New-York tribune., 1907-07-24
F0RPHONE COMPETITION
MOUNT VERNON THE LINK.
Officials and Citieens See Worhing
of State Line System.

To show the city officials and prominent tax
payers Of Mount Vernon how independent tele-
phone company looks in actual service. excur-
sion was held yesterday from Yonkers Peeks-
Kill About one hundred from Mount
Vernon were in the party and the junket was
managed by the State Line Telephone Com
pany. that has an independent plant PeekskilI.
and has been trying for two years to get a fran
chse.
This excursion had a large bearing on New
Yorks telephone service. The State line Com
pany Is one OF many independent organizations
controlled by the Great Eastern Telephone Com
pany. which also controls tho New York Electric
Lines Company. and recently had the validity OF
It's franchises for New York and Brooklyn estab-
great Eastern has announced through hs pres-
dent, d. A Reynolds. that It Will begin laying
wires in the condutts Of the Empire City subway
Company next September
Although It has many stations and systems up
the state, the last remaining link 10 connect tbis
city with the West by the indeuendeut lines IS
Mount Vernon. For that the company \
making every effort obtain a franchise there
TWO years its application refused by the
Mount Vernon authorities, because tho company
could not guarantee New York connection. Now.
however by the court decision and the expressed
intention OF the company 10 wire New York the
objection Will not hold.
Yesterdays trip was in the nature II educn-
uonal Journey Most Of the city officials OF Mount
Vernon had been invited, but there were few
ohlceholders In the party There were Inquiries
as 70 whether Mr Reynolds had Invited officials
Of New Rochelle to attend. Il only a
aldermen there. on the charge that they had tried
- extort bribes from him when his company
applying for franchise
In the party yesterday the only Mount Vernon
alderman f. X Fuller, who admitted that he
had voted against the franchise two years ago bat
open to conviction. other officials from Mount
Vernon Controller J. + Holdredge. Dr. A T.
Barney. health officer: Walter Flandregu city
trician and William a Anderson and J + Mar
shall. assessors. In the party also was Or. L.
Henry Doepel. veterinarian for the town Among
the citizens who attended were James Tchboruc.
o. +. Starr. O. J. Palmer and Franklin T Davis
Tho steamer II s Caswe sailed from the recre-
alton pier Yonkers 10 o'clock Yesterday morn
ing and luncheon vas served on board while Pros
ldent Reynolds ana otHer representatives Of the
company talked telephone technicnlitles Jus, be
fore the boat reached Peekskiu she ran on mud
bank ana was held up for nearly half hour un-
I'll a pilot out and took charge OF her
IN PeekskiN the band Of Investigators was led
from one part 10 another OF the con!pany's plant
They peered into maEholes and looked up q tele-
graph poles, while the officers Of the company
acted as lecturers Meanwhile The Peeks6ill
Evening News was getting up edition IN which
the purposes OF the visit and the blessings OF In
dependent telephone companies set forth
When the edition came out It evidently set at rest
the MINDS OF the natives who had wondered
whether somebody had started Seeing Peeks-
XIII expedition.
President Reynolds pointed out that his system
is not automatic, and no said Its superiority over
tho Bell systems due TO quick connections. high
voltage and automatic disconnectiou OF all other
subscribers party line while person was
using H. From the manholes and the central dis
tributing poles OF the he conducted the crowd
70 the central Offices whore they observed the girls
working the wires and listening TO Mr.. ReynoIds's
explanation that he has agents making record
calls" from time to time IN order to find out lust
how long the girls take to make t. connection or
70 announce wires busy"
After IT was all over the party went back by tho
boat TO Yonkers. having dinner on board Presi-
dent Reynolds. in talking with a reporter for Tho
Tribune, said that his company has already oh
tanned 10000 subscribers In New York City They
VIII use the service the wires are up
He said the lines controlled by the Bell ueoDe
have only about 1900 subscribers and accounted
for the general acceptance Of his service on tho
ground that his company guarantees to furnish IL
at about d per cent Of the of the Bell service,
II was altogether a telephone holiday Evervbn5v
talked OF wires and subscribers James NJ Heyn
ods. who is not a relative Of President Reynolds
but Is head Of the franchise department OF rho
company, acted as master of ceremonies He said
that II the Mount Vernon franchise Is obtained the
New York city service, when installed VIII be mn,
In connection with 100000 suburban subscrihere
who are now cut of because they are on inderor
dent lines Inasmuch the State Lines proposi-
ton Will be considered by the Common Council ~
Mount Vernon July %. the excursion was con
sldered opportune and the Mount Vernon citizens
went back 10 their homes with q wider undarst7pd
Ing. at least Of the State Lines offer