The log cabin Democrat., 1913-12-13
GIVES HISTORY 0f
 LOCAL TELEPHONE
NEAT BOOKLET PUBL lSHfD
SOUTHWESTERN COMPANY DE- SCRIBES GROWTH OF PHONE
 SERVICE HERE.

ip a neat booklet which is being dis
 trihuted to local subscribers today,
 the Southwestern Telegraph and Tele-
 phone Co. relates the history of the telephone in Conway. AS much of the
 matter is of interest to citizens both
 in this city and elsewhere, the Log Cabin Democrat reproduces the text of the booklet below, after correction of few obvious typographical er- TOTS:
 The first practical telephone ex- change installed in Conway was es- tablisfed in 1899 by Profs. G. H. Burr and c. C. MilIar. This exchange started with 2s subscribers. The fol- lowing 15 of these subseribers are still receiving telephone service from the Conway exchange and have retained their original telephone numbers:
 Dr. G. D. Dickefson, No. l; L. B. Atkeison, No. A.; s. C. Smith, No. 5; pr. J. $. Westerfeld. No. 6; Dr. W. R. Greeson, No. :; Cole X Co.,, No. 9; Bank of Conway, No. 10; Frauenthal & Schwarz, No. II; W. B. Wilson, No. 12; Central College. No. IA; Col. C. W. Bruce, No. 15; Martin X Harton, No. IS; Log Cabin Democrat, No. 21; Electric Light Co.,. No. 22; J. A. Pence, No. p. Prof Alexander Graham Bell announced his invention of the tele- phone in 1S76-37 years ago. AL though Prof. Bells invention fully demonstrated the power of electricity to carry the human voice, it's scope was restricted to the few telephones which could be connected to single line. -
 Ut was not until the introduction }of the telephone switchboard several lyears later, which made possible un- limited nter-communication between telephone users, that the telephone be- came commercially practicable. "The history of the telephone in Conway follows similar lines. From a jmake-shift telephone line to one of the most modern telephone exchanges, represents the development of the tel ephone in a few short years in Con- way.
 l ,ct tnln stalled in 1881 by Col. A. P. Robin son, who at that time was mayor. It was simple form of telephone, and although crudely constructed, answer ed Mayor Robinson's purpose quite satisfactorily.
 This telephone line consisted of a
 thin wire with tin cup at each end
 It connected the mayors residence
 with the quarters of his servant, lOcat-
 ed about 200 yards away.
 When Mayor Robinson desired to
 call Uncle Ned, his servant, he would
 go to the tin cup talking and hearing
 device and give it whack with pain
 of scissors If Uncle Ned happened
 to be near his cabin, he would hastily
 scramble to the instrument in answer
 to the signal. Mayor Robinson's 'tir
 can telephone soon became the tall
 of Conway and adjoining towns | created so much interest that peopl, came from many miles around to SC,
 1t in operation.
 "The next step in the development | of the telephone in Conway was takei
 in 1891 by Prof G. H. Burr, a science instructor at Hendrix College Prof Burr installed private line from hi
 residence to Hendrix College, an, equipped it with instruments of tn Blake type, which combined the re ceiver and transmitter. This line wa , operated by electricity
 In 1896, the Southwestern Tele graph and Telephone Go. installed al automatic telephone exchange in Con way as an experiment. Ten wire connected each telephone with the ex change, and by means of key, tn combination of list of figures and series of different rings, one subscrib CT could call any other subscriber That was the theory of the automati 1 exchange.