Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-12-25
UNION TELEPHONE CO.
Very Actively at Work Develop
ing lis Toll Line System.
OVER $50 MILES NEW COPPER
Wire Strung During 1902. w. }.
Melohers, the Popular CeneraiMgr
Pushing the Work.

During the past summer the Union
Telephone Company hes been very ac-
tively at work developing its ex-
changes and adding large number OF
ON lines to its system They have
added over 800 new subscribers TO their
various exchanges and have strung over
750 miles of new copper toll lines
They still have several gangs in the
field stringing toll lines in the south
ern part of the territory from Owosso
to Holly. These.toll lines have become
necessary owing 70 the congested con-
dition of their present lines as the
business mas increased at remarkable
rate They are also necessary on ac-
count Of the new connection that the
Union Telephone Company will have
with the Home Telephone Company
of Detroit In order 10 adequately pro-
vide for quick and efficient toll service
three more pair of wires are being
strung for Owosso 70 Holly, whence
they will be carried directly TO De-
troit. New circnits were added from
Mt. Pleasant 70 Saginaw by the way
of Alma; Alma 10 Edmore; two new
circuits from Alma 10 Owosso and two
new circuits from Owosso 10 Ionis be-
sides some smaller additional circuits.
The Union Telephone Company ex-
poets 70 be connected with the Home
Telephone Company of Detroit in
about sixtv days when they will be
able TO give very good service from
all points in this territory to Detroit.
Arrangements are now being made
whereby all the larger points will be
able 70 ring Detroit direct For ex-
ample, one line will run from Alma
10 Detroit; two circuits from Owosso
to Detroit and one circuit from st.
johns 10 Detroit.
In the western part of the state the
Independent Telephone Company of
Grand Rapids is busily constructing
line from Grand Rapids to South
Bend Indiana This line viii probably
be completed in the next thirty days.
By means of this line the Union Tel
ephone Company will be able to give
TO its patrons exceptionally good and
prompt Indiana service. The Union
Telephone Company now has direct
line from Lansing to Toledo whereby
Ohio points can be very quickly
reached
II has been the aim of the Union
Telephone Company to provide these
additional circuits in order to afford
its patrons frst-class long distance SER
vice to all points i'm the state of Mich
iagn. Ohio Indiana and other states
and to give the same In very quick
manner Most of the circuits are now
completed and the balance will be
completed within sixty days at the
time the Home Telephone Company of
Detroit will be ready to offer its SER
vice.
The telephone Development and ex-
tension in the independent system of
the United States has experienced a
most remarkable growth during the
past summer Starting as ii did in
1898 with practically no telephones il
has now reached a point where there
are over three and one-half million
telephones in the United States con-
nected TO the independent system
This, of course, cOmposes great num-
Der of separate companies operating
as most of them do in their own local
territory However, during the past
few years. "A great number of-long dis.
tance or trunk lines have heen con-
nected whe eAy all these various unit.
have been connected together Thus
the whole system represents one com
plete unit whereby all of these tele-
phones are united by system of long
distance lines.
The development in the state oi
Michigan has been the largest in III,
past year that it has ever experienced
The most important new exchange
added to the Independent System il
the one now about completed in tn,
city of Detroit. The Home Telephone
Company of Detroit started about ON,
and one-half years ago to install I
plant which is recognized among engi
neers to he the most perfect ana com
plete telephone plant in the world
They have installed over three million
feet of underground conduits covering
the city practically for a distance 0
four miles with a complete under
ground system. Their first installa
tion will be for 5000 mes although
thir ultimate capacity provides for al
nstallati on of over 3, 1000 lines Thi
will give the city Of Detroit the mos
complete and perfect telephone servic
that has been ever installed in an,
city.
In addition 10 this the Inter-Stat
Long Distance Telephone Company ha
been constructing heavy long distsnc