The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-24
poles and wires are scattered pretty

poles and wires are scattered pretty
much all over the counties of Cumber-
land. Goochland. Buckingham, Pow
hatan, Chesterfield and Amelia, con-
verinE territory by the James and Ap-
pomattoX. and it has direct connection
IN Richmond with the Chesapeake and
POTOMAC Exchange, or the Bell SYSTEM
ana also with the long distance lines
that centre in Richmond. The company
operates $50 miles of poles on some of
which as many as a dozen wires are
strung. and none of them carry less
than four Two hundred and fifty
phones are In daily use on the lines
and new ones being put in every day
ana hVe exchanges are maintained. The
officers are c. r. Snnderson. of Car
tersHille. president, and X. 0. Garrett,
or Cumberland, secretary and treas
urer. These and five other wide awake
business men of the counties named
constitute the board of directors.
Keeping up first-class telephone
line along the country highways Is no
holiday job. as all who have attempted
1t have found out. i is very diff
ferent proposition from maintaining n
city line. as any one who thinks a bit
can readily understand without an
elaborate explanation Because of
these difficulties. which are peculiar to
the country phone line. there has here
tofore been great deal of complaint
OF crossed wires, slow connections and
inferior service generally, as compared
with the quick work the countryman
observes when he happens to he in
town and talks Il little over the CITY
wires but all of the country lines in
Virginia are learning by experience.
and, as far as my observation goes they
have made great improvements In re-
cent months. This is especially true
of the James River Valley Company
and its lines.
Making big improvements.
While the present management took
charge year or more ago they found
the lines In bad shape, and they also
found that the former management had
been derelict in numerous ways, and
they also found that they had "in-
heritcd" very much dissatisfied CON
stituency. NIcssrs Sanderson and Gar
rett went to work to remedy all of
the evils possible. but they found 1t a
big job.
They have so far replaced the old
pine and oak poles with substantial
cedar poles on very nearly all Of the
lines. and they are installing better
phones and bells. and as far as has
been possible so far they have built
metallic circuits. These improvements
arc still being pushed, and the man
agement hopes in the very near future
to give their patrons in the rural dis
tricts as good. or nearly as good.
service as the patrons OF the city lines
enjoy They are certainly trying to
do that very thing, and all they now
ask of the people who have the wires
in their homes and places of business is
to be n little patient for little while
longer. and when they have complaints
to make, make them to the president
or secretary OF the company. or to the
authorized linemen when seen on their
rounds. and not to the general public.
| am told that nearly all OF the rural
companies that are maintaining tele-
phone lines for the benefit and comfort
of the Virginia farming communities
and the country stores are doing tho
Same thing that I have been telling of
In regard to the work or the James
River Valley Company-that Is, they
are learning rapidly by experience
and arc acting on the acquired know
ledge and improving the service In the
country just as rapidly as possible.
Yes. I am inclined to think the time
is not far distant when the telephone
in the homes OF the farmer and the
countryman will be as common as 1t
Is In the business houses and homes of
the city folks. and that the service
will be almost, IL not altogether, as
good and as satisfactory, and that Is
good thing for Old Virginia