The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-03-26
MONFANA'S FIRST Telephone used
BY GENERAL NELSON A. Miles in '79

The first telephone installed and
used in the state of Montana was in
the residence oF General Nelson 4.
Miles IN the year 1879" writes E. E.
Miller of Miles City in the March is
u Of the Mountain States Monitor.
The second telephone was installed in
the generals office, thus completing
a circuit, ana t. the best of authOri-
ties on the early history Cf this state,
this IS an Established fact. The date
Of the month or even he month in
which this installation took Place we
are unable to learn, even from one
or two old timers who were here at
the time.
General Miles residence was tho
house constructed in that year, 1877,
and is still in a good state of prc-
servatiOn and has been occupied ms.
of the time since its construction up
to about two years ago. The house
Is located on the old original Fort
KeOgh site, two miles west Of the
present site Of the city of Miles City.
A Lonely Outpost
lax LULL was ESLdUllSUEU ON GGL-
eral Miles for the federal govern
ment as an outpost of civilization, to
endeavOr to keep the Indians on their
reservations. Supplies at that time
we're brought in by river boats from
the far East and lumber that was
used for the house of General Miles
and other small buildings was brought
from st. Paul by the same method
of transportation. Large cottonwood
logs were used also in the construc-
ton; these were not visible from the
front, but can be seer from the rear
of the house.
Telephone service was established
between the generals house and Of
flee. The office was a very small
building, Approximately a quarter of
a mile due north Ct the house. Il
was used for this purpose for many
years and was finally torn down when
more modern buildings were erected
in the late eighties. No other build
ing now stands on the old site CT the
office.
Equipment Crude
THE telephone equipment consist
ed Of n very crude apparatus indeed.
being a wooden box of possibly eight
inches long, six inches wide, and four
inches deep. Not having n receiv-
crS to use as one does today, the
same apparatus answered for a re-
ceiver as we'll as for a transmitter,
being a small raised metal contriv-
ance IN the face of the box, and pcs
slbly two very crude diaphragms were
used also in this connection.
1.-THE line between the two sta
tons consisted of a single strand Of
very small wire, possibly the size of
common stOvepipe wire or even small
er. This wire was fastened to the
building and run through a hole in
the wall and finally wrapped around
the metal part on the face of the
box many times, giving the appear,
ance of a spool of wire.
ITO signal one another, a small
hammer was used and by pounding
or the metal part it evidently made
some kind of a noise or caused a vi
bration on the metal part CT the othel
box, and in that manner one knew tn
other was calling. Just whether this
metal contrivance was hollow or mad
otherwise we are unable to learn, bu
nevertheless, conversations were held
and for that early period in the his
tory of the country it seemed t,
answer the purpose.
"The foregoing information was OBJ
tanned from George M. Miles {;
nephew of the late GENERALLY, who a
the present time is president of tn.
First National Bank Of Miles City