The Journal News from Hamilton, Ohio • Page 114

9X0. THE HAMILTON JOURNAL-NEWS--5Oifc -History Of Telephone In Hamilton Traced Back To Year 1875 M. -i. Wire Reached From Home To Shop By James See About Time Of Bell's Invention Others Interested And In 1880 Telephone Books In Hamilton Included 24 Names Thirteen of Butler County's Schools Serving Children in Rural Districts I these (lays' of scrambled trane-oeean'io telephone calls, it is a- little far fetched for people who always havo known phones to understand a civilization without them. Not many yeanfi ago, if a resident of East Hamilton (if there had been an East Hamilton) wanted to talk to a friend on tho West vSide, he would havo to walk or rido in a horse-drawn vehicle to Dick avenue (It there had been Dick avenue.) Thft telephone batlu't even come into its owii when the Journal-Nova iirsfc appoared on tho strccle of Hamilton on December 20, 1886.

It was a fledgling with less than 150 business firms and residences having the service. They Oalled It Service They called it eervicc in those days, but if people today harl to submit to it these days, thevo'd he- no end 1 complaints and tho telephone company would have tlie Utilities commission on ite neck all of the lime, and the thousands who have phones would order them out forthwith. Today, any telephone user in Hamilton, or for that matter any place in tho nation, may sit in hie office or home, lift the receiver from the liook and ask the operator to get him his neighbor--and his neighbor may live in San Francisco, Joliet Berlin, London or even Sydney. Aiistrailin, or Tokyo. If he lives in this country, the operator would probably tell him to on the line and in a minute or two his neighbor's voice would come over the wire.

1C he lived abroad--in any of the principal cities the glpbe, she probably would ask him to hang up his receiver and sho would call him back. In ten, 15 or maybe 20 minutes, thto call would he put through and the connections made. Today most trans-oceanic calls ftro made by wire and wireless. Put when the ft jvfnye if have boon clenrcd, phono messages have been completed Around the world in two minutes. Jinny HnraiUonians Jtnve talked to people in foreign capitals and the nonvereiUions are clear and distinct.

The calls usually are completed in le.ss thnn Jinlf nn hour, according to Stephen Robinson, a ager the Hamilton branch of the Cincinnati nnd Suburban Bell Telephone company, and Myron L. Smith, former local mannger, and now publicity director for the company in Cincinnati. That Scrambled Stuff When Iho call is placed here for London instance, it is taken by wire to the coast nnd then acmes tlj! waters by wireless. What's to prevent persons for whom the conversation is not intended from picking it np, is one of tlie irfit questions of the layman? Here is where one the major fiovelopmenlfl of the last few years in telephone comes in. The convcrsat ion is so scrambled when it Joavps tho wires a it would not be understandable or make sense.

When it reaches the receiving instrument on the other fiilo of: the water, however, the talk unscrambled and poes to the receiver clear and distinct and as it leaves the wires. A matter of fractions of A scc- Pictured here are 13 of the structures in Butler comity's school system. In the top row, left to i Wayne, Oxford-Stewart, Trenton, Milford, Hanover. Middle row, left to right: Somerville, Lemon-Monroe, Union and Rosa. At the bottom: Seven Mile, Fairfield and Morgan.

In addition to these, two junior high schools have been established this year at Amanda and Maple Park, Lemon township. st that-time, was making Hamilton known in the markets of the wurld. The Tirat Telephone Under tho supervision of Mr. See- an acoustic telephone was strung from his residence to the Niles office, about aix blocks away. Copper wire wa.i need, suspended from house tops and held by sticks and ropes.

According to tho best information obtainable, the time just about the date when the nvention of Prof. Bell was announced. The receiving and sending was by Iho samo instrument and talking was not very satisfactory. Ordinary tin cans were used at each end of the wire and this wire was attached to a sheepskin drawn taut over tho top of the can. Tapping on the sheepskin with a led pencil was the method of notifying the party at either end of the phone that he was wanted.

When tbo Bell invention was announced, Mr. See builfc receivers similar to those carried in the newspaper descriptions, using the sheepskins, however, for signaling. Later Mr. See built magnetic call boxes. J.

