* * The Cumberland Telephone Company was sued in Memphis by John C. Walsh, who demanded $100 a day damages for 93 days in which he alleged the Company failed to provide him telephone service. The suit was in one way complimentary to the Cumberland Company, demonstrating that at least one of its subscribers considered its service worth many times the price charged for it. The jury decided that the evidence was insufficient and refused to award damages. The New York Central Railroad is experimenting with a new device called the telemegraphone, which is intended to save the voices of the throaty heralds who are employed by railroads to sing out the departure of trains. When the telemegraphone is used, the announcer merely talks into a receiver similar to a telephone receiver. His message, several times magnified in tone, issues from several large brass horns located in different parts of the station. Independents Raise Rates. During the past few weeks many increases in rates have been made by independent telephone companies. The independents explained to the people that it was not possible to do business without loss on the schedule promised when application for a franchise was made. A few cases of rate-raising are printed below: Canal Dover, Ohio.-An advance of $6 from the former rates of $12 and $20. Lebanon, Ohio.-Rates for rural telephones raised from $1 to $1.25 per month. Delaware, Ohio. - Business telephones advanced from $2 to $2.50 and residence telephones from $1 to $1.50 per month. Kenosha, Wis.-Fifty cents per month added to the rates for both business and residence telephones. Clinton, Mo.-Increase of 25 cents per month for both business and residence telephones. Windsor, Mo.-Business rate raised from $1.50 to $1.75 and residence rate from $1 to $1.25 per month. North Platte, Neb.-Office telephones advanced from $1.50 to $2.00 a month if paid in advance, otherwise $2.25. Residence rates raised from $1.50 to $1.75 unless paid at the company's office in advance each month. TRAFFIC REPORTS The following reports are required monthly by The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company from managers. The names of the reports, form numbers and date when due are printed for their information. Reports are made to the division superintendents: The law of worthy life is fundamentally the law of strife. It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. ---Theodore Roosevelt. Mystery sometimes costs a great deal The Pacific Telephone Magazine more than it benefits. The man who tells The PACIFIC TELEPHONE MAGAZINE presents to its readers this month as a frontispiece an excellent reproduction of a photograph of Mr. E. J. Zimmer, VicePresident of of The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. Mr. ZimZimmer, while less than 40 years old, old, has been a telephone man for nearly twenty years. Coming west in 1889, he secured a position as clerk in the bookkeeping department of the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company. Subsequently he became bookkeeper in the Treasurer's office, and in 1898 was promoted to the important post of private secretary to the late President John I. Sabin. He was elected auditor of the company in 1900, and held this position for six years, becoming late in 1906, after the death of Mr. Sabin and the election of Henry T. Scott to the presidency, assistant to the president. On the reorganization which united the Pacific States and Sunset companies into a larger corporation, The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Mr. Zimmer was elected a vice-president, the position which he now holds. everybody his business loses the respect of his fellowmen, but just as surely, the man who makes a mystery of Letting the Public Know their good opinion. We are all familiar with the type of little, fussy man who goes about with "big deals" constantly just ahead and fails at paying his telephone bill. If the public, who are vitally interested, possessed more information regarding the intricate technical problems of the telephone business, there would be less criticism of large corporations engaged in it. For example, a few minutes' explanation of the switchboard is likely to dispel the impression common in many quarters that a telephone system consists of a machine that hangs on the wall or sits on the desk, some wires, and something to connect them. The average layman, on being shown a distributing rack, will cease to marvel that his line occasionally gets out of order, and will wonder instead that anyone can lead it through the maze to the proper jack. And, when it is explained to him that the central office equipment is necessarily intricate because the brains of many skilled artisans have succeeded in evolving a system of mechanical parts all dependent on one another and all working toward the one aim-good service he will appreciate better the value of the accommodation which he secures for his dollar or two a month. A telephone manager told us the other |