The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-30
TELEPHONE TRUST
IS PLACED IN PERIL
John A. Howard Is Brought
Forward BY Injunction
SUCCESS OF THE MAN
Hownrd's Company Must show Cause
Why an Injunction should Not
Issue Against and Receivers
BE Appointed
SUCCESS OF THE MAN

New York, May Especial. John
A. Towards telephone trust" is in
peril In obedience to an order by
Judge Rellstab in the United States
circuit court his $4,000. 900 Continental
Telephone and Telegraph company must
show cause at Trenton on Tuesday why
an Injunction should not issue against
and receiver be appointed.
Howard is president of the Continent
tai company, and apparently is its sole
officer, since Poor's Manual of Indus
trials, just published, states that no
directors have been appointed and that
been submitted, He has had meteoric
rise in the field of finance.
Until few years ago Howard was
laborer in a glass factory. Then he
became successfully a politician, law
yer, a prosecuting attorney and later
telephone and street railroad ma gnate
Beginning his business career with tout
dollar of capital, he was recently
rated as being worth more than $1,000
900, and a few months ago began the
construction of a 100000 residence in
Wheeling, w. Va. which has been de-
scribed as gem of architecture
Towards successful career as inan-
! cier Is said to date from the time VIII en-
a wealthy brewer of that city retained
him as his attorney. The brewer had
a large interest in street railway and
purchased another for s1,250,000. That
the purchase was an advantageous one
was shortly demonstrated by the issue
of s2,5o0.000 of bonds on the property.
Howard subsequently became president
of the road and thereafter became a
dominant factor in the realm of finance,
as seen in Wheeling, W. Va.
The brewer moreover advanced the
original $50, 900 VIII ich started the first
Independent telephone company in West
Virginia, now known as the National
Telephone Company of West Virginia,
with a capital of $4,000 Mr.. Howard
is president and is believed to be the
controlling owner.
The Bell people admit that Towards
operations caused them cold shivers
for Howard had the happy knack of
getting millionaires and capital to back
him in his colossal plan of establish
Ing great trans continental teleph one
and telegraph company.
Frank Gould, among other rich men
is said to have been greatly impressed
with Towards plan, and while in no
'cii'V SOHlSliC W III Deli system, Is
said to have promised aid to the extent
of some hundreds of thousands IL not
millions of dollars
Through the medium OF the Continent
tai company. Howard absorbed the Amer
lean Union Telephone company which
capitalized at $25,0OOOOO, and the Cor
soldated Telephone company of Penn
syivania. which has a monopoly of the
telephone business in Eastern, Allentown,
Bethlehem and throughout the anthracite
belt and Is capitalized at $1,000 000 These
three corporations, two of which Howard
is president, have $79O00,000 capital
Howard soon gained the title of THE
New Telephone King. In October, 1909
he had the Continental Telephone and
Telegraph company Incorporated in New
Jersey This company it was set forth
controlled the American Union Telephone
company of Harrisburg, Pa, the Inde-
pendent Telephone company of Albany,
n. Y. the Interstate Telephone company
and Telegraph company of New Jersey
The company planned an independent line
from Buffalo to Poughkeepse and lines
traversing New Jersey and Pennsylvania
reaching to Washington A long dis
lance company was to be formed which
would be in close utilization with inde-
pendent companies. enabling them to
reach all the large cities between the
Atlantic coast and the Rocky mountains.
The capital stock was s25, 900 common
and s25,000,000 preferred.
The American Union Telephone COM
pany controlled by the Continental was
incorporated May 81. 1906. 1t was a mer-
ger of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
and West Virginia companies. In 1907
1t obtained control of the MARYLAND Penn
sylvania and West Virginia Telephone
and Telegraph company and In 1908 of the
Consolidated Telephone companies of
Pennsylvania. John A. Howard likewise
| is president of this corporation, which
has a capitalization of $4,000 O0Oo common
and 100000 preferred stock. operates
5000 telephones and has 52274 miles of
wire.