McMacken Interested Another early Hamiltonian interested in the- development the telephone was Joseph J. Mc3fa then correspondent for tho Cincinnati Enquirer. He nnd Mr. See merged their interests and it was not before there iverc six phones in Hamilton--imagine it Ibis late day! There was considerable competition at tbo time for control of tbc new industry. Many sought rights and privileges.

The patent of Prof, Bell was fought through the courts Mr. Sec- designed tho first switchboard crude compared to present standards, but it was sufficient to accommodate 12 telephones and built in the home of Mr, McMacken The First Long Distance In tho meantime, loo, other cities had similar experiences and com panics were being formed to buih lines. One of those was in Cin i a i Tlte development was rapid various interests saw the oppor tnnities the telephone offered in tin way of long distance communion tion. The Cincinnati Tctcphon company, about March 1, 18SO, con fitnrcted a polo line to HnmiUor Mr. McMacken was clerk of th Hamilton city council and had or lained from it a franchise for tbi city.

The Cincinnati company con nected with (he Hamilton system and on March 13, 1880, the first long distance telephone message was sent out of Hamilton. It was a news dispatch from Mr. MoMnckcn to the Enquirer. Many messages were sent that same day and the event was epoch-making in the history of the Hamilton and the Cincinnati of 50 years ago. The Cincinnati and McMaoken interests merged and in April of 1S80 the first list of Hamilton appeared in the Cincinnati list.

Here they are: City and Suburban Telegraph ssocifltion, a Exchange, Jigb street, opposite courthouse, i'irst National bank, High street nd Journal Square (then Riloy treet.) Second National bank, 221 High treet. Hilker a Sons, druggists, 'bird opposite canal. J. W. See, consulting engineer )pera.

House Block. Chief of Police, Water street. Chief of Fire Department, Buek- pye street. City building, Water street. Fertilizing Contractor, street.

Mayor's office, Water street. First, Second, Third ward engine Joseph B. Hughes, carpets, wall paper. High and Third streets. Butler county courthouse.

People's Mill, J. W. Cart and yon, Flour and Grain, East fifreet. Cone and Maxwell Manufactur- ng company, machine shops, Third street. Niles Tool Works, machine shops, Third street.

Rilejiic, Dyer and company, machine shops, Vino and Railroad. Tho- Long and Allslatter company, machine shops, Third street. Daily News, C. M. Campbell, High street.

Beckett, Laurie and company Beckett Paper company) paper manufacturers, Lowell a Buckeye streets. Louis Snicler's Sons, paper manufacturers, Front and Buckeye fitrects. George Tangoman and company paper manufacturer, Opera House Block. Joseph J. McMacken, residence Ludlow street.

C. H. and D. R. J.

H. Hylnnd agent, freight depot. C. H. nnd D.

R. J. H. Hy land, agent, passenger depot. Everybody Used 'Em Like tlie early 20's when every body with a workable radio sc called In all his friends and neighbors to hear the programs, so the early subscribers for the telephone, found their friends and neighbors ready to take a look at the instrument and to take a chance on the.

new experience of talking for miles." When the Cincinnati company and McMac'kcu merged their interests, a new location for an exchange obtained at 230 High street, and there it remained until 1906 when the Bell company moved into its present home at Second and' Ludlow streets. As. additional'' subscribers 'were obtained, it became necessary to arrange a new system of calling instead of tho old one of calling by; Numbers were 'substituted- and because of bis pioneer service, number one was given to Mr. See. The company also began the construction of lines to the and in a few years, then vas hardly a town in Butler oounly bat was not connected i the TMtskle ivorld by telephone.

Telephones Increase This did not mean, however, that subscribers were plentiful, as people would consider 'them today. Records of tho Bell company show that on March 1, 1884, thoro were only 91 telephones in This had increased to 251 by January 1, 1808, 396 by 1900, 1272 by by M09 and 5570 by 1923. The pro-depression peak was in April, 1930, when there vcro 10,742 phones out of the Hamilton office. In 1902, the Hamilton Home company was organized jy local inteiVof.i with A. B.

Craw- as the first manager. The offices were located at Second and Market streets over the present Dargue Drug store. Following Mr. Crawford, Gilbert Tliomjgon was manager for several years and he was succeeded by Frank Binkley who liolil the position until a short i before il was over in 1910 by the i i a i and Suburban HP'! Telephone company. James manager and wire chief at i of the sale.

