USA > Massachusetts > Tracing the telephone in western Massachusetts, 1877-1930 > Part 10
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The Adams Transcript of Dec. 14, 1882, announced that the North River Telephone Co. had been sold to the Bay State Telephone Co. and also imparted this information: "The Jacksonville and North Adams Telephone Co.'s stock has been sold to the Bay State Telephone Co. for about $20 per share."
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Advances in the telephone art were steadily progressing. The following item appeared in the Republican of March 6, 1883: "The Telephone Dispatch Co. of Boston is using two underground cables in Boston, and finds that the induction is not so bad as in aerial cables. They consist of a combination of 50 small copper wires, insulated and protected by a coating of lead, the whole not exceeding an inch in diameter."
On June 4, 1883, according to the Republican, the Bay State Telephone Co. had 2525 subscribers, an increase of 1033 in eight months. The earnings of the past eight months were $30,695 and $13,800 was paid in dividends.
Another article appeared in the Republican of Sept. 10, 1883, relative to the telephone "tycoons," of Lowell: "The Lowell Telephone Syndicate now control 19,680 subscribers, 4,000 on the National Bell Telephone Co.'s lines of Maine, 3,600 on the Boston and Northern, 2,800 on the Bay State, 1,400 on the Suburban (Boston), 430 on the Granite State, 450 on the Union and 7,000 on the Erie, and they say their sub- scribers are growing at the rate of 1,000 a month."
The Erie Telephone Co., often mentioned, passed into the hands of the Telephone, Telegraph and Cable Co. in 1900, according to the Daily Republican, at which time the Erie Co. owned five companies operating under Bell licenses in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas, and Cuyahoga County in Ohio. Charles J. Glidden of Lowell was President, but he resigned about a year after the transfer of ownership.
The Bay State Telephone Co. continued in business a little over a year; and then its stockholders, at a meeting in Lowell Oct. 17, 1883, voted unanimously in favor of consolidating with a new company about to be formed-The New England Telephone and Telegraph Co.
CHAPTER 10 Bay State Telephone Company Springfield - Holyoke Exchanges
THE Bay State Telephone Co., having acquired the Hampden Telephone Co. Sept. 1, 1882, and the Western Massachusetts Telephone Co. Sept. 13th of that year, created two additional divisions-the Springfield and the Western (Pittsfield).
The telephone folks had a good deal of trouble because some subscribers left their levers half up, and kept others from using the line. There was no way of knowing who the subscriber was, so the Central had to send a man out to check the telephones on the line until he came to the guilty party.
This trouble was soon remedied by the invention of the automatic switch, which was operated by the weight of the instrument.
Improvements to the telephone service were mentioned in a Holyoke news item: "Manager Perkins has been furnishing the telephone subscribers with generators (operated by a crank) in place of the local battery current, for signaling the central office, and establishing a system of open circuits which will be appreciated as soon as people become used to them. Lines having too many stations have been divided and other improvements made."
William J. Denver, who had played such a prominent part in the establishment and management of the Springfield Tele- phone Co., withdrew from the telephone field, when the West- ern Union Telegraph Co. sold its interests to the Bell Tele- phone Co. He thereupon confined his attention, for a time,
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exclusively to the telegraph business. There now appeared an article about Mr. Denver in the Republican of March 20, 1883: "William J. Denver, the efficient manager of the Springfield office of the Western Union Telegraph Co., has been offered the management of the Washington Telephone Co. at an ad- vance of salary. Whether he will close with this offer is not yet settled. He would probably prefer to remain here, other things being equal, and it remains to be seen whether the Western Union Co. will meet the other company on salary. Certainly Springfield would regret to lose Mr. Denver."
The Holyoke telephone exchange had 360 subscribers March 1, 1883, which required over 90 lines. New names were being added every month and the number was expected to reach 400 before long. Manager Perkins, accordingly, had plans drawn for a cable house, to be placed on the roof of the Parsons Hall block, which would contain 150 lines.
The many friends of William J. Denver were undoubtedly pleased to read this item in the May 16th Republican: "It is a pleasure to announce that Manager Denver of the Western Union Telegraph office has decided to remain in Springfield and to retain the position that he has so admirably filled for many years."
