Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-09-28
SWANS ISLAND CABLE.
ROusing Mass Meeting Presents
Claims for Government Aid.


In addition to the efforts previ- |
ously made toward securing cable !
connection between the mainland |
and Swans Island, a monster mass |
meeting was held in Odd Fellows
hall at Swans Island, Tuesday eve
ming, Sept. 20.
The hall was filled to capacity, |
and late arrivals found standing |
room only, as practically every man,
woman and child of years of un-
| derstanding, from Atlantic, Minturn
and Swans Island, as we'll as inter-
ested people from ROckland, Vinal-
haven, Deer Isle, Stonihgton, French
boro, fremont, Bernard and McKin-
| ley, and many other shore towns of
Knox and Hancock counties, were
present The interest of the people
all about Penobscot bay, as we'll as
on Swans Island and other island
communities, is thoroughly aroused,
and agitation on the cable PROPOSE
| tion is at high pitch.
The meeting was opened by the
| chairman, Stinson Hooper, who pre-
| sided on account of the unavoidable
| absence of Capt. William Herrick,
| president of the Swan Island Tele-
phone Co. Invocation was offered
by Rev. Mr. Hathaway of Atlantic.
The Swans Island orchestra, COM
posed of Mrs. Roscoe Hatch, Bert
Smith and Edward Robinson, rem
dered some fine musical selections.
! The chairman read the call for the
meeting, read the report of the COM
mittee which has been in touch
with representatives of Senator Fred
erick Hale, noted progress in the
| 1rno DIV fr,f,r
ton to be taken after the recess of
the U. S. Senate.
| Herbert Joyce addressed the
meeting, telling of the first tele-
| phone line across Swans Island, and
how he, as the pioneer in the effort
to secure communication, in face
of great trials and difficulties Sc
cured the first charter from the
legislature in 1890 which granted
the right to run lines over the high
ways of the town and to make cable
landing at Naskeag Point. This
line was operated with much bene-
fit to the community until July II,
1898, when the Swans Island Tele-
phone Co. was organized.
Seth G. Stockbridge, treasurer of
the telephone company, told of the
past and present conditions of the
| Swans Island Telephone Co.," and
of the period of government control.
| He spoke of the pride which Her.
| bert Joyce might take in seeing his
| first line, with its two telephones,
grow to the larger plant of the
Swans Island Telephone Co., with
| eighty or more telephones in opera
| ton.
In the spring of 1909, subma-
rine cable was purchased at an
initial cost of $4,000, and in June
of that year connection was made
with the New England Telephone
| Co. at Brooklin. Uninterrupted ser
| vice between the mainland and the
| island was furnished for several
years, to the mutual benefit of peor
pie at either end.
In the summer of 1918 the United
| States government assumed formal
control of this company along with
| others. Toll rates were reduced as
| distances were computed by airline
measurements, which caused the
| island company to suffer on account
| of the small mileage of it's toll
| lines as compared with those of con-
| Meeting companies. The returns
| were hardly sufficient to pay cost of
| operation and maintenance.
On July ST., 1919, the govern
ment relinquished control, and
though reimbursement for losses |
sustained white under such control
was assured, no satisfactory settle
ment has ever been made with the |
island company.
Three months after release from !
government control, the cable |
parted, and though repairs were at
tempted, thorough examination |
showed that much of the armor of |
the cable was in such WORKOUT con-
dition that further efforts to effect |
repair were useless.
Now with cost of cable increased |
three times that of the original
cost, the financial condition of the
company, adversely affected by war
time government control, is such
that it is, unable to purchase new
cable. But whatever of resources it
has, the company will cheerfully
contribute to the means of re-estab-
lishment of Swans Island cable CON-
nectiOn.
Capt. Ernest r. VanZandt of
New York spoke on the Attitude
of the United States Government
Toward Public Need" This mass
meeting" he said, sis necessary to
show the government and it's rep
resentatives your strong desire for
and the urgent need of a cable to
connect the mainland and Swans
Island"
Remarks expressive of the ap-
probation by the company and by
the people of the earnest efforts
made by Capt. William Herrick to
secure and maintain telephone COM
munication with the island, were
made by the chairman. The chair
also expressed the appreciation of
the assembly for the great efforts
and aid given by Capt. Van Zandt of
New York.
F. N. Johnson of Johnson & Son,
Minturn, spoke of Storm Signals,