Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-04-13

snail be LAD 10 answer all further IN
q itfies though The OHIO Farmer.
A MODEL COMPANY
To better bring out the method of
Organization and development OF RI
raj telephone company | shall start
out y giving history of the orsani-
cation of the Rockingham Mutual
Telephone System. and its develop
ment into one OF the Leading telephc ne
systems in the United States. Hav-
ing been rather intimately connected
with the organization OF this system
| am with e FROM fi,st Information
rather than from hearsay.
Prior to 1896 joint stock company,
doing business under the name Of the
Valley Telephone Company, had q
monopoly on the telephone service Of
Rocking ham Co, Va. Their lines COW
cred the county only indifferently, and
the fact that tut comparatively few
people could BE- reached, coupled with
the further fact that they charged SIS
per year for residence telephones, end
$25 per year tor business telephones,
prevented many farmers from having
telephone service at all. From time
to time there were sporadic Efforts
among farmers ofvarious communities
10 establish little. independent lines
OF their own. but in every instance up
to 1897 hese plans fell through.
During the winter OF 1896 I wrose
TO the president of the Valley Tele-
paone Company proposing to build a
telephone line to Harrisburg from
Hinton, distance OF miles and tn
above them T. have all message fees
collected. and to pay them FIVE dol
ars per year for switchboard service
They replied that they would not c IN
slider that or any other proposition
from outside people. II so happened
that they did not own the line from
Harnsonburg to Rawley Springs. via
Hinton, a distance OF twelve miles,
and it was orly a few weeks alter
their rejection OF my proposition that
they had some misunderstanding with
the people who did own tie line
which had previously been au old
telegraph lime, and had been convert
ed by them iato telephone line.
There were about five 'phore ho'dsrs
on this line, aud when the relations
between the two parties were terimi-
nat d the telephone company wrote
10 iuy father, who was then as uow,
president Of the Harrisonburg and
Ra~ley Spfings Turnpike Company,
requesting the privilege OF erecting
telephone line along The III npise 10
replace the on that lad teen taken
away from them by the old Isles rapL
c mpauy. Iua-much as the charter
OF h~ Turnpike company gave it the
tight 10 build and operate a telegraph
or tel phone line. my father would
not give them the risnt. but after
conference wi h toe beard of directors,
co.itfrd them tina. the turnpike COM
pany would gitrt the right to he
farmers along The turnpike, who
would meet III M with proposition
similar to the one had made them
They also rejected this p OPPOSITION
and announced that they would build
twenty miles OF wire along other
roads rst ner than TO make any cor i
cessions to the people along the turn-
pike
This crystalized the sentiment in
my community IN favor Of building a
telephone line Of its own. The llan
was to build line to HARRISON burg,
and after having dcne o to invite oil
er con munitirs to ,iu them there and
to operste az indefs nd~nt switch
board E.ch Of the Sc iittle COMPARES
was t. r.tain lis own indlviduaiit,
aud la,et they would all be conselids,-
ed into ore general sysieu Of The lit e
comp anies TO bear he same relation
TO the general system that county |