MANY OF LARGEST VAULTS BY MOSLER and vestibule, now recognized as tho only proper mclhod of construction. It developed torch and drill resisting metnls that havo never succumbed to attack of (lie bank robber. In building up its business, it has throughout the years brought work to hundreds of Many of the-world's largest Bafcs and vaults are mnde in Hamilton, which for 46 years Itae been the homo of tlie Moeler Safe aompauy. This buemoefi wns estnblished in Cinchnjufj Jjy the Moslcr Brothers William and Julius--al! of whom virtually were brought up in the eafe business. The first fact ory was looated on Penrl stveet, Cincinnati, but it eoon expanded to the limits of the site on which it linil been Iniilt and another hud to 1)0 chosen.

The secoucl location on Gh'eet and tho third on Front slreot, Cincinnati, likewise were speedily outgrown, eo itVas determine cl bv (lie Moeler brolhem to move out nf and lo a location a nLToi'dcd room for modern fuctory with plenty of room or expiui.sion. Came To Hamilton It wns in 1890 that this projec came "with the co-operation of tho business and eiviu leaders this community, tlia present sit was eelccttrcrr It le bounded by th Pennsylvania railroad on tho easi Grand boulevard on tho north, Lin coin avenue ou the south fit caia, now a boulevard, on tho wesl In coming to Hamilton; the- com pany brought nil of its skilled ar tisnns and its office force, who fo the most part have since lived hero taking an active part in tho and social life. The majority them have built then 1 homes in Ens Tamilton, close to tho factory and home owners, taxpayers and good itizena a valuable Rsset the community. Spreads Hamilton Tame The name- of Hamilton had been prend not only throughout tho na- ion, hut throughout the ivorld hrougli the products and by tho cprpeentative.s of tho company. Vhcrever safes and vaults are uficd, hero the name of Monler will he 'ound, whether in Sonth Europe, West Indies, Asia Minor, Japan, China, Manchukuo or anywhere- else.

Yalking into almost any store or sank, the Americans sees the legend; "The Moslcr Safe Company, HnmiHon, Ohio, II. S. As Hamilton grew and prospered BO dicl the Hosier Safe company Since achieving its supremacy in tho safe and vault business, it never has relinquished that position. I has been responsible for more the improvements and advance ments in the art than any compel itor. Perhaps the most prominent Its recent achievements been (he building of ilie vaults for (he United States gold reserve at Ft.

Knox, Ky. Some Of Its Products The company produces sued well known items as tho screw door eafo, Corlies safe, manganese safe, manganese vaults, and it pioneered in the cn.st fitrel Iwink vault During the long years of ile history, it has nccpiired a number other safe companies, thus bring to Hamilton, in many cases work that otherwise would have gone- elsewhere. Some of theee com panics included the Cincinnati Saf company, tho Corliss Safe company of Providence, R. the McNeal and Urban Snfo company, Hamil ton, and the National Safe com pany of Cleveland. Acquisition of the Clevcluid com puny has been made within the pne year, the name, good will and rec ord.s being purchased.

The. Mosler brothers who founde 16 were seldom far apart ulins died early in the history ho organization but the work arried on by M. and William or, working sh mil tier to should Dust Storms, 1934 Surprise When Hamilton people md of llie diKrt atonni of tke Mit- stesippi ID the spring of 1934, they little thought they would direct and immediate sufferers from storms. It shortly after Doom on Thursday, Mty 10, IBM, thtt the western horizon gradually darkened. Higher and higher went what appeared to be a miaty cloud.

Then in a 50-mile-an-hour gale it suddenly sirept over the city--a dust storm from the Far West. Many a housewife unprepared for a condition found her housa filled with dust which went into every corner and crevice. It wai Hamilton's first experience with a dust storm. Others of a rather inor nntnre followed but did little no damage. In the storm of May 10, the air as so filled with dust that a per- standing at High street and ouuincnt avenue could not Me entschler building.

Hamilton also felt the effects of spring drought of 1934 when it for seventeen days for a ack of rain when most needed. This ght was broken by a heavy ownpour of rain on May 14. An- heat wnve with accompany- drought came the latter part of fay but was less severe and much horter iu duration. They were rcnl progressive Amen an business men, whose couraj oresifjht nnil ability were reepo ible for tho growth of the com puny. M.

