The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-01-27
REVIEW OF A
LONG FIGHT
Eight Years Battle Between
Rival Telephone Interests.
II IS ENDED AT LAST
-------------
The Passing ofthe Ordinance Merging
the Bell and the Local Independent
Companies Ends Fight That
Began In 1894,
IT is ENDED AT LAST

in this city is the concluding chapter OF
eight years OF commercial warfare, IN
many respects, probably without paral-
lol in tho recent history OF American
cities.
Tho struggle for the control OF tho
telephone situation In Richmond hns &C.
our!ed the attention OF tho two branches
cf the City Council and OF thu Street
Committee OF that body time and ngaln
It has been fought out with tho most
unremIttlng energy OF attack and equally
tlnyieldlng gtubbornness OF resistance IN
tho State sanhto and tho Committee OF
General Laws Of that body. Six times
the battle hns been Joined over this Issue
In the Federal Courts. twice before the
highest Federal tribunal In tho land
A revicw of the different campaigns.
which havo made UP this unique and 70.
marknbla contest brings to remembrance
many things OF lively interest to the
student OF American municipal govern
snent. The forces which have operated In
tho shaping OF Legislation and opinion
Tor or against this or that measure fur
nish nm interesting fold for study.
Tho baltic cries with which tho cfam-
pionp OF one or tho other Side have
sought to stir to enthusiasm their rc-
cruits nre not In frequently henrd In other
struggles OF this character. Protection
OF homo Enterprises" local control OF
franchise privileges" value of up-to-
date facilities" keeping In the line Of
representatives and other stirring pro-
cepts OF good municipal living. as famll-
lar MS they have become by reason OF this
telephone tug-of-wnr in Richmond, We're
somewhat accepted. before that period.
4 and are oftentimos CALLED upon for service
In contentious which "the old company
and "the now company have no part or
portion.
RICHMOND IMPORTANT.
This Fight has hcen n notable ono be-
cause OF the fact that, In tho esteem
OF those who have tho management nf
those largo allied telephone interests, Of
which tho Southern Bellis merely sec
ton or division rs yot only partially
developed. the control OF TIM telephone
business Of Richmond held n place OF
Importance out of all relation to any
revenues that may come from the opera
ton of a local exchange In this city.
Gichmond was the central city OF Viz
glnia, from which lines In time would
radiate In NIL d!recttons-to Norfolk and
Newport News on the East, to Peters-
burg on the South. to Lynchburg and
Roanoke and beyond on tho West, to
Charlottesville md staunton and tho
Valley OF Virginia on the Northwest and
to Fredericksburg and WASHINGTON ana
tho Northern cities. The losS Of Rich
mond would seriously cripple any thor
ough State telephone system.
~ In like fashion, Virginia as the first
! Southern State beyond tho Potomac oo-
oupied n position Of especial portance
to this company. and anything, that would
cripple the company's Development In
Virginia and would tend to cause
break between the great not
York of long distance lines already
constructed In the North ana Thorough
and systematic long distance service.
which 1t might hope to build up In tho
Southern States.
Z Virginia was the keystone State in
4 the telephone situation In the South md
Richmond was tho key TO Virginia. After
eight years Of work on the part OF es.
slpecially selected representatives OF tried
experi1nence and diplomatic skill the
American Telephone aud Telegraph Com.
3pany h:1s found the key, md has made
Ia present of 1t TO its promising and sturdy
young offspring. the Southern Bell Tele.
phone and Telegraph Company.
THE FIGHTERS.
OF those who have taken notable parts
in this fight 1t would be difficult to single
cut one or two MS especially prominent
There have been number OF men WE'LL
Side or other at different times. Gem
eral L. p. Meany, OF New York skill
fully represented the Bell interests
number OF times. In Col. Hunt Chipley,
he has had a most resonrcefu lieutenant
upon the ground all the while. Mr.. A.
r. Guigon for years looked after the In
terests of the local company with great
activity and thoroughness. These three
gentlemen probably have given and taken
n 1ur g er.rp nj itnher NJ pood 1Icks han opv
other OF the combatants.
There We're others. however. 1t is we'll
remembered what vigorous debate SEN
ntor now Congressman. Glass and scna-
tor now Congressman, Flood engaged on
tho floor OF the Senate over the telephone
bill Of three years ago. In the same lively
stirmlsh. Mr.. Bar1sdale, OF Halifax,
gave and received a good shot or two.
senatro Daniel appeared before a COM
mittee of the Legislature MS an attorney
for the telephone interests,
The interests of Richmond have been
ably represented in the courts by City
Attorneys G. v. Meredith and Henry r.
Pollard. Colonel w. T.. Cutshaw's rela-
tior to the city as scientific adviser has
beer of the largest Importance. Apart
z from the members of the Street omnlit-
tee who We're brought In immediate
touch with allegslation on this subject,
no members Of the City Council We're
moro thoroughly in command of the ar
guments and essential facts in conncc-
tion with this problem than Mr.. William
NJ, Turpin and Mr.. Sol. L. Bloomberg.
now presidents of the two branches Of
3 the Council.
One took one view of the matter and
1.-THE other the other. Their speeches on
the floor OF the Council were notably In
fuentlal.
sl FIRST TELEPHONE.
4 The telephone as Il recognizeI means OF
communication dates from the 1ehiade!,
phla Centennial Of 1876.
M Instruments and apparatus, then recent.
sly invented and patented. were exhibited
and formed one OF the most novel and
attractive exhibits OF the- exposition. A
young man from Lynchhurg, Va, the
NJ manager OF the Western Union office al
that place, after seeing the instruments
\ tn4Philadelphla, returned home and made
I q transmitter and receiver, the first made
land peed In Virginia, This gentleman
l. ;s.-...rr-it7, S4
NO GssIByesy zSszsiag