The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-03-15

The Greensboro, NJ c.. Everything
makes interesting comment ul~n the
work done by the Southern Bell Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company in re-
pairing the damage of the sleet storm
OF January s1st. which destroyed a
great amount of the company's prop
erty between Greenville, s. c.. and At
lanta. Ga. During the midst of this
storm the Southern Bells exchange at
Anderson. s. c., was destroyed by fire.
The following article In "Everything''
tells how the Southern Bell Company
met an unusual emergency and resgor-
ed service in record-breaking time:
I'm these days. when the cry 6f cru
cidxion rings out against every corpor-
alton, 1t occasionally becomes our duty
to stand UP and defend the right, al
though 1t appears to the destructfonist
who measures other men by his own
yardstick that we have been subsidized.
In other issues we have pointed out
the fact that the Southern Bell Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company was the
most desirable telephone system for q
community, because 1t was a great or
ganization: that 1t occupied q large
territory and was prepared to give a
service unexcelled and uneQualled by
any other corporation or Individual. We
have pointed out the fact that when
disaster came, storms or confiagra-
tions. the Bell people, because of their
equipment. could restore service in q
few hours. where an individual or a
smaller concern would either be put en-
tirely out of bushes or hold the bust
ness world I'D for weeks.
I'VE noted this because of several dis
astrous sleet storms we personally
witnessed in this section of the coun-
try, and once or twice we have been ac-
cused of presenting imaginary hap
penings to bolster UP a contention. But
we note In our exchanges the past two
weeks the records of many storms
which dealt the Bell people heavy
blow, and we also noted with pleasure
that they seem prepared for any emer-
Gency.
I'VE will cite a couple OF cases in
point. The following from The Ander-
son. S. c.. Daily Mail is worth read
ing:
within two weeks the local tele-
phone service in Anderson will be re-
stored said Superintendent r. M.
Lewis this morning. We have about
forty men here working on the plant
inside and outside, and we intend to be
be able to give some sort of service
shortly. Our long distance, service will
be on this afternoon
AFTER lighting fire all of Friday
night and after doing all any man can
possibly do to save the telephone plant
from the sleet storm ON the same night,
Superintendent Lewis left Anderson on
Saturday morning on the first train to
Charlotte to secure assistance. Mr..
Muroe, who is at the head of the
construction force here. was dispatched
to Atlanta for assistance also. The
results are that forty men arrived here
Saturday night and Sunday morning
and two carloads of equipment
LAS stated in this newspaper on
Saturday. the entire plant of the tele-
phone company WAC destroyed by the
storm and fire. 1t is necessary that
an entirely new plant be installed. The
switchboard which had capacity of
500 subscribers. was complete ruin.
A new board with a capacity of $50
subscribers arrived in tho city from At
lanta yesterday morning.
1.-THE storm on Friday night did
much damage to the wire service in the
Piedmont section OF the state. Green
vile and Spartanburg were CIT on