Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-06-30
TELEPHONE IMPROVEMENTS
Important Changes Made In the Sys-
tenn at Bar Harbor.
From the Bar Harbor Record

From the Bar Harbor Record.
Bar Harbor should benefit greatly by
the improvements which have just been
made in its telephone facilities. A COM
plete switchboard equipment has been in
stalled by the Western Electric Co. which
manufactures all the apparatus used by
the entire Bell system, in the local ex-
change Of the New England Telephone &
Telegraph Co. The new board represents
the finest and latest in the development of
telephone apparatus, and makes Bar Har-
boris equipment second to none OF its size
in the country.
| Nothing is so essential to town OF the
importance OF Bar Hsrbor as adequate and
| up-t6-date telephone service. The fame
OF Bar Harbor as recreation spot reaches
every part OF the country, and the local
residents are making no mistake in keep
ing abreast Of the march OF improvements.
! Prosperity follows in the wake OF ad-
vancement. Railroads, highways, tele-
graphs and telephones all furnish good
examples Of this. The most striking OBJ
ject-lesson in the utility Of scientific inn
provement is the phone, because Of its
comparatively brief existence.
Those who are accustomed to the use Of
the telephone in their every day life do not
always realize that it was but q generation
ago when as a new invention the phone
was sneered at-called AN impractical BILE
dream OF an inventor. 1t was in 1876 that
Alexander Graham Bell and his new in
strument made their bow before an in
credulous public. The people stared at
the thing-some laughed and others won
dered, when it was put on exhibition at
I the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia.
1t was tough experience Bell and his
invention had to go through before they
| finally won recognition. 1t has been the
I lot OF all startling innovations to be re-
ceived with incredulity. Such was the
case with the steamboat, the telegraph
and almost every other invention that is
| nov in common utility. But doesn't it
| seem strange that a thing that thirty
! three years ago was gre ted with SCOTS
called a fanciful toy-should to-day be in
millions of homes, shops, offices, factories,
stores in this country and abroad?
! OF course the telephone was bound to
share in The development and prosperity
OF all American industries. II it had
kept pace with the march OF this nations
population it would have been hailed as
successful invention-merely that. But
its growth SO far outstrips the increase
In the number of the nations inhabi
tants as to make it unique and remark
able.
The case OF New York city may be
quoted. In 1900 Greater New York had
81, 600 telephone subscribers. The popula-
tion of the metropolis was then in the
neighborhood Of 100000. In 1905 the
population reached the four million
mark, while the number of subscribers
had jumped to 100000 Last year the tele-
phone subscribers numbered $4,000, an
increase OF approximately SO per cent. over
three years previous. The population Of
the city last year is estimated at 1900, 900.
The same conditions obtain in other big
cities. Chicago last year had $4,000 SUBJ
scribers, Philadelphia 101 500 and Boston
10000. Yet it is in the smaller towns and
the rural districts that the development is
the most marked. People in the city find
telephones handy things to have around,
but it means much to the country resi-
dents. Perhaps his nearest neighbor is
miles away. Or maybe he deals with a
market in town. The phone keeps him
constantly informed as to fluctuations in
prices, supply, demand, ETC., and he is able
" 's.' ms pi'N"'' VI ''o0N ~ 'D' 'e'' au
vantage.
Little wonder, then, that despite appar-
emf disadvantages in the ,vav of extend;ng
-. ssa.-;,,S ..s ss,,;.;ss 49,
ii"es' securing eAohanse iaeiii'ies' e'c',