Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1909 — Early Telephone Men Get Wire. [ARTICLE]

Early Telephone Men Get Wire.

The early ✓ bird usually gets the worm and likewise after the s’e-t storm the early telephone met get the equipment. . President Thompson and Manager Montgomery of the Jasper County Telephone Co. anticipated the early rußh to Chicago from all over the stricken, district and they went in on the early train Monday morning. The train was delayed, however, about two hours and they did not get to the office of the Western Eletiic Co. until about 9 O’clock. They found that they were not the only telephone men that had got busy, and ran across about twenty other men from as many other towns. Warren, Washburn was there from Goodland, the owner of the Morocco system, , men from Kankakee, Momence, and other Illinois cities, and from Logansport and many other Indiana towns. All the same tale of woe, the country lines everywhere were down and the city system impaired. The Western Electric Co. were going on the theory of “first come, first served” and our local telephone men were quite fortunate to be among the early ones. They were unable to buy any poles in Chicago, for all of these h»d been cleaned out before they got there, but the company took their order for 400 and got the order through to Escanaba, Mich., and word back that the poles would be loaded that day and started on the long journey here, and that all the way the poles would be followed by telegraph traces to hasten their delivery. If the weather is favorable the poles should reach here by Friday of this week. They also got their order in for a lot of cable and wire and much other equipment, and the work of repairing the local system will be expedited with all the haste possible. In many places the telephone systems are owned by private individuals or small stock companies that are In debt and the practical wiping out of their system will be bard on them, and the supply companies, will doubtless supply those concerns that are ready to pay cash for the material they buy. It is said that many of the small companies are in a very bad shape financially and that some are quite apt not to rebuild. Others will be plunged into a lot of expense never contemplated and it means that there will be no dividends for a long time to come. The Btorm disaster has brought up the question of rates and it was the general opinion of the telephone men gathered in Chicago that rates will have to be raised, especially in the country, and it is quite probable that the Jasper County Telephone Co. will raise the rate on the country phones to $1.50 per month. The American Central' Telephone Co., which controls practically all the long distance lines, hps Buffered cogsiderblae damage and this company was early In the market for new equipment. The Logansport exchange Is badly damaged and the country lines surrounding that city indicate that the damage will exceed $30,000. Monticello and Delphi are also badly crippled. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Montgomery went to Wolcott this Tuesday morning to ascertain the extent of the damage there.