The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-09-17

David E. Lain, of Whatcom, and
K. G.. Gee, of san Francisco were in
town Friday in the interest of pro-
ject to establish tirst-class system of
telephone communication between
here and Whatcom, including also
Orcas and Lopez islands. Mr.. Lain is
chairman of special committee of the
Whatcom COMMERCIAL Club which has
been working diligently upon the pro-
ject for some time past, ana Mr.. Gee,
as result of the committees work,
was sent from San Francisco by the
president and general manager of the
Sunset Telephone Company especially
to investigate the situation. The ISL
ANDER has worked patiently and per-
sistently for several years to induce
representative citizens of our own
county and the "mainland" to interest
themselves in the matter and it was at
the instance OF the editor, who, by in
vltation, addressed the Whatcom Com
mercial Club on the subject about a
year ago, that the club finally took
hold of the matter in earnest and APP
pointed particularly strong commit
tee, consisting of Mr. Lain, A. b.
Clark, proprietor of The Fair Depart
ment Store and first president of the
club, and r.. l. Morse, head of the
Morse Hardware Company, to take
charge of the matter.
Mr.. Lain and Mr.. Gee went to Orcas
island Thursday and found every busi-
ness man there whom they visited
very much interested in the project
and ready to guarantee substantial
support After talking the matter over
with Mr.. Culver here they communi-
Gated by telephone with Dr. Capron
and Alfred Douglas, owners of the
local system, and had a conference
with them here late that night, finally
arranging with them to solicit such
guarantees from the people of the coun-
ty as will Justify them in extending
connection with thet Sunset system at
!. Whatcom, which now extends to all
important points on the Pacific coast.
1t is contrary to the policy of the
Sunset company to build and operate
branch lines to isolated localities, that
is to say, localities remote from their
main lines of communication. But it
is their policy to encourage and assist
local companies to cover such territory
and furnish "feeders" for their system.
,Ir. Gee says that local company can
build and operate such system as is
needed ia this county at materially
less cost than it would be possible for
the Sunset company to do. He strong
" advises that it be done by a private
company rather than one operating on
on the cooperative plan, and in view
of the fact that Messrs. Capron and
| Douglas already have a considerable
sum invested in local lines he urges
| that the people give them such assur-
ances of support as will amply justify
them in laying the cables necessary to
unite the several local systems and af-
ford connection with Whatcom.
Such a system as it is proposed TO
establish would be of immense benefit
to the county and would undoubtedly
accomplish more than any other one
thing to stimulate settlement and de-
velopment, increase the value of tax
able property and remove the incubus
of insular isolation: 1t is to be hoped
that Messrs. Capron and Douglas will
readily receive from the farmers and
business men Of the county all the er-
couragement necessary to warrant
them in proceeding as soon as possible
with the cable project. Petitions are
IN circulation and are being generally
signed asking the county commission
ers to pledge the county's assistance
within reasonable limits.