There now follows a pathetic piece from the pen of a Re- publican reporter, giving an intimate story of the afflictions borne by telephone officials:
The Woes of the Telephone Men
The telephone managers in this city are meeting with per- plexing obstacles in their efforts to improve the service by cut- ting up the long circuits. They began two months ago to in- crease the number of circuits, with a view to reducing the number of stations on individual circuits. About 25 circuits have been thus improved, but there are as many more that need pruning, before the service can be perfected. The over- crowded lines are mostly in the outskirts, at least not in the thickly built business parts of the city. It would seem that such lines might be the easiest to divide, the only consideration being the labor of putting up the wires, but this roseate view is one that the telephone people are not favored with. If they
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suggest the necessity of putting another wire over a house, the proprietor, whether a telephone subscriber or not, generally says that he would rather have the wires already on the house taken down than to have another put up. If a reason is asked, the householder either refuses to give one, or brings forward the absurd notion that telephone wires attract lightning, or he falls back on the more tenable claim that wires don't im- prove the looks of a dwelling. Yet the only way of stringing wires is from house-top to house-top. They can't be run under- ground on account of the induction of earth currents, and the city fathers have persistently refused to allow the telephone company to erect poles. Every man's house is his castle, they say, so if there is no way of obliging a man to lend his house for a telephone pole, there is no resort but to the obdurate city government. The company want to set poles in some of the "side streets" east of Chestnut and Maple Streets, claiming that their neatly painted poles would not be unsightly, at least they would not look so badly as the heavy, sagging, electric light wires. They claim, too, that the interference with ladders in case of fire is less, outside the business part of the city, with wires on poles than with wires on housetops.
The Springfield exchange was brought up to the minute with a new switchboard on Sept. 22, 1883, and the Republican spoke of this and another pressing problem: "Cut off from the old to the new switchboard today and it will take some time for the operators to get the hang of the new arrangement. The new arrangement, 7 small boards, are now in operation each having its operator. The most marked improvement in con- templation is that of cutting up the circuits. Good work cannot be expected on a circuit which has over four stations. Some circuits in the city are now made to serve from 7 to 12 sub- scribers."
George H. Cary, General Manager of the Western Mass. Telephone Co., had planned to build a toll line from Pitts- field to Springfield by way of Dalton, Cummington and Wil- liamsburg, but his resignation from the company upset these plans. The Bay State Telephone Co. revived this project but decided upon another route via Lee, Chester and Westfield, which was referred to in the Oct. 3, 1883, Republican: "The
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telephone exchanges in Western Mass. have been put in con- nection with the Bay State Telephone Co., so that anyone con- nected with the Springfield office can now talk with every size- able town in Berkshire County. A similar advantage is gained by the wire which now connects Palmer with Stafford Springs and Willimantic."
The following two articles are quoted from the Republican to show how great a factor the lowly bicycle had become in the life of the nation: "The managers of the ball in honor of the Springfield bicycle club, which is to wind up the festivities Thursday evening, are preparing for "the best" all through. Col. Beals is decorating the city hall and Orr & Company are printing a handsome souvenir program for the 'meet,' which the wheelmen will find to their taste.
"Over 700 bicyclists were in the city yesterday and over 200 slept last night in Hampden Park. The Rutland, Vermont, boys, 20 strong, came down in a special car last evening. Among the clubs already arrived are the Ramblers of Boston, the Boston bicycle club, the Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Buffalo and Albany clubs. The New York delegation will arrive by special train this noon. There will probably be 300 wheelmen among them, as clubs from the vicinity of New York are with them."
"At this time of the year, the young man's fancy turneth to a $140 bicycle. It takes a long time to buy one on a salary of $5 a week, but somehow or other the machine is secured by many an ambitious youth, who flatters himself that a dude can't ride one."
There now followed the final amalgamation of telephone companies, which resulted in the organization of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Co.
