The daily sentinel., 1910-08-17
TALK TRUST
IS SPENDING
100000 HERE

How much is the Colorado TeIe-
phone company spending in installing
the underground telephone system in
this city exclusive of the building2
Unless you are familiar with the cost
of tiling, labor of installation and
freight rates in the west you had bet
ter not hazard guess. The writer
got precise figures on the actual
cost this morning and then started on
the rounds of the city asking the
wiseacres Of local fame how much
they would estimate the cost. The
guesses ranged from 5000 to $40
GOO and the writer was in a position
to laugh at the them. The Colorado
Telephone company is spending $75,-
000-the cost of the Y. NJ. c. a.
building-ou their underground sys-
TEN in this city exclusive Of the build
ing which cost $4,000
As a usual thing a large company
with proficient financiers at the head
and with wealthy stockholders that
demand dividends. doh't spend S75.-
600 merely TO beautify a city or 20
boost the same. They are spending
the money because some time they
expect returns and they are spending
it in Grand Junction because they
with a legitimate interest. When
company of the stability and foresight
OF the Colorado Telephone company
spend 100000 in a city OF the size
OF Grand Junction for a new build
ing and an improved system, they
must have an abiding faith in that
city and in the city's future. There
could hardly be a better testimonial
of the possibilities of Grand Junction
| investments than that a wealthy cor
pOration is willing to spend 100000
to perfect system which is already
doing efficient service.
The work. the underground part. is
under charge of Civil Engineer Jos.
| Powers of Denver, who is an old time
employe of the telephone company.
The building was built by different
| foreman and the aerial work will in
turn have its own supervision. Not
wire will be found in the city when
the work is completed. Only a small
| portion will be underground but the
| remainder of the system will be en-
closed in the large lead cables. The
men who will come to do the aerial
work will receive S4.00 per day and
will all be skilled workmen.
1t is hard to understand why the
| present system cost so much until a
few figures are quoted on the cost of
material and labor. Starting in.
three carloads of cement and several
| carloads of thing cost in freight
charges $500 each. The conduit
alone cost 10000.
Each piece of conduit which is
| three feet long cost S1.44 or more
| detail cents per foot for each case
ment there being six castings in each
| block and each block being three feet
| long. The cost of digging the ditch
| and covering il up again with the sur
veyine charges included is so cents
per foot, exclusive of the conduit and.
cement cost. The cable which is to-
be laid in the conduit costs Sl.00 per
foot Six thousand two hundred and
eighty-one feet in all is to be laid and
there is more than that length of
aerial work in addition. Then be
side this there Is the installation of
an expensive switch board which is
not included in the cost of the build
ing.
With this explanation il is not
hard to understand how the telephone
company is investing $75,0D0 in the
city of Grand Junction in the installa-
tion of their conduit system.