Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-16
THEODORE VAIL, MAN WHO
DEVELOPED PHONE, DEAD

telegraph. Theodore Vail was educat-
ed at the old academy at Norris
town, and for a time studied medi-
cine. but becoming interested In the
telegraph. he learned to operate the
key and went west In 1858 as an op-
orator for the Union Pacific railroad
at Pine Bluffs. wyo. Pine Bluffs was
at that time tho principal supply
point for wood for the Union Pacific,
which had not yet been completed.
Thru the friendship Of Gen. Gren-
vile NJ. Dodge. chief engineer of the
Union Pacific, Vail in the next year,
was appointed clerk In the rail-
way mail service. and here his abili-
ty to systematic and organize was
soon felt. At that time the railway
mail service was in an undeveloped
stage. and Vnil prepared special stud
les on the question from the author
tiles at Washington. 1t was just after
he had been promoted to the gem
eral superintendency Of the railway
mail service that he acted against the
advice Of his friends, and accepted
the position of general manager or
the American Bell Telephone Com
pany.
Develops Telephone.
Mr. Vail set for himself the task OF
making the telephone universal
convenience. and 1t was on his initia-
tive That every possible improvement
was seized upon for the perfection Of
the service. In 1885 he resigned from
the original company and became the
first president Of the newly formed
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, which at first made spe-
cialty of only long distance commun-
ication, but which, in 1900, acquired
the property Of the American Bell
Telephone Company and also neeo-
tiated combinations with the princi-
pal competing telephone companies
thruont the county: SO that the whole
service came largely under a single
administration.
In the meantime. In 1890. Mr.. Vail
retired from the telephone business
for many years. He purchased
large farm at Lyondville, VT. and
interested himself in agriculture. In
1893 he made trip to South America,
and, with his customary foresight,
saw the possibilities of the Argentine
Republic. He obtained from the gov
ernment a concession near Cordoba,
built an electric power station there,
purchased a horse-car line in Buenos
Aires, converted 1t into trolley line,
formed a company and equipped 1t
with the best cars from the United
States. bought out all competing lines
and gave the city complete modern
service. The company was composed
largely Of British capitalists. and for
Soma time Mr.. Vail had his headquar-
ters in London. When he retired
from these activities in 1904. he re-
turned to Vermont. but three years
later he was again called upon to en-
ter tky,selephone field rs president Of
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, of which ne had been
the first president.
One of the most ambitious projects
which he then planned was merger
of the Western Union Telegraph
Company with the telephone COM
pany, and in 1910 when the telephone
interests succeeded in securing the
controlling power in the Western
Union, Mr.. Vail became president Of
both these great corporations. He
resigned as president Of the Western
Union, however, when, on April Is,
1914. the telephone company dis
posed Of its interests in the Western
Union because Of threatened action
by the government against the COM
bination of these competing utilities.