The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-04

VIII Build n Line to Wilmington.
The Chamber Endorses the Project.
A special meeting Of the Chamber OF
Commerce was held at $3.50 o'clock yes
terday afternoon al the rooms OF the
chamber in the Seaboard Air Line
building.
The members in attendance were
President NJ. w. jacob. Secretary Jno.
L. CantwelI Colonel F. w. Kerchner
N Messrs. W. E. Worth, D. l.. Gore.
4. D. Meares. L. Bluethenthal. E. n.
Penny, J. W. Thompson. B. T. King, A.
D. VESSEL II. A. Burr. George r.
French Sol. j. Sternberger. Jno.F Frank,
J. r. King, ]. VanB. Nets. T. w.
Ciawson and T. S. McManus, manager
OF the Wilmington exchange of the
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph
Company.
Mr.. T. L. Ingram, of Atlanta. Ga.
general superintendent of construction
for the Southern Bell Telephone and
Telegraph Company, was present to
represent his company.
President jacob called the meeting
to order and stated that the meeting
had been called for general
but specially to discuss the needs OF
long distance telephone service for
Wilmington. He said IL was the desire
of our citizens to have such service as
icon as possible and Mr.. Ingram was
present to represent his company in a
conference with our citizens about this
would be glad to hear from Mr. L.
gram and he then introduced that
gentleman to the chamber.
Mr.. Ingram then addressed the meet
ing. He said his company learned that
Wilmington desired long distance tele-
phone facilities n that several weeks
& he had come here to make thor
ough Investigations along that line. Mr..
jacob. president OF the chamber a
furnished him with statistics and in
formation desired. On that visit he
Vas accompanied by another represen-
tdtive of that company and they par
TALLY surveyed the routes leading out
Of Wilmington and had made estimates
and submitted them 10 the company.
lie went on to say that his company
mad instructed him to return to Will
mington to talk the matter over with
our citizens and he was here for this
purpose He explained that his COM
pany asked nothing but the moral su
port of the community, and he was
bGIe to state what advantages his COM
pany could offer in the way of long
distance service.
Mr.. Ingram then distributed maps
showing the lines and connections of
his COMPANY throughout the United
States. practically covering the entire
Country in connection with the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph Company
with which it operates. He stated that
his company already las long distance
service in several southern states and
at present is expanding a million and a
half dollars in constructing other lines
from Virginia to Florida. The company
now has offices in the principal cities
OF Virginia. West Virginia. North Car
DINA, South Carolina, Georgia, Flor
ida and Alabama
Speaking of the proposed line TO VIII
mington Mr.. Ingram said that upon his
previous visit here he n his assistant
went over and surveyed the proposed
line and the estimates were afterwards
submitted TO the general manager of
the company. at New York, who ap-
proved the same and decided upon the
connection if the proper encouragement
could be had. He stated that the work
i'll which his company rs engaged is
enormous and that it is trying to de-
yelop ITS territory as rapidly as pos
sible. The first step Was to all
the large cities and then. as is done in
railroad building, to sonnet the
smaller places as feeders. The plan in
a general way is to build lines of 100
to 800 miles in length and gradually
build the feeding connections. The
policy is also to make traffic arrange
Glents with the independents companies,
which is naturally an advantage to the
Bell Company and the independent
H0mn a niaC He said thp i'm rpnnrfinU
to his general manager his recommen-
cations about the proposel long dis
tance line to Wilmington. be went fur
ther and recommended the improve
5nent of n local exchange, which cOn-
templated making it tIfst class in every
respect He also recommended that
the wires be placed underground and
SAID at the next meeting of the board
CT aldermen he would ask permission
to do that To place the wires under
ground. he stated. would get rid of SO
many wires overhead and would re-
move u~nsishtfy poles that ohstruct the
streets more or less. The improve
ments here mean a purely metallic SER
vice the advantage OF which would be
hat IL the long distance line is built
here n would not have to 80 to GEN.
trail office to talk at a distance. but
instead. subscribers could talk at their
own phones. He said with the present
service we could take fifty or sixty
miles. but with suc i service as We
would get with h long distance con
nection. we could take 500, 1000 and
$500 miles with all ease. He said a
subscriber recently taking from Du-
l1th, Minnesota, ts New York. fifteen
hundred miles, told the New FORK nan
aot to talk quite SO loud. he hurt his
ear.
Mr.. d. L. Gore inquired OF Mr.. In
gram what he meant by moral sup
SoIf." Mr.. Ingram explained that 1t
meant whether we wanted aid required
a song distance service and whether We