CHAPTER 11 Bay State Telephone Company Northampton - Palmer - Westfield Exchanges
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NORTHAMPTON EXCHANGE
THE stockholders of the Western Massachusetts Telephone Co., with headquarters at Pittsfield, voted to convey their hold- ings to the Bay State Telephone Co. effective Sept. 13, 1882. Thereupon, the Northampton and Westfield Exchanges were transferred to the Springfield division of the Bay State Tele- phone Co., which division then comprised the following ex- changes: Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Palmer, and Westfield. Frank G. Daboll, formerly the Manager of the Springfield exchange was appointed Superintendent of the Springfield division and George D. Sherwin was retained as Manager of the Northampton exchange, which started its new status with 137 subscribers, seven more than it boasted the first of the year.
The new telephone rates effective Oct. 1, 1882, were favor- able to the subscribers. Heretofore the rates were on an annual basis, payable in advance. Now the Bay State Telephone Co. put them on a quarterly basis, $10.75 for business places and $8.25 for residences. A new feature entitled the subscriber to a 75 cent discount if his bill was paid by the 10th of the first month, 50 cents if paid by the 10th of the second month and 25 cents the third month. Thus, if a business customer profited by the 75 cent discounts, his outlay for the year would be $40, the same as it had been. A residence subscriber, however,
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would pay only $30, as against $34 previously. Of course these rates were for multi-party service.
The price for the Bliss Signal Clock, which had been $3 a year, was raised to $6. This device, patented by George H. Bliss, President of the former Western Mass. Telephone Co., had been receiving great acclaim. The purpose of the clock- like mechanism was to silence all the bells on a line except the one rung by the operator. The story was told, that when it was advertised that the telephones would be equipped so that conversations could not be overheard by any party on a line, except the one for whom it was intended, some scandal mon- gers immediately cancelled their contracts.
The following article, under the Hatfield news column in the Gazette of Oct. 31, is of particular interest as it is the first time any mention has been made of a construction charge. "The Bay State Telephone Co. offer to extend their wire from Northampton to Hatfield providing seven persons will engage to take instruments, costing annually $30 each, and $150 is raised to erect the necessary poles and wire to connect the center of the town with the Hatfield depot. The benefits of the telephone in connection with the telegraph are well under- stood; its establishment here would save many fruitless trips to Northampton and other towns, and much valuable time in expediting business; it would make the town more inviting to strangers as a desirable place of residence. We understand that an opportunity will soon be given our citizens to test their enterprise and public spirit; a paper will be circulated to secure the $150 necessary to establish the telephone in this town."
While the paper was being circulated, attention will be given to another important suburb, which the Republican favored with this pleasing news: "Northampton is now to be connected with Amherst by telephone and Manager Sherwin is at work on the new line. It will leave the town at Prospect Street, running along the Massachusetts Central railroad route, so that poles will not be set in the villages. Amherst will become a part of the local exchange and regular subscribers will not be charged extra for using the new line."
On Thursday, November 9th, the Republican added that
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several miles of wire between Northampton and Amherst were already strung and that the two places would be connected by Saturday. However, a surprising development occurred which was reported on November 14th: "Manager Sherwin of the telephone exchange goes to Amherst today to see if arrange- ments cannot be made for taking the telephone wires into that town. At present the work is stopped by a selectman who ob- jects to the innovation."
The paper, which was being circulated about Hatfield, con- cluded its course; and the following report was rendered by the Gazette: "The arrangement with the Bay State Telephone Co. to extend their line of wire to Hatfield, Main Street, was consummated November 15, and the line is now in process of construction. It gives us pleasure to chronicle this fact, and our prospective telephonic and telegraphic connection with the near and distant business centers of the county. We are no longer to be isolated in the great bend of the Connecticut river, miles distant from any telegraph station, thanks to the energy and enterprise of our young men, and the contribution of the money required that was so freely made by our citizens, who anticipate the benefits to be derived therefrom to the people of the town. Several instruments will be placed in the new circuit at the following public places: Hatfield Depot, Shattuck's factory and S. H. Howard's store; also at the private dwellings of Hon. E. A. Hubbard, Rev. R. M. Woods, W. H. Dickinson, Dr. C. M. Barton and J. S. Wells."
