New-York tribune., 1905-01-30
TELEPHONES IN THIS COUNTRY.

A bulletin Just issued by the Census Bureau
and prepared by Thomas Commerford Martin
tells story of industrial development in Amer
lea which is almost unique. 1t summarizes
report that is yet to appear relative TO the teie-
phones and telegraphs of the United States in
the year 1902. The most fascinating and I'm
pressive revelations in this document, Of course,
are those which pertain TO Bells wonderful in
venton. They can be paraleled in American
history only by the rapid growth and enormous
utility Of electric lighting and traction. Mr.
Martins statistics possess the greater value
from the fact that no attention was given in the
census of 1890 to the telephone. The situation
in 1902, therefore, is compared with that in
1880. In the interval between those years the
number of exchanges in this country Increased
from 34S to 10361, or about thirtyfoldl II is
estimated that the number of talks by telephone
in the year 1902 was more than FIVE billion,
such conversations being more numerous than
the pieces of first class matter sent through the
United States mails.
Only a glance at Mr.. Martins figures is needed
to show how greatly the telephone now over
shadows the telegraph. In the business which
makes use Of the one about S34S, 100000 was In
vested IN 1902 as compared with $163, 900 900
devoted to the other. The telephone gave eul.
poyment TO 64,62S wage earners, and the tele
graph to 26,97S, though the disproportion be-
tween the total wages in the two industries
was a trife less obvious. The telephone had in
service four times as many miles Of wire as the
telegraph, and carried fifty-six times as many
messages If the difference be so great at pres.
ent what will ii be ten years hence? In the
future the demand for telephones will probably
not increase so rapidly as in the recent past
but for some time TO come the telephone must
gain in popularity faster than its rival
Three classes Of lines are recognized by Mr.
Martin OF the 5,O00,000 miles Of wire required
for the telephones Of this country, 971a per cent
are operated by companies doing business for
revenue only. Something like IA per cent OF
the mileage is under the control of mutual" or
ganizations which find exchanges desirable. but
employ their wires for the convenience of the
members and not to earn money. A third class
OF lines, nearly 5000 in number and having an
average length of ten miles, is owned by
farmers, who dispense altogether with switch
board facilities. Not a few farms are reached
by wires from city exchanges, but It has not
been possible to obtain data concerning these
The independent rural lines for which returns
are available are much more numerous In Indi-
ana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa than elsewhere
Those four States reported 20 per cent OF the
whole.
The number of telephones in use in 1902 was
2'3l5,291, or about to "a of the total ponu.
latlon. From that average, however tberc
were some wide departures. California. for
instance, reported l for every Il, and Ala.
bama / for every 1884, The average number
OF messages per telephone for the wear was
2'l90 In States that were well supplied with
instruments the number of messages was
smaller than this New York reported / 464 ana
NeW-Jersey 1'141, while in Alabama the aver.
age number Of messages per telephone was
o,-'7 ana Ia tennessee 3557. In other words
the number or telephones gave direct indica.
uon OF the progressive spirit of locality.
whereas the amount of business which oTa =,
strument was required to do seems to bova hoa,
in inverse ratio thereto