Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-05-26
Telephony, Chicago Magazine, has
Splendid Article on Local Concern.
UNION TELEPHONE COMPANY
remarkable COmpany-NO BOndS-NO Debts
All Common StOCk-All Bills Dis.
counted Stock Above Par.

Telephony, the leading Chicago
magazine published in the interest OF
telephone companies all over the
country in its issue of May 2l, 1910,
has an excellent article on the Union
Telephone company OF this city The
article was written by J. c. Kelsey,
who is contributing editor to the fin
ancia department of Telephony, and
who necessarily is a man who knows
what he is talking about. The write
up is certainly credit to the local
company and especially to the gen
eral manager, w. ]. Melchers. Mr..
Kelsey has written up the company
from the standpoint Of finance and
economy. A few Of the pthy para
graphs are given from Telephony:
This company is undoubtedly the
largest magnetic telephone company
! in the world.
This company operates $500
telephones
Transmission on Union Telephone
company lines is simply the best in
the world. That is due to good cop
per lines, magnetic telephones and
10000 dry cells
The people Of this district pay less
, than four cents a day for telephone
rental service
The Union Telephone company az
fords a picture of a peoples company,
which, under proper stewardship,
gives the public telephone service at
the lowest price possible, and at the
same time makes return to its
stockholders of per cent upon &C
tual investment, and. furthermore
gives the stockholders assurance, not
only OF the 4Oth consecutive dividend
but the tooth or 5OOth
DO the people OF this territory
realize as fully as they should what
this company is doing for them?
The management OF the company
should be proud Of their judgment
all along, but particularly in 1907
1908.
The company is solid as a rock.
1T discounts its bills. and that item
alone often makes or breaks a conf
pany.
1T operates in smaller towns, and
it profits by accordingly low operat-
ing expenses. By being scattered in
the smaller towns, the danger OF re
suits Of concentrated competition in
any one point is avoided
1T operates in one OF the highest
class communities in the United
States. Its subscribers own their
own homes and are all well-to-do.
The Union Telephone company is
unique in this way. 1t gives the peo-
pie OF this territory more for their
money than any other company
The Union Telephone company
has very effective organization from
officers, directors. managers down to
the newest operator.
mo greater mind is engaged in
telephone matters than w. j. Melchs
ers, the general manager OF the COM
pany. He is always on the job and
no man in telephone affairs has a bet
ter record.
without any question, the Union
Telephone company has more good
points than any telephone property
in America
In a brief history of the company
the following facts are given 1t Was
organized in 1899 by James P. Gibbs,
G.. S. Ward Geo. ATdrich and Charles
Brown, capitalized at $4,000, OF
which $4,000 was paid in. A free tri-
city toll line for Alma, St. Louis and
Ithaca was followed by extensions TO
Saginaw, Clare and Mt. Pleasant and
the absorption of the Owosso Tele-
phone company, the National Tele-
phone company at St Louis, and the
Montcalm Telephone company. Now
they operate in fourteen counties and
have sixty exchanges.