The climax of this venture was described by the Gazette of Dec. 19, 1882: "The work of putting up the wire and setting up seven instruments constituting the Hatfield Branch of the Bay State Telephone Co. was completed the morning of De- cember 16, and was put in active operation at once. Persons at near and distant points were hailed and interviewed in all possible directions and on all sorts of subjects; ladies gossiped, and even babies cried in the telephone, to the great edification of all parties at the several stations, and before night the man- ager of the central office at Northampton said the Hatfield was doing more business than all the rest of their lines. Young America, with his first tin whistle, was never more jubilant and demonstrative than some of the fortunate possessors of
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instruments in our circuit, and people are happy in counting up its real and imagined benefits."
The objection to the "innovation" by the Amherst select- man was overcome, and work was resumed on the pole line, which was completed the first week in December. A few finan- cial aspects were reported by the Republican of December 7th: "The Bay State Telephone Co. have established a pay station at Duell's drug store in Amherst and 10 cents is charged for 5 minutes use of the lines anywhere in the circuit (ex- change) including Northampton, Leeds, Florence, Williams- burg, Hatfield, and Hadley. The charge for a message to Springfield is 25 cents. Thus far, only three instruments for private use have been put in." The pay station referred to was not equipped with a coin box, the proprietor taking the money.
The Smith name appeared frequently in the Hampshire Gazette and Northampton Courier, especially that of Smith College, The Smith Foundation or Charities, and Smith Acad- emy in Hatfield.
Ringville and news of this kind are not seen mentioned in the papers of today. "Mr. Ripley of Granville passed through here (Ringville) with a heavy pair of oxen, bought in Conway. He reports it hard to find good heavy oxen, and the prospect is that they are going to be high."
The first telephone news of 1883 appeared in the Jan. 5th Republican: "Manager G. D. Sherwin of the local telephone exchange has been promoted and will take charge of larger territory in Vermont. A. E. Cross, who has been local operator, will take charge of the local exchange and Miss Hurd from the Lowell exchange will act as day operator." It will be ob- served that girls were beginning to replace the young men as operators. Manager Sherwin's assignment was in Burlington, Vermont.
The Hatfield telephone line appeared to be giving satis- faction, according to this Gazette item: "The telephone is found to be a very convenient agency for the easy transaction of business and a great benefit to the community."
The telephone was gaining favor. In April there were 171 subscribers, 21 more than on January Ist. In fact, business
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had so increased that a power generator was put in at Foote's button shop, the power being transmitted by wire.
Telephone activity was now switched to the Easthampton part of the exchange. On Aug. 30, 1883, the Republican stated that it was proposed to extend the telephone lines to Loudville and that the Supt. had been looking over the route from the Easthampton village. On September 12th, it was announced that connections were made the day before with Loudville by way of the Glenwood Mills. 1
The increase in the number of subscribers necessitated ad- ditional central office facilities, and in October a new switch- board was placed in position and an additional operator en- gaged. There were 196 subscribers Oct. 13, 1883, according to the Republican, which represents a growth of 59 during a little over eleven months.
This switchboard addition was the last of the telephone events which occurred in the Northampton exchange area during the existence of the Bay State Telephone Co. The pro- ceedings of the Northampton Exchange under the next con- solidation, The New England Telephone and Telegraph Co., will be given in Chapter 21.
PALMER EXCHANGE
The Massachusetts Telephone Co., to which the Palmer exchange belonged, and the Hampden Telephone Co. con- veyed their properties to the Bay State Telephone Co. on Sept. 1, 1882. The Western Massachusetts Telephone Co. was added to the system on September 13th. The new Bay State Telephone Co. created a Springfield Division, and Frank G. Daboll, who had been Manager of the Springfield exchange, was appointed Superintendent, and Mrs. Emma Weeman, who had been in charge of the Palmer Exchange, was now honored with the title of Manager, although, no doubt, she continued to keep a hand in at operating,-or rather hands.
An improved switchboard was installed according to the Palmer Journal: "The new switchboard for the telephone office arrived this week and is expected to be in working order within a day or two. It is smaller and more compact than the
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old board, although it will accommodate ten more wires, and is quite an ornamental piece of furniture, with several im- proved features which will facilitate the manipulation of the wires." The switchboard was reported working finely Novem- ber 25th.
There had been some consideration given by the Bay State Telephone Co. to adding Warren and West Warren to the Palmer Exchange in order to relieve their main line between Springfield and Worcester and possibly put Wilbraham on this 'circuit,' but the Journal reported on November 25th that the Company has decided not to bring Warren and West Warren into this exchange, but will connect them with the West Brookfield office, while North Wilbraham goes on to the Springfield exchange."
