- From: The Daily Globe, Sept
4, 1901
Monday Sept.2 The Anniversary
Of The Peoples Telephone Co. Fanchise
Secured by G.M. Skiles in December 1899
Monday September 2 was thesecond anniversary of the Peoples telephone
company. G.M.
- Skiles secured the franchise
for the company in December 1898. Active operations were
- begun in in the Spring of
1899. The company was organized with G.M. Skiles president.
- Edwin Mansfield secretary
and treasurer. The company started to give service Sept 2, 1899
- with 149 subscribers and
a capacity of 260. There were no toll lines at all, predictions
were
- made that the new company
would never successfully compete with the Central Union. The
- new company was considered
in the same light as Fulton's first steam boat. But they have
- outlived any ridicule
and as a competitor of the Central
Union has an elephant on its hands.
- Excellent service and low
rates have placed the Peoples company where the people can
- not do without their service.
-
- At the end of the first year
the list of subscribers had increased to 268 and in November
of
- the same year connections
were made with Crestline, Galion Greenwhich and a few other points.
- More toll lines were built
by the U.S.telephone company and he list of outside connections
in
- Ohio alone now reaches 1300.
The people were skeptical about the Peoples company being
- able to furnish long distance
service but now scores use their lines exclusively. In the Spring
- of 1900 three fourths of a
mile more cable was added bringing the capacity up to 850. This
- was soon filled and this year
over 6000 feet of cable were added giving a capacity of 475.
Farm line construction comenced this year as soon as the weather
permitted and now 70
- are connected up with 36 waiting
the further extension of the lines. This required 35 miles
- of pole line, over 1400 poles
and 135 miles of wire. The company reaches every post office
- in the county and when the
lines of the Mansfield Peoples phone company are completed
- direct connection can be had
with 1200 farmers in the county. In the city of Mansfied over
- 1000 have subscribed and services
will be given as soon as manufacturerescan get the
- switchboards and other materials
there.
All this progress on the part of the Peoples telephone company
has been made in the face of
- the fact that the Central
Union has been giving service at half the rate of the Peoples
telephone
- company, then too Central
has been giving service for over 20 years, so there must be some
- merit in the service of the
peoples company which is now connected with serveral states.
M.M. Hunter was the first manager and was suceeded by C.L. Howk
the present manager.
- Here are some figures which
show what the company is doing.
September 1, 1899, 50 business customers, 99 residential, total
149.
September 1, 1900, 78 business customers, 190 residential
total 268
September 1, 1901 110 business customers, 269 residential, 160
Farmers total 485.
Contributed by Mr. Kim Butler Histed
Creslline, ohio 44827
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