The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-08-16
RESIDENTS TALK TO PETERSBURG ON
 LONG DISTANCE PHONE

Inaugurating what will later be Irregular long distance telephone service between Wrangeu and any
 point of the Territory and the United States, a group of Wrangen residents were invited Wednesday night 10 the Signal Corps office to talk to Petersburg friends Or 5s- sociates.
 Wrange1ls woman Mayor. Mrs. Doris Barnes was the first Wran- gellite whose voice was heard over the wire when she exchanged greetings with Mayor Carl Vevel- stad of Petersburg. She sent the greetings of the city and eompli- mented the communications system on it's accomplishment.
 Later Mrs Barnes talked to Mrs. Clare Wilder who. with Mir Wilder publishes The Petersburg Press. and she also talked with Berniee Folger. Petersburg accountant.
 Others who were invited to be guests al the inauguration cere- mony were: H. B. Thoruquist. D. cal banker who exchanged greet iags with Ed Lockeu, president of .he Bank of Petersburg; z. NJ. Bradford. Standard Oil agent here who talked to Fred Nelson. Peters burg Standard agent; Fred .. Hanford. Union Oil representative, who talked 10 the Petersburg Un- ion man. President of the Wrar- gell Chamber of Commerce, James Nolan, who exchanged salutations with Earl N. Dinner, President of the Petersburg Chamber and Dr. A. T. Nelson who spoke to pr. W. W. Bailey of Petersburg.
 Signals between the two sta- tions were clear and conversation plainly audible
 Sgt. Sam Pickering, who is in charge of the local station, and his men did all the work of the tele- phone installation. Sgt. Pickering said that it is expected that tne ACS cable ship Lenoir will arrive here about the first of September for improving and enlarging the telephone and wire service of the lacal ACS station.
 Besides further improving the newly installed Petersburg-Wran- gelI phone service. line, teletype equipment will be added for direct telegraph service to Petersburg. This will be a definite advantage as all yGTes have to clear through Ketchikan at present.
 Technicians aboard the cable ship will also install the radio telephone transmitter equipment received by this station several months ago This new radio tele- phone when installed, will allow telephone service from Wranged to any place in the States and to Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg and Sitka in southeastern Alaska. Ship to-shore radio telephone service such as is now used in Petersburg, Juneau, Ketchfkan and Anchorage is also expected to be installed.
 Though telephone service to Pet ersburg is the only service now a. yailable, rates announced will Le the same for all Southeastern AL aska calls. At present the rate is $1.50 for the first three minutes and 50 cents for each additional minute, plus Federal tax
 When the radio telephone equip Ilent is installed it will be possible to call any place in Idaho, Oregon or Washington for about $4.50 for three minutes and $1.5O for each additional minute. Calls to other places in the States are higher bat not unreasonable. Most places or the east coast will be reached at a rate of $750 for the first three minutes and $2.5O for each add'- tional minute All rates announced are subject also to Federal tax.