Connecticut western news., 1912-09-19
GROWTH OF TELEPHONES

More than 65,ooo,ooo Phones in Country and 100000 in Connecticut.
 There are oyer 6, ,500, 900 telephones in the Bell System in the United States and almost 100000 In our own state of Connecticut. Thirty four years ago the first Commercial Exchange in world, the beginning of this vast system covering the entire country, was opened with | fifty four subscribers in New Haven. Thus the distinction, now recognized the world over, of being the state ill which commercial exchange telephone service was first successfully started be longs to our Commonwealth.
 In 1877 Professor David Graham Bell delivered lecture on the telephone, at the New Haven Opera House. Among the intensely interested members of his audiene was George W. Coy, at that time associated with the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company in New Ha- ven. MT. Coy was deeply impressed with the invention and sought of Pro- lessor Bell information concerning the commercial possibilities of this telephone He also obtained promise for the aPsn- cy of the instrument when it was placed on the market.
 Delving into the commercial adapta- tion of the telephone MT. Coy found the problem of financing his project, small though the sum of cash needed, no sim pie one. In the fall of the year, how ever, he succeeded in interesting Her rick P, Frost, of New Haven. who ad- vanced $500 with which to commence operations and these two men, together with Walter Lewis, also of New Haven, formed the New Haven District Tele. phone Company with capital of $5, 900, the legal work incident to the incorpo ration being done by young attorney Morris F. Tyler. who later became presi dent of the Connecticut system. It is in teresting to note that MT. TSler tooE stock in the new project in return for ser vices rendered. An office was opened al 782 Chapel Street.
 The switchboard, constructed by MT Coy, resembled more than anything else board with shelf at the bottom. All annunciator was placed in the upper right-hand corner. On the upper half ot the board were metal disks grouped about a central disk from which extend. ed metal arm. These disks were ar. ranged in a circle. eight disks forming the circumference, connection being made by swinging the metal arm unti it came in contact with one of the disks to which wire was connected. Con to the lower right-hand corner was { wooden telephone similar In shape tC the present telephone receiver, the ring ing, or vibrating on the line by whict subscribers were called. being done by device called "Coy's Chicken" Al wires were, of course, of iron, and con stuction was of the cheapest type, lunI power being one of the requisites of tele phoning as a result. Crude as thi equipment was in comparison with thu switchboard of to-day, with it's thousand of miles of wire, and tiny electric lamps and it's hundreds of thousands of solder ed connections, it sufficed to start the service that today is so important part of the business, domestic and social life of our country. q
 Today no one questions the practical value of telephone service. The pioneers found that practically every one did Telephone was impossible. Q plaything too impracticable to be seriously con sidered. One prominent New Havene1 felt that he could not afford to associate his name with the project in those early days and he was not alone in this attitude as MT. Frost's struggle tc obtain packers and users certifes. But believing in their project and possessed of the courage and conviction that made pioneers succeed, those men fought theil fight paving the way for the present when millions of calls per day have be- come the ordinary.