The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-18

IN . lln[1:l-l.nl:'dlle.p'e';ndient j.: ( ! 6. I p''I.';
Telepho ines

Tle':llepho ! i ne ines
clI4A..RKsnURa. Aprils u ..7z III Ii CON-
nection with the appronc hing Sbigs sstafos
convention OF the md spefd lent Teie.
phone AssocintionStoTbe to II sd ats FaiFl
mont Charles D d Hickman, IL ii this.
city. In q brief Interview 8 tated tint
ne conceived the Idea of} an ind epand.
ent telephone ompan VI ana with Col !
! I. Moore jackson, who scoEpseratetis
with him heartily he flrsst mi
ent telephone company and systeSss syst sin
this State, was organ lied I'D / iss4 6y
him with Col. .fJ clssoni fpiresi j aent anaa
Mr. Hickman general I'd lanaRer anii;
secretary Two orr three years iafer
the service was closed Il ~ the Beli
Telephone Compan Then IL tel ne
lapse OF q! few; years Mr. icltiiian pr.s
Morgan. John Koble egard and sso otfars
organized the present company y flere
and the system whiclIS las ! d deyelonedE
to It's present greatness:
Mr.. Hickman was also The Lie 1 / orisita. ~
tor Of the first meeting $of: the sfnd
pendent companies out: :of. viii cfi grew
the West Virginia Central Teieph5oriai es.
Association. He produced In proof Yot
this clnim pressed letter opies Sof sthe
first letters ever write en- on the ptib
tcct, the following being one Sot III eln:
I: June a ses 81
"sfr. E. F. Hartley. sec.g &
"Fairnont W. Va.
Dear Sir: sss
Your favor OF the / sth Al irst. III
hand hand and In reply would SAY that tsWe
have but one and one-half hi ia h
line TO build to meet i you sat Enter.
prise. and will be at that Place aIy
time time you say you Will sbe there with
your line. In this CONGESTION il beF
to state the following, and Shopa You
will bring the mat ter before M oilfs
company ct once. and II fiet ns hear
from You on the suhi hiect,
n I'm view OF the fact Il that sthe sBelis
Telephone Co. is a strong and powerful
corporation and Is using All sfmneanss III
order to make inroads on all local tai 4
ephone companies. and knowing that
in the near future the above named liil n
company will inaug some mode y.
OF attack by which they will hope sto
drive our local companies to- thes
vail our directors have sbeenSEs co.nsid. .sg
ertng the proprietys OF consoli dating
Fairmont. Grafton. Clarksb ariti III
the Beeghley systems into one lconecss "
ton or combination.
1T Is generally thought that b.
this arrangement We would Sbe i'd sa
much better shape to make sas SUI cess
full fight against the Bell.
"If an idea OF this character EmeetsFs IS
the appreciation sof your company NE i
would be pleased to have You name a
time and place where Representatives a
of each company interests Il conlds NJ
send committees to confer WIT III each
other. with a view OF ma king spermas
nent arrangements, m i. $Beeghle
south Of us, and who d has about 400 ofSS
phones in use. is strongly I'm favor sof
the move, and suggests June I23 Afor6
the date OF the meetipg:
Please write me soon
& Respect fully.
e. K ". HICKMAN Secltf'sEsS
From this the moy yement sgrewGu until
to-dny the independe telepho hones
tens are strong factors in the trans.
mission OF message in his State and s.
It was the beginning Of the present
big Independent assoc atton.
Also out OF the letter by Mr.. Hicks
man to Mr.. Hartley as published aboye
grew the first independent telephone
association in the United States called
the West Virginia Central Telephone
\ Mr.. Hickman Is Eratified to raalize
what wonderful develop has
suited from his original thought and
effort along this line and heartily
congratulates the West Virginia sInds
pendent Telephone Assoc Ion upon
Its present, greatness. 81