The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-11-20
OROyME.PENTICTON TELEPHONE
A New Connection That Puts the
Town in Touch With 50 OFFICES


Some months ago representatives OF
the Penticton, b. c., Commercial CluD
conferred with members of the Oro-
Vile Commercial Club in reference to
the extension of the Dominion tele-
phone line from Fairview to Osoyoos
and from thence to Oroville. The
proposition put up to the Orovllle or
ganization was that the Penticton citl-
zens would use their influence to have
the line working between Pentlcton
and Fairview extended from the lat
ter place to the custom house at Osoy-
oos if the Oroyille people would build
"A line to connect up at the boundary.
Several business men OF this place
pledged themselves to perform the
part expected of them. The Pent1cton
contingent did not sleep upon the
promise made. There was some un-
avoidable delay in securing the neces-
sary appropriation from the Canadian
government, but after the preliminar-
les were completed construction was
Immediately commenced and pushed
through to completion. The custom
house at OsoyoOs, however, is some
two or three miles north of the bound
ary line, and in order to fill out their
promise to the full measure the Pen
tictonites secured sufficient addi-
tiOnal sum from the government to
extend the line from the custom house
Immediately to the boundary. The
poles are now set, wires strung and
the line in working order to the spot
ON the earth's surface representing
the division between Canada and the
United States, directly north OF Oro-
yille And it is only such line as
marks the perfect finish OF all pub
lie work performed on the Canadian
side of the boundary. 1t is not piece
of contract work where contractors
line their own pockets by shirking,
CLOSING over and substituting inferior
material as is too often the custom in
this country where public contract
is generally private graft. The line
is put in to stay and perform it's func-
tons to the highest stage OF possible
efficiency. There are 80 cedar poles to
the mile, with No. 10 double copper
wires. No line in use is any better.
Now that the Canadians have car
ried out their promise according to
contract, those at this end of the mu-
tual understanding are getting busy,
and the extension of the connecting
link between Oroville and the bound
ary will commence next week. Mrs
Anderson, proprietor of the municipal
telephone system, will undertake the
work. The line from here to connect
with the Canadian line will be exactly
in accordance with the one just COM
pleted from Fairview. Cedar poles
have been ordered and are expected
this week, and II double No 10 copper
wire viii Ie strung. The completion
Gf The line will place Oroyille in to lch
with SO offices in Canada, and will be
of inestimable advantage to the pub
lie on both sides of the boundary. 1t
will be a great convenience and an ad-
dition to the local system that will
very materially increase its value, and
that at comparatively small initial
investment.
If the Commercial Club never ac-
complishes any thing more than the
securing of telephone connections
with such vast territory as the new
system covers it has proved to be
great benefit to Oroville, and the ac-
cOmplishment is evidence of the use
fulness and necessity of such an Or
ganizatiOn in a community. The club
has for some time been in a moribund
state, but the success of these nego-
hations carried on in the name of
the club should arouse fresh interest
in the local organization, and encour-
age further efforts along lines that
will tend to benefit the town. While
the name of the club was used in all
correspondence leading up to the con-
struction of this connecting link be-
tween the Canadian telephone system,
1t would be unfair not to give credit
where credit is really due for the fl
nal consummation of the object. Mr..
Chas. Powell, ST., is entitled to a full
measure of praise for the part he took
in securing this telephone line,
Through personal acquaintances in
Canada, and persistent and earnest
labor among residents of Oroville, Mr..
Powell aroused interest in the project,
and never rested until the object that
he was working for was accomplished