The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-11-03

| AAAO ASOASAAA NOAAAAAN1 Nl(ll Nluk
met in special session Wednes
nesday night to discuss the tele
phone situation. Most of the
business men of Roman were
present and many Of them tool
a hand in the discussion. The
meeting was called for the pur.
pose Of ascertaining if possible
whether there was a possibility
OF inducing one or the other OF
the two companies now building
lines here to surrender the terri
tory. 1t did not take very long
to demonstrate the fact that the
object of the meeting was futile,
as both announce their intention
of staying by their guns and
fighting it out, IF it takes all
winter.
A committee was appointed by
the president to ascertain the ex-
tent of territory each company
proposes to cover with it's rural
lines, and report at another meet
ing called for last evening. The
two companies were asked to
submit in writing a statement of
their intentions in this particular.
The meeting developed the
fact that there is divided senti-
ment here regarding the matter
of encouraging both compan-
les to build and maintain ex-
changes in Roman. Some think
it best to get all the companies
we can to come here, and others
adhere to the belief that with
two exchanges it means just
double the cost of telephone SER
vice over what one company
would cost. This is especially
true of the business houses, as it
will mean that they must have
both phones to accommodate
customers.
The committee notified repre-
sentatives of this action, and
were informed by the Mountain
States Co. that nothing would be
submitted in writing, with the
further statement that they had
made their plans known verbally,
which was considered sufficient.
The Independent Co. complied
with the request and submitted
the following:
To Messrs. Stanley Scarce, |. M.
Brandjord, A. Sutherland, COM
mittee, Gentlemen:
Complying with your request
for a written statement as to the
intentions, purposes and financial
ability of the Flathead Indepen-
dent Tel. Co. to construct, ope-
rate and MAINTAIN a system of
telephones in the Flathead reser-
walton, with an exchange in Ro-
nan, l beg leave to submit the
following:
The Flathead Independent Tel.
Co. was Incorporated under the
laws of Montana during the lat
ter part of September, 1911, with
$50, 900 capital stock, fully paid
and non-assessable. The incor-
porators are A. H. Stephens of
Hamilton, V. H. Calhoun and F.
C. Wilhelm of Missoula. The Of
ficers are V. H. Calhoun, presi-
dent and general manager, A. H.
Stephens vice president and Sec
retary and treasurer.
Sufficient financial funds are
available to prosecute the work
diligently to an early completion.
Active construction was COM
menced at Roman Nov. l, 1911.
All poles, wire and other nec-
essary materials have been order
ed and are now arriving at rail-
road station and Roman to con-
struct a long distance line from
Missoula to Dixon and from Ra-
valli to Poison, also for complete
exchanges at Roman, the Mission
and Dixon. The switch boards,
telephones, and other necessary
materials for the exchanges will
arrive about Dec. 1st, and with
favorable weather conditions all
will be completed by Jan. l, 1912.
The Roman exchange district
will include all that territory
bounded on the north by the Pol
son hill, including Valley View
northwest IN tho nact hv tho