Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1913-11-14

THE American Telephone and Tel
egraph Company Is the name Of the
company that is supposed to own the
Western Union Telegraph company,
the Bell Telephone company and
numerous subsidiary companies. Re-
Gently 1t has been advertising in Ar
iona as the Mountain Telephone
company, and In New Mexico as the
Tri State Telephone company, telling
the public what an excellent company
1t was. and how much better It's NOR
ais we're than most of the corpor-
ations Of the country; especially
bringing forward, as a catch line, the
word 1.-THE company different" AS
far as L%ordsburg is concerned the
LIBERAL is willing to admit it is a
company different, and will tell how.
Some years ago Lordsburg was served
by the Western Union and the Postal
telegraph companies, and had long
distance connections Over the wires
Of the local exchange, which is pri-
vately owned. The company different
in some way got possession Of the
wires used by the Postal company,
9no pun FoSUai 0aT OF UuHiuess'
here, established its office in the Of
fee Of the Southern Pacific depot,
made the Office In the Arizona 8 New
Mexico depot, which had to be main
tained for the business Of the road, a
sub Office with the telegrapher draw
Ing no pay for any telegraphing he
may do for the company. As a con-
sequence the railroad company has
told him he need not receive mes
sages. The next act Of the company
different was to dlsconnect its wires
from the local telephone exchange,
and set up a station, thus compelling
everyone to travel to the station to
receive or send a message. Although
the company was taking in more than
an hundred dollars a month at this
station for outgoing messages, and a
comfortable amount for incoming
messages, one bright day its men ap-
peared, took out the station and cut
US of the long distance wire, giving
no reason therefor. This brought the
town down TO the exclusive use Of the
Western Union wire for all messages.
That would not be so bad, II the peo-
pie could get service, but they can
not. There is but one operator on
duty at a time, and he has to handle
the railroad business, and that comes
first. The LIBERAL has heard many
complaints because Of the delay in
sending and receiving messages. 1t
will relate two. which are typical. A
LordsbuTger was In FL Paso, and tel
egraphed his wife what train he would
be home on. He came homo, and the
next day receipted for the message
when the messenger brought it TO the
house. Another man filed a message
at nine O'Clock In the morning to a
nan on train o down In Texas. At
three O'Clock in the afternoon the
message had not started, and train Q
had passed the point where the mes
sage Is directed. These delays are
not on account Of the negligence or
laziness Of the operator, but because
he has more work than he can do,
and his railroad work comes filst.
The day Of the FL Paso-Phoenix races
the LIBERAL wa asked to telegraph
the arrival Of each ar. 1t took the
matter up With the manager Of the
sub station, who explained his posi-
tion, but - he Is something's OF a sport
himself, and wanted to do what he
could TO help the races out, he agreed
to send the messages, and only for his
accommodation the people In the out
side towns would not have known
when the machines passed Lordsburg.
The American Telegraph and Tel
ephone company, under the manage
ment OF Theodore N. Vail, Is certainly
the company different, but the peo-
pie Of Lordsburg would like TO secure
connection with company which Is
not different.