Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-07-07
BY TELEPHONE TO FRISCO.
Several Brattleboro Persons at Trans
continental Service Demonstration in
Keene, N. II.


Nearly 900 persons from Kccnc, y. H.,
and a few from ncighboring towns en-
joyed "transcontinental telephone night
at City hall in Keene Friday night
The affair was held under the auspices of
the Kccne Commercial club, the telephone
company cooperating.
Nine hundred receivers were installed
at the seats in the hall and each person
listened to the conversation between
keene and San Francisco. This is believed
to be the first time that a city the size of
Keene has ever had this telephone service
demonstration, and it is the first time that
it has been conducted in New Hampshire
The conversations of the evening were
between President w. c. Coughlin of the
Kecne Commercial club and f. j. Bkkcr,
president of the Chamber Of Commerce in
San Francisco; Acting Mayor G. Herbert
Eames, ir.. and James Rolie, ir, mayor of
San Francisco; Mrs Martha :. Wentworth
to her son in San Francisco, whom she has
not seen in Is years; Mrs. I.aFcll Dckin-
son, president of the Kecne Federation of
Women's clubs, and Mrs f. H. Black.
president of the similar organization in
San Francisco; W. f. Holbrook, president
the head of a wholesale grocery company,
to AIessrs. c. II. Bentley and ITolbrooi of
the Fruit Gamers association in San
Francisco; Hon. c. c. Shedd to John
Delhi, former resident of Kccne, and
! F. F. Stearns, president OF the New lIamp-
shire Jewellers association, to George
Daley. president of the Pacific Coast Jew
clers' association Other speakers on this
end were Fred Wentworth, Mrs. G. NJ.
Rossman and +. W. Childs of Brattlcboro.
In addition TO the transcontincntal con
versation the audience listened to talks
delivered by f. X. Hall Of Boston, prcsi-
dent of the New England Telephone and
Telegraph company, and by p. j. Fecney,
publicity manager of the y. +. T and T
company
The first telephone was installed in
Kecne in 1879, and was private line be-
tween the studio of lothian French and his
residence. 1t was set by the F. w. Chlds
company and two of the surviving mem
bers of that firm, Maj. f. w. Chlds OF
Brattleboro and A. W. Childs of Manches
ter, y. H., were present last night.
Besides Major Childs there were present
from Brattleboro, Mrs. Alice Squres and
Miss Mabel Il. Snow of the local telephone
office, and Fred w Hall
The process of building the transconti-
mental line was shown on a screen by
means of moving pictures, and at one time
when the pictures showed waves on the
Pacific coast telephone connection was
made with a house ON the coast and the
sound of the waves was distinctly heard
\ closing feature of the demonstration
was a conversation between Charles X
Field of San Francisco, editor of Sunsc
magazine, and Maj. f. w. Childs. Mr.
Field is a son of the late Henry X. FiclC
of Brattleboro He spoke of his mother
Mrs Kate Daniels Field, whom he sale
was in good health, and sent a message
to Judge j NJ. Tyler of this town.
In closing the audience sang America TO
the benefit of the people listening in san
Francisco, and in'response came back owe
the wire the song. The Star Spanged Ban
ner, from victrola.
Mr.. Coughlin extended a vote of thank
to the telephone company for its courtes,
and the audience responded by rising, \
the request of Mr. Sawyer, secretary of tn,
-, Keene Commercial club, three heart,
cheers were given for the telephone Off
GERS
One of the honored guests of the even
ing was Jasper n. Keller former presi
dent of the New England Telephone \
Telegraph company, who sat on the stage
Mr. Keller will spend the next few months
at his summer home in Surry, y. II.