thought of it before City visitors to
the country, endowed with great intel
lectR have eoo~ - -
quanrres, ana the protection it affords
against the escape of and trespass
from live stock. There has never
been any great fondnoss for it, but
nevertheless, it has come to be regard
ed as a necessity, and particularly
throughout those sections where wood
is no longer as cheap as it used tC
be. Now that it can be made a means
of telcphoni communication farmers
require only the needed instru
ments to hold communication with
their noighbors for miles around, and
with different parts of their farms II
will be regarded as a means of protec
ton. too, in unsettled sections Of the
country, for with telephone alarm
system it cannot be said that any
farmhouse need be isolated in the
future