The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-02-24
STATEMENTS OE FACTS


On April 49, A. d. 1908 resident tax payers Of the town
Of Payson and vicinity peoned the Corporation Commission
investigate the action of the Atchson Topeka Santa Fe Railway
Company whereby said company had withdrawn its telegraph operator
and The telegraph instruments office said town Of payso
Lincoln County Oklahoma representing that since the construction of
sand railroad the residents OF said town Payson and vicinity have
had the and benefit of well conducted telegraph office and
that its absence said place said time detrimental the entire
citizenship of that community and they prayed that telegraph
service be rc-cstablshcd at said station
On tie end day Of May A. r., 1908 there fled with the
Corporation Commission Of the State of Oklahoma response TO
said complaint being referred to as File NO i3 dated April a.
d. 1903 to the effect that said telegraph office closed because
not needed in the handling Of the business of the appellant
having sufficient facilities for taking Of the business from that
station that accor1t of reduction of business necessary
urai expenses muc possible and the telegraph office
SAID station was not needed it accordingly closed that its
commercial business that ia for the past four months preceding the
date OF said response the earnings averaged $G93 month"; that
in the month Of February, yoS the commercial earnings OF the
telegraph service for said month 90
Said set for hearing the 7th day Of August
d., 1908 and W. Parne for the complainant testified that
he lived at Payn Lincoln County, Oklahoma and that the people
residing around said station desired telegraph office for the
accommodation Of the public generally established reestabcd
there that Payson located the Santa Fe line about eighteen
miles north Of Shawnee having about 2o inhabitants and is about
five miles from Meker and Sparks being the north and the
other to the south each having telegraph station that the nab
of Payson subjected inconvenience that if either Of
them desire send receive message they have phone the
telegraph operator at either Meekr or Sparks an thew are
unknown personally to the operator it necessary get the bank
Pyson guarantee the charges at these places that there is main
tanned station agent Payson by he railway company but he
OPERATOR least he does operate the instrument Witness
stated that lie had heard that ne was an operator but did not know
of his knowledge that this agents duties to sell tickets
deliver treiSht lhere as TO What II
would reasonably the company maintain telegraph station
with operator pace Witness stated that the station agent
the selling Of tickets and receiving and delivering freight
performed his duties satisfactory manner other than that he
did afford any telegraph service that the telegraph
discontinued somewhere in February March possibly May 1908
The Attorney General propoundcd the following questions:
% How much docs it You communicate with the other
Officer
MIR Love Chairman: "Air Attorney General would like for
all these public service conne youeto leave out
of everything and to whether not the people
served they should be served by these public corporations
Mr. Henshaw Assistant Attorney General O. Well have you
any means Of knowing when trains comng?'
Witness: "A. Why no nothing except the time card
% Well the trains not buletined? A. | couldn't say
my personal knowledge but have understood that
he is not using the all the signal boards down
don't know.
% What S your business there? A. farmer,
property little live close in have interests in the
town, at i've on the farm.
On examination witness stated 0at said telegraph office
had been maintained sad station Of Payson pror TO the time
had been discontinued about four years that there
station facilities there The following questions poponnded
to examination by counsel for che appeant
90 Well have the recor on it. You know what the receipts
from the telegraph business at this station for twelve months
prior" --4A-i -
Continued Toniorrow)