The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-07
TWO TELEPHONE COMPANIES
SEVER BUSINESS RELATIONS.
RED LODGE IS SHUT OUT
"ReIIo" War Assumes Form Highly
Annoying to Others Than
Participants.

Although the~relations existing be-
tween the Billings Telephone company
and the Moffett system, as the other
company is popularity known, have
been strained for sometime on &C.
count of the rivalry for long distance
business to the south, the key to
which is at present held by Moffett
and his associates because Of their
Red Lodge lines, it was not until last
evening that the situation became
what is usually designated in diplo-
matte language as acute" Accord
ing to Mr.. Moffett his rival has en-
gagged in open acts of warfare and for
the time being seems to have the adj
vantage, but he does not acknowledge
lasting and permanent defeat and
promises to be able to retaliate in
kind before SO very long.
Until yesterday the public has been
but little interested in the 'squabble
between the two, but the events Of
the past "a hours have caused others
than the contestants to be concerned,
Indirectly at least if not directly. AS
related to The Gazette by Mr.. Moi
felt the "hello' business between this
city and Red Lodge came to an abrupt
termination yesterday by the refusal
of the Billings company to longer make
local connections with his system,
thus shutting eff all means Of vocal
communication between the two cities.
This means that it is impossible to
talk with Red Lodge or any of the
places south of the coal camp, such
as Cody and the other towns in north
ern Wyoming, which prior to the be.
ginning of open hostilities were in
direct telephone communication with
Billings, the loop between the city
and Red Lodge being supplied by the
Billings company, which gave use of
it's switch board to the Moffett lines.
To the north communication is still
maintained because the Billings com.
pany does not come in competitio l
with the Moffett system in that direc.
ton. It would not be surprising, how.
ever, if the field of hostilities were
extended so as to include that terri
tory also, as the Billings company may
take a notion to stick a plug into it's
switch board in that direction too and
thus shut it's rival out of the city
completely.
The trouble between the two as
near as can be made out is due to the
opposition Mr.. Moffett has manifested
to the desire of the Rocky Mountain
Bell Telephone company to enter Red
Lodge. While the Billings Telephone
company is operated as a separate
concern, it is in close touch with the
Rocky Mountain and operates in con
nection with it, the two having adopt
ed the Community of interests prin-
ciple, now so popular with many of
the larger corporations of the country
1t is because of the friendship existing
between the Rocky Mountain people
and the Billings company that the
latter refuses to longer do business
with the Moffett system to the south.
While it may be a little premature.
it is understood that the war will be
the immediate cause Of steps being
taken to organize a new company for
the purpose of covering the local
field. A name has already been select,
ed and assurance is given that the
Magic City Telephone company is
among the certainties of the very near
future. If organized the new concern
will work in harmony with the Moi
felt systems and the two will follow
the plan adopted by the other two
companies.