Hosier continued as of the company until loath in 1922. Ho was succeed by Edwin II. itosler and it has he xiuder hifi guidance that the co pany has reached ile highest poi of development from both a tech cal and a commercial standpoi Ho still is president and in actual active control of the company's destinies. "DREAM" OF BIG LAKE NEAR CITY HAS Oiia of the dreams for Hamilton tlmt never materialized was the suggestion of a plan, made in 1932, for the establishment of a lake approx imatoly five miles in length in the vicinity of Hamilton, this lake to be surrounded by a state park. There was discussion, but that was all, of the TWO MARKETS FOR SALE OF WOOD 'Unity living today when Hamilton had a wood market -in fact, two them.

Coal was scarce or unknown in he earlier history of the eity and vood from the foreate all about, raft brought to by farm- rs and sold. The wen about the and when he- city hall now stands. It usually wac cut in cord and sold in large or qnanti- depending on the capacity ot he dealer to handle and the ability of the buyer to pay. THOSE WERE THE DATS It would be interesting to know the name of all the "laoaftef fifty ago still living ilton and Butler county with (heir hid "hook-and- Inilder" and helped to ex- tinguish-many'harmless they intentionally staged. Boys of those yean from ten to twelve years of age bought up bones, old rage and from which they derived little and pin money.

If they eoald make ten day they thought that wm a lot of money. When orMhoM na they wen Dsnall.r Kirn either a two-cent or a three-eent coin for their compensation, pieces of money were very prevalent fifty tgo. T. F. Glenn of Mercer, re- ported'in late October that i on his place had sprouted a sseobd crop of 17 appiea.

o.r FOKD PLANT MADE JULY 12, 1918 Following many rumors over many monlhs, formal announcement was made J'-, a Henry Ford would open a tractor building plant here. Later the plant was built, primarily for Ibis purpose, but Ford converted it into the present auto parts shop. Remember The Radio Onr memories take us back ten and 15 years and we can recall the radio crazo which swept the country, Every newspaper was' carry- iihjj in.structions on how to' build a sell Special radio magazines were published on the infant 'topic of radio and it seemed that almost everyone was buying wire and equipment for these tiny sets --not overlooking the earphones! Tho craze wne country wido; enthusiasm wns at a high pitch for several yeans. Imagine tho period about 1878 to 1882 when tho telephone was heralded fis the latest means of communication. A simitar craze struck the country and men and boys and all who 'could rig up their small telephone to test them out.

Ton older Hamiltom'ans Did you havo a set I Now To History The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Boll jn '1875; the following year he made application for a a and placed Ithe new contrivance on exhibition fit Iho Centennial Exposition in iPhiladclpbia. Koedlpffl to say, it was one of tlie wonders of that big eliow. I At that limp loo, one of Hnmil- Jion notable citizens was James W. a patent attorney, who even then was known throughout One of his clients the Tool works not the grent ot today but the smaller shop I Building For and With Hamilton for Over 40 Years A. BENZING SONS General Contractors Office 709 S.

Ninth St. Phone 3964 Many of Hamilton's and Butler county's most substantial structures, which today stand as silent but enduring testimony of honest and conscientious craftsmanship, were built by A. Renzing and Sons. To have been so closely identified with the jrrowth. and development of this community over 30 many, many years, is Progress Our progress is Hamilton's Progress.

WE BUILD FOR PERMANENCE 1879-1936 FOR 57 YEARS WE HAVE SERVED HAMILTON and VICINITY With the Best In Our Line IRON FIREMAN AUTOMATIC COAL BURNERS ARE THE LAST WORD IN GOAL BURNERS GRENADIER DUST-TREATED STOKER COAL is UNSURPASSED IN A COAL BURNER CAVALIER, GOLD BOND, MILTRENA LITWAR AND AETNA ARE SOME OF THE BETTER COALS FOR HAND FIRING THE REX FURNACE REGULATOR WILL GIVE YOU UNIFORM HEAT-REDUCE YOUR FUEL BILL We Invite You To Deal With Us The ANDERSON-SHAFFER PHONES 47-160.