Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-06-23
NoRrH PARIS. June Is. 1905

NORTH PARIS, June 10, 1908.
Thinking the readers of the Democrat
might be interested in the Oxford County
Telephone and Telegraph Company and
its work, and be glad to have short
history of it, have taken the trouble to
get data and figures from the officers
of the company for the following sketch:
The originator of the line and the one
who has done the most towards building
it up is DIR. Z. II. Andrews of West Sum-
ner. AS first projected the line was TO
start at Andrews Mills in South Wood
stock and run TO West Paris over line
owned by |. W. Andrews & Sons and
which had been in existence some years.
and from Andrews Mills to West Sumner
via North Paris village; but before work
was begun on the line in the fall of 1900
it was decided to extend the line TO
Buckfield and East sumner on different
routes, which was done.
As first organized, any one taking n
share of stock, par value So, was entitled
to the free use of the line for an in
definite period for himself, members of
his family and guests, but later this was
restricted to actual members of his
family residing at home. When incor-
porated under the laws of the state the
capital stock was placed at $1,000, but at
a subsequent meeting this was increased
to So, 900. As the benefits of the tele-
phone became better known and appre-
ciated, more subscribers came on to the
line, until there were some 80 or go free
instruments, so called, the parties buy
ing their own instruments but having
free use of the line.
The line was built from Andrews
Mills to East Sumner and Buckteld, via
North Paris and West Sumner villages,
in the fall of 1900, and has since been
extended to Canton and Turner, with
branches running to Redding, Black
Mountain, StearnS Hill, Hartford Centre
and other places, and trunk line from
West Paris TO Canton, Turner and Buck
field, with metallic circuit for through
business. The company now has from
$50 to 200 miles of wire, and since it was
decided in the fall of 1901, at the annual
meeting of that year, not to give the
free use of the line to any more pur-
chasers of stock, but to lease all instru-
mentS thereafter put on the line at an
annual rental of Sl2 per year, giving SER
vice over part of the line, which was
specified in the contract, or $50 a year
for the whole line except the trunk line,
about 200 instruments have been leased.
After making contracts with the East
ern Telephone Co. for mutual exchange
of service and division of profits, and
with the New England Co. for the use
of the Bell transmitter and receiver,
which has resulted in largely increased
receipts, the line can now be said to be
placed on a good paying basis, and the
income from it has constantly Increased
each quarter, for the first quarter of 1908
amounting to sum far exceeding the
expectations of the directors and stock
holders.
About ST., 900 has been expended on
the line up to date, and by reason of the
long distance service acquired by taking
the Bell Co.'s transmitter and receiver,
parties having telephones on this line
can now talk to all points east of the
Mississippi River.
The present officers of the company
are:
President-Dr. L. II. Andrews.
Clerk and Treasurer G. E. Durham.
Directors-Dr. Z. IL. Andrews, 5. +. Stetson,
Orlando Irish. DR.; \. Z. Cole, A. NJ. Andrews
+. l.. Barrett II. c. Wills.
Line observation-disclosures Packard.
With the telephone and rural mail
delivery isolated farms are now brought
in touch with the outside world, greatly
to the advantage of our rural popu-
lation. The telephone makes us all
neighbors, in one sense, with any one
We can converse with. Z. Z. FIELD.