Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-01-19
To The Phone Holders And Citizens
OF Jefferson County.

Inc winchester dud w dSHiuSeoA Sttf
Railway Co, has applied to the County
Court of Jefferson County for permission
to erect poles and string wires along the
public roads from Charles Town to Shen-
andoah Junction thence to Bardane
thence to Kearneysvllle so as to furnish
power to the new town of Ieffersonvile
at Shenandoah Junction and also to fur
nsh power to the Standard Lime plant
at Kearneysville. To grant this franchise
will put out of business the telephone
lines that the electric lines parallel
The Citizens Telephone Co.. OF
Decatur, Ind, are now suing the Fort
Wayne and Springfield .Traction Co.,
for running their business. There has
also been fled three injunction suits in
the Porter Circuit at Valparaiso, Ind.
by the Western Union and the Postal
Telegraph Co.'S. and Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern r. w. Cos. VS. Lake
Shore and South Bend Electric Ry. Sys-
tenn asking for al permanent injunction
against the Electric Co. These two cases
prove couclusively. what high tension
electric wires will do to telephone Cos.
Now the question arises which company
is of the more use to the farmers and
citizens of Jefferson county. The tee-
phone Cos are anxious and willing to
serve every farmer and citizen of Jeffer-
son county at uniform moderate rate.
The Electric Power Co only serves certain
interests. and only benefits the interestsit
serves. 1t serves the Electric Light Co,
of Charles Town and possibly gives them
cheaper power than they have hereto
fore enjoyed. but have you heard of the
Light Co reducing their rate to the con-
sume,2 Suppose the Bakers get cheaper
power at Kearneysville, do you think that
they will increase the price of labor or
more likely reduce the number of labor
ers
The Jefferson County Telephone Co.
was organized to serve and profit the in
terests of the citizens of Jefferson county
aud its rates are fixed in its charter
granted by the State of West Va, and
IN its franchise granted by the County
Court of Jefferson county and by the
Corporations of Charles Town, Shep-
herdstown, Harpers Ferry. and Bolivar.
and the good citizens of Jefferson have
expended about $50, 900 in building up
first class plant. Now the electric Co.
the w. and w. City serves but few IN
terests and are now running high
voltage power wire along one of our most
used highways from Charles Town to the
Clarke Co, line Is miles, carrying a
dangerous and valuable power to benefit
whom? The citizens or interests Of JET
ferson county? no, certain interests ID
BerryviIle and Winchester. Should not
this valuable power be taxed as welt as
gas and oil that is piped out of the Stat !;
although if the County Court will COM
pei them to fence or place their dangerous
current under ground. | believe thatthere
will be very little opposition 10 their
granting the franchise ordered
Now, | do not want to throw single
straw in the way of public improvements
but do want to see the public's interests
properly guarded, and would be false
to the interests intrusted to my care #
did not protest and protest firmly against
the granting Of this franchise. and
now | sincerely hope that it will be your
pleasure to come to Charles Town Mon
day. January 25th, and appear before the
County Court to protest against the
granting of this dangerous and unnecces-
sary franchise along our public highways.
H c. GETZENDANNER,
Mgr. Jeff. Co. Telephone Co.