The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-28
OF BENEFIT
TO BILLINGS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BELL TELE-
PHONE SYSTEM EXTENDED.
MORE TERRITORY is ADDED
Company Acquires New Lines in North
ern Wyoming ng-connections With
Cheyenne and Denver.
MORE TERRITORY is ADDED

Y Again has been widened the circu.-
of cities and towns with which it is
possible to hold telephone commune
cation from Billings and new terri |
tory has been opened for the conven-
ience of those who desire to- lall by
word of mouth with persons at remote
points.
George Y Wallace, president; D. S. |
Murray, general manager, and Traffic
Manager Thomas, all of the Rocky
Mountain Bell Telephone company, ar
rived in the city yesterday from Co
burn and Cody, where they had been
on a tour Of inspection of the COM
pany's service in northern Wyoming
and where they met l.. L. MOffett OF
the Moffett system of local and long
distance telephones. Negotiations
pending for some time were closed
and Mr.. Moffett surrendered practical
ly all of his lines and exchanges in
that section, retaining only his Red
Lodge-Cody line and local exchange
at the latter place.
By the transaction the Bell company
lines between Cody, Meeteetse and
Basin and also the local service in
Those places. Mr.. Moffett will abandon
his long distance lines between those
places, but as yet has not decided what
he will do with the material. He
thinks that he may be able to sell them
to ranchers and range outfits for pri-
vate use. If he cannot he will take
down the wires and remove what other
material is of value sufficient to war
rant the cost of transportation and
use them elsewhere.
In addition to buying the Moffett
lines the Bell company also secured
control of the Powder River system,
including the local service at Sheridan,
which extends to Ten Sleep. This
now closes the gap which has existed
in the company's service between
Bridger and points south and it is now
possible to carry on a conversation
with cities as far distant from Billings
as Denver and Cheyenne AS the diff
ferent lines are what is technically
called metallic" system, the service
given is as good as it Is possible for
anX<elong distance line to be.
| The new arrangement is of consid-
cradle Importance to Billings, as it
4 makes it center from which radiates
one of the best and most complete
| telephone systems in the northwest
and insures safe and speedy method
of communication with a territory
hitherto to be reached only by mail
and some by telegraph. 1t places all
OF the Big Horn basin towns in direct
touch with Billings, a matter of no
small Importance to the people of
those places, as we'll as to those OF
this city.
Last night meeting of the officers
of the two systems was held and it
is reported that a proposition of the
| Bell company to buy the Moffett Bill
| ings system and the Red Lodge local
and long distance lines was under
! discussion.
The Bell company has long tried to
enter Red Lodge, but has never sue
ceeded, despite its repeated efforts in
| that direction, the city council OF the
place refusing to grant it a franchise.
If the pending negotiations prove
successful the company will have
gained it's point, the establishment OF
/ a complete circuit between Billings
and Red Lodge and via the latter place
irto Wyoming. Should the Moffett
company conclude to sell it will seill
retain it's long distance lines 10 the
north o. this city.
Saturday morning at about 6 O'Clock
Nate Cooper, who occupied room
in the Neel lodging house in Montana