Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-05-04
ARE Ev|NC|NG
MUCH INTEREST
When Telephone Men Meet
at Parkersburg a Royal
Entertainment is Promis-
ed to Visitors.

From Parkersburg comes wo,i
that extensive prepa raj. ms are te-
ing made foc tie eltcrt;i ment OF
the members OF the West Virginia
independent sac telephone Asso-
citation which v il meet there q
May II AMI 2. When tho r,.s-
vention net n r.. ,ef5burS before
the visitors were entertained royalty
and the people Of the Wood county
metropolis are promising that the
entertainment this month shall ex-
Gel that Of the former occasion.
A. G. Davis, general manager Of
the West Virginia Western Tele-
phone Company Of Parkersourg, who
is one of the most prominent men CT
the state association, and Is also
high in international indepea Heat
telephone circles today states thai
every indication points to the COM
ing convention as one OF the largts.
that has yet been held by the in
dependents in the state.
The state association is much
stronger than it was when the con-
vention was in Parkersburg before
ana there has been some important
strides In the independent telephone
business in the state and these facts
alone idicate that the convention ia
Nay will be very important gath
ering.
The program for the convention,
which wi be a fine one, has not
yet been completed. There will be
a number of prominent telephone
men in abundance from different
sections of the country. Among
the most important ones will be T..
II. Molten, of Minneapolis, presi-
dent of the International Independ-
eat Telephone Association, ad III. ID
Critchfield, of Chicago, chief counsel
for that association. Both are ex-
pected to deliver addresses before
the convention.
The convention will be held in the
assembly hall at the Chancellor, ana
the headquarters of the state asso-
citation will be at that place. There
is expected to be a number Of indie
pendent telephone manufactu rers
represented with fine exhibits as the
convention is supported solely by ia
dependent operating telephone com
panies.
There will probably be an inter-
esting fight in connection with the
coming convention, if the Western
Electric Company makes any at
tempt to exhibit at the hotel. where
the independents are located, as tina:
company Is alleged to be allied with
and is part of the Bell Telephone
interests.
1t is said that until about eigh-
teen months ago this company re-
fused to Sc independent telephone
companies any telephone equipmnt
OF any kind, but since that time have
been forcing themselves in at indie
pendent conventions, endeayoring to
sell their equipment to some of tn,
dnsuspecting independents.
At the last convention of the state
association held at Fairmont that
company set up an exhibit in the
Aotel where the independents were
holding forth, and the association
as well as the exhibitors Of indie
pendent equipment threatened to
leave the hotel if that exhibit was al
owed to remain, and the demand
prevailed. AS result Of the affair
at Fairmont steps are being taken to
prevent a recurrence of the incident
at Parkersburg, although it is al
legged that the Western Electric com
pany has signified its intention Of
exhibiting there.