Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-04-06

Grants Pass and all independent lines
that enter this city using Bell tele.
phones. The v Applegate Company tc
build.its own branch lines. Mr.. Oiun
stated that General Manager Thatcher
would not sign the contract submitted
by Mr.. Meserve and as the board Of
directors would not sign Mr..
Thatcher's contract negotiations were
ended for the time being. The mat
ter though was placed in the hands OF
special committee composed of
Charles Meserve, E. Badger and C. O.
Biglow with full power to act.
In compliance to the request of a
large number Of the business men of
Grants Pass negotiations have been
opened. with the Automatic Tele-
phone Company, of New York, the
giant rival to Bell Telephone Com
pany. a contract will be entered in
to with either the Pacific States Tele-
phone Company. which is a branch of
the Bell Telephone Company or with
the Automatic Telephone Company
covering Grants Pass and the entire
county, and the Company Offering the
lowest rates and the best terms will
get the business. No contract will be
signed up though until the companies
now under formation are organized
and can be party to the deal The
Lower Rogue River Telephone Com
pany will be. organized first. The
articles of Incorporation and stock
have been prepared this week under
direction of Judge Durham, Miss
Grace Good, steuographer for Joseph
Moss doing the typewriting work free
of charge. as she did for the Apple.
gate Company. A meeting will be
held this Saturday evening at Lee
school house to begin the organization
OF the Company, when four men will
be chosen to be directors to represent
this section of the terri ory to be
by the Lower Rogue River
Telephone Company. The other five
directors will be chosen st meeting
to be held at Merlin on Saturday next
at 2:30 p. IN. At the meeting the
legal formation of the company will
be effected and the directors aud
other Offices elected. The stock will
be $1,000 and the shares s5 each. So
soon as the Lower Rogue River Tele-
phone Company is in working order
Mr.. Meserve will take up the organi
zation of the Illinois Valley Telephone
Company and meeting will be held in |
Aerby ON Saturday, April 2S, at which
ne will be present and assist in the
ietails of the formation of this Com
'any. At as early date as possible
he formation of company will be
Effected embracing the territory in
he trade zone of Grants Pass lying
Up Rogue River from this city.
The Automatic Telephone Company
s the owner Of new telephone sys-
EN- that is rapidly coming into use in
III sections of the East. and in Cali.
ornia, Washington and it is now be.
ng introduced in Portland and Salem.
n this system there are no girls to do
he switching, that being done by
lectric devices. The telephones are
mall affairs and have no batteries, all
he current coming from the main sta.
ion. On their front is dial on which
here are numbers and hand. 10
lake call this hand is moved to
bove figure at time of the num-
ers of the telephone wanted, the hand
: pressed down ON each of these fig
res to make the electric contact and
hen button is pushed and that will
ing the bell of the telephone of the
erson; wanted, and it rings the bell of
o other telephone. These telephones
re being introduced at rate so fast
lat the Company can hardly supply
ne demand The competition crea ted
as resulte in lowering of rates and 8
of service by the Bell
ompanies in the places where the
utomatic is being introduced. At
alsm the Pacifc.Ststes Company has
ade a cut, beginning with this
Ionth of city phones to 81. 90 per