Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-08-03
THE NEW TELEPHONE COMPANY.

The Jefferson County Telephone
Company has its line up from Charles
Town to Harper's Ferry, and the
work is now being actively pushed.
Serious delay was caused by inability
to get the character of poles required
and this delay was caused by the
farmers not being able to spare their
teams to haul the poles during corn
planting, blowing, harvesting, etc.
The company has had the poles cut
and trimmed on the mountain for
some time, and now that teams to
haul them are obtainable, the con-
struction of all the lines can and will
be rapidly completed. 1t is expected
that within ten days the lines Of the
company will connect Charles Town,
Harper's Ferry and Hagerstown,
Shepherdstowu and Martinsburg.
The central is now being installed in
Harper's Ferry by experts from Bal
timore and that town will be lined
and connected with Charles Town
next week.
The poles are laid from Shepherds
town to Leetown and partially laid
from Kearneysville to Dufields In to
Charles Town, thus insuring quick
work in connecting Charles Town,
Shepherdstown via Shenandoah June
ton, Bardane and Kearneysville.
Most of the poles are also laid from
Charles Town to the Clarke county
line. A large force is Icing gathered
preparatory to working on all lines
at the same time. Mr.. n. r. Roberts,
the company's president, who has
been sick, will from now on devote
his entire time to the business until
the lines are completed. Three hun
bred and fifty subscribers are assured
at the start. The lines Of the company
will aggregate Is miles, as follows
From Charles Town to Harpers Fer
ry from Charles Town to Dutields,
from Duffields to Shenandoah june
ton, from Shenandoah Junction to
Kearneysville, from Kearneysville to
Shepherdstown, Kearneysville to Sum
NIT Point, via Leetown and Middle
way, Charles Town to Ripon, Ripou
to Clarke county line, Charles Town to
Myerstown, Shepherdstown to Har-
per's Ferry, via Moler's and Bakerton,
Harper's Ferry to Melville.
There are 269 stockholders in the
company, all citizens of Jefferson
county, and among them are number
ed our banks, bank presidents and d.
rectors, real estate agents, insura nee
agents, doctors, lawyers, merchants
and farmers. The company is so
planned that each stakeholder on
taking $500 Of the preferred stock
is entitled to a residence phone at
so. 80 or business phone at Sl6 so.
The saving to these stockholders in
price of phone service over the price
before prevailing is between $4,000
and $4,000 annually. Moreover, the
franchise provisions insure this COM
munity against the danger Of IN
creased prices. In the franchise
granted this company by the county
court and by the town councils of
Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Boil
iver and Shepherdstown, the prices Of
the company's phone service can new
er exceed $500 tor residence and
$24OO for business phones. Moreov-
er, the company will use nothing but
the latest improved Bell instrum ents
and switch boards. The pole speci-
fcations on the through lines are %
inches in circumference at the top,
and 50 inches at the ground line, and
the poles are but 1872 feet apart.
Moreover, the company has the Bell
system connections throughout the
United States. The rates to foreign
points are greatly reduced. For In
stance, to Baltimore from Charles
Town, the rate is reduced from Csc to
45c for day messages. The company
will have four connections with the
outside world, one at Harpers Ferry,
one at Hagerstown, one to Martins
burg, and one by way Of Winchester.
The company is also offering to far
mers the opportunity Of building their
own lines into the towns, and on such
farmers lines, farmers will be able to
have frst-class telephone service at
5000 year.
We also trust and believe the COM
pany is, by means of the large num-
Der of prominent men interested as
stockholders, in position to prevent
the Bell telephone monopoly from
getting control Of this county. We
also trust and believe that this COM
pany will save this county from the
annoyance of having two telephone
companies dividing the business of
the county. Having two telephone
companies in a county means that
each company would be compelled to
charge higher rates, and each phone
holder would have to pay two phones
in his place Of business AMI tn ere
fore pay double prices for the same
service one system should give. The
danger of higher prices being charg'
ed by the company by reason of a
monopoly is avoided by reason of this
company having the low rates Of SIS
and $24 fixed by the franchises.
In addition to the lines above