The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-08
QUARTER MILLION
INVESTED
INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE COM.
PANY's PLANT IN MissoUlA
THOROUGHLY MODERN.

Yesterdays business visitors in Mis-
soula included Managing Director Lane
of the Independent Telephone company
and Roy Manaker. who is I'm charge of
the publicity bureau of the company.
These gentlemen came over from Butte
to spend the day and to see what
progress is being made with the In
stallation of the plant of their COM
pany. They returned to Butte last
night. well pleased with conditions
here
The Independent company has had
a successfully year; Director Lane has
just announced the sixth dividend since
the beginning OF 1909 for the Montana
company: this will be payable Febru-
AIRY I. 1910, to all stockholders of rec
ord on January 20. The dividends of
1909 comprised payments of one per
cent quarter with one extra dividend
of the same amount. This made a
yearly dividend of per cent: the
present dividend makes per cent in
10 months.
The development work OF the COM
pany through Montana has made good
progress In these 10 months: the long
distance lines have reached out until
there remains but the completion of
the Missoula lines to connect all
Montana cities with the coast: there
IL but a gap of 100 miles between
Billings and 81. Paul: this will be
closed soon and then the independent
companies will have a complete cir
cult between ST. Paul and Seattle.
Speaking yesterday of the work In
Missouia. Mr. Lane said: I'VE hope
to have the exchange in operation By
the middle of February. but this de-
ponds somewhat upon the arrival of
material which is delayed by the snow
blockade In the eastern part of the
state. Otherwise everything here is in
fine shape and the system is nearing
completion at a good rate.
when the Missoula plant is COM
pleted 1t will have but one rival in the
Falls, whose exchanges will be fin
ished at the same time, will have tho
newest and most up-to-date equip
ment In the world. There Is no i'm
provement In the telephone that will
not be found In these exchanges. The
instruments will be the quickest auto
matte devices ever constructed: they
will be even better than the instru-
ments In our Butte exchange: the
dials are differently placed and are
much more convenient. 1t will be
fine plant that Missoula will have to
use. Our service in Missoula will
open with a thousand instruments in
use. on the first day.
The topography of Missoula has
made II possible to give fine line.
II is SO level that there have been few
encountered in the con-
struction of the line; we have used as
few poles as possible and wherever
there MAS a chance to introduce any
feature that would improve the service
we have done It, believe Missoula
will have the quickest and mos, sat
lsfactory service that has ever been
given to any city.
Our investment in Missoula will
amount. when the plant Is completed.
TO about "A quarter of a million dollars.
Our building. alone, without its equip
ment has cost $4,000. and we have
enough copper wire in your city to
reach. if PLACED end to end. from Mis-
soula to Chicago.
AS you know. our companies rep
resent local investment: during the
year Just past we formed an alliance
with the Spokane company. which
completed our coast connection: the
eastern connection will follow soon.'