Rufus Taplin, who had been night operator, gave up his nocturnal duties and was reported to have departed for New York. His sojourn was of short duration, for on March 24th the Journal imparted this information: "Rufus Taplin is at his old place in the telephone office for a few days, during the absence of Arthur Merritt, the night operator, on account of sickness. Mr. Taplin goes to Springfield next month, to assist in the central office and work some on the lines."
A spring list of subscribers, including all the exchanges in Western Mass., as well as those in Worcester County, outside the city of Worcester, was issued by the Bay State Telephone Co. The list credited Palmer with 83 subscribers April 27, 1883, only one more than was reported about eight months previously. Worcester was reported elsewhere as belonging to the Boston and Northern Telephone Co.
There now followed several pole line projects which were reported by the Palmer Journal, May 11, 1883: "The Tele- phone Company is setting poles for a new line from Palmer to Stafford, Conn., which will open up telephone communica- tion with Stafford, Rockville, Willimantic and other points in that part of the state heretofore reached only by the way of Hartford. It is expected that the new telephone line to Stafford will bring Norwich and probably New London within tele- phonic reach of Palmer, while communication with Hartford will be much easier over this line than by the way of Spring-
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field, as at present." On July 6th it was reported that the Mas- sachusetts Company had completed the erection of its wire to the State line, and the Connecticut Company will probably finish theirs soon.
Then on September 7th: "At last the telephone line be- tween Palmer, Stafford and points down the New London Northern Railroad is completed."
The Journal, on May 25, 1883, printed this item: "The Telephone Company has this week run another wire to Three Rivers, and that village and Thorndike are now on separate wires. A telephone has been placed in the store of J. H. Thayer of Three Rivers."
It was reported July 6th that the telephone wire to Thorn- dike would soon be extended to Bondsville, and on September 28th this community was enjoying its benefits: "Telephones are in working order at the office of the Boston Duck Co. and Butler Sedgwick's market."
The officials of the Palmer Wire Co., who recently engaged in the manufacture of wire for fence posts, soon started the production of a new product, according to the Journal: "The Palmer Wire Co. has just concluded a contract with the Na- tional Bell Telephone Co., of Maine, for furnishing them some 1700 miles of telephone wire, a large part of which will go to Minnesota and Texas. It will take about 125 tons of wire to fill the order." The fact that part of this large shipment was to go all the way to Texas and Minnesota reflects the wide range of the Lowell Syndicate's interests. Not only did this syndicate control the National Bell Telephone Co. of Maine; but it also held a majority of the stock in the Erie Telephone Co., which served the whole of Texas, Arkansas and Min- nesota, and a portion of Dakota and Ohio.
After receiving this order from the Lowell Syndicate, it was reported that the Palmer Wire Co. was employing 60 men and was running night and day. Another article appeared Oct. 12, 1883, regarding this enterprising company: "The Palmer Wire Co. sends an exhibit of wire to the telephone convention at Cincinnati next week. The company has just completed an- other large contract for telephone wire, the filling of which will keep the mill running to its fullest capacity all winter."
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The new art of illumination was especially well set forth in the Journal of Sept. 21, 1883, under its Ware column:
"The George H. Gilbert Manufacturing Co. gave an exhi- bition of their electric light for the first time on Tuesday evening in their new building. The adjacent streets were bril- liantly lighted from the windows. The bridge, the street and the office yard were thronged with those who were eager to see the light, and parties were seen reading the papers in the street, which could be easily done. The gas lights about the village looked dim in comparison. The room in the new building, 223 x 113 feet, is lighted so brilliantly by twelve of the Weston Arc lights that colors could be matched on the sample card with the greatest nicety. The generator is not a large machine, occupying perhaps three by four feet floor space, but is run about 950 revolutions per minute, and re- quires about 14 horse power to run it. The cost of maintaining the light, after the first cost of the apparatus, is very slight where there is plenty of power to spare. At Gilbertville the company are running 200 Edison incandescent lamps, the generator being run 1500 revolutions per minute, requiring about twenty-five horse power."
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