The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-06
BISMARCK PIONEER INSTALLED
FIRST PHONE IN NORTH DAKOTA
RivaIsd Bell by Constructing
Acoustic System at Gil.
man, Ia, in 1876
LINKED BISMARCK HOTELS
G. E. v. Draper Built First Long
Distance Line in State
to Washburr,

How many boys have stretched Z
piece Of string from one room, to an
other, tied . tin can 1t the end, and
telephone"
G. e. v. Draper did that as q boy
In Gilman. Iowa. In the 70's and he
made the tin cans talk"
MI. Draper was the proprietor and
manager OF the first telephone sys-
tenn installed in North Dakota at
Bismarck and built the states first
long distance line.
More than any other man, Mr..
Draper came close to being Alexander
Graham Bells rival for pioneering
and inventing the telephone.
In 1875 he invented and put into
operation in his telegraph office ut
Gilman, Iowa, . telephone switch.
board. the same year that Bell in
vented the electrical telephone. He
used 1t to connect up the depot with
various business houses OF the town.
The installation Of this acoustic
system was done two years before the
construction OF the first commercial
switchboard ut New Haven. Conn, on
January %. 1878. The first pay sta.
ton was established that year ct
Bridgeport, Conn.
Used Tin Can Diaphragm
It was not the telephone Of today
but an acoustic telephone operated
upon the principle that sound waves
can be conveyed over Q thread Of
string line when properly constructed,
using q tin can with . proper dia-
phragm end for the telephone.
Il used to room above the bank q
Gilman with the cashier. and We fit
ted up the acoustic phones for the
fun Of the thing" Mr.. Draper once
said. However, business me soor
wanted to Be hooked up and I in.
stalled about seven Of these home
made phones and handled them fol
about six months until I got tired o.
1t and 1t became work instead Of
novelty"
Connected Bismarek Hotels
Coming to Bismarck in 1881. MI
Draper installed the first telephon,
ever used In North Dakota. It con
nected the Bismarck and FfAnkltl
hotels which were about five block
apart.
The phones on either end Of tn
single lire were acoustic phones bu
operated with the addition Of . cop
per wire covered with cotton to carr
the sound waves.
In 1883, he secured the tclephon
franchise for Bismarck, Mandan IN
Fort Abraham Lincoln. At this tim
he installed the first electrical tele
phone OF tho Bell type. He ha
about 50 subscribers in Bismarck. 2
In Mandan, and . few ct Fort Lin
coin.
First Long Distance Line
In 1855, Mr.. Draper installed tn
first long distance line in North d
j kota. II was purely experiments
and ran from Bismarck to the stor
Of king John" Satterlund in Wash
burn, 50 miles north on the Missoul
river.
ut worked some OF the time" sal
Mr.. Draper. and could 1t least b
accounted q success"
A second phone was cut In Z
Painted Woods. . settlement abou
10 miles north Of Wilton.
These phones were later dismantlet
They were destroyed by . fire II 100:
Ssld Out to Dell
Securing the territory OF Bismarc
and MandAn from the Bell company
he set about building up the system
In q short time. however. he sold ia
rights and franchise back to the De-
company and installed exchanges 4
Bismarck and Mandan for the Del
acting Is manager for both exchange
Is well - the telegraph company.
After . year he gave up his business
the rates being so high that most q
the subscribers discontinued the serv
leo and both cities cancelled til
franchise and ordered the poles re
moved.
Rigged Steamer Arc Light
Mr.. Draper connected up the fir
electric arc search light in Dakot
territory. It was installed on tn
steamer "Dakotah" plying the Mi
souri, river.
In 1900 MI. Draper organized ia
Mandan Telephone company and va
its manager and principal stockholde
until it was sold to the Bell system I
1915.
Mr.. Draper was the inventor Of q
electric fire alarm system for givin
alarm on steam whistles. It serve
Mandan for many years.
He died in Mandan I number G
k3ears ago. Mrs. Draper lives IN Call
fornia.