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Page 184 TELEPHONE AND
TELEGRAPH
DuBois was without a telephone exchange until 1891. On
the 4th of September that year the Central District Printing &
Telegraph Company, of Pittsburgh, obtained a franchise to build pole
lines on the streets, alleys and squares of the Borough. This
concern then secured a number of subscribers and put in an exchange.
At that time the Telephone Company was very liberal, as
it gave free service as far west as Clarion, south to Punxsutawney
and north to Brockwayville. The line between Clearfield and DuBois
remained a toll line. There was no other telephone service until
1897. Prior to 1897 the C. D. & P. Telephone Company concluded it
was giving too much free service and commenced to curtail the number
of exchanges to which a free service was granted, beginning with
Clarion, then Brookville, Punxsutawney and other localities. This
company also tried to compel people who did not have a telephone to
pay toll for the use of some one else's telephone in the Borough.
This produced a revolution and in 1897 what was known as the
Summerville Telephone Company was organized, with headquarters at
Brookville, Pa. The principal stockholders of this concern were
around Brookville, New Bethlehem and Clarion. A large number of
people in DuBois also subscribed for stock.
On the 28th of December, 1897 a franchise was given to
this company to establish an exchange in DuBois. The free service
was quite liberal, extending to Punxsutawney, Falls Creek,
Brockwayville, Reynoldsville and Brookville. This company made a
very liberal charge for its phone service, making a telephone charge
to business houses of $2.00 per month and to private residences of
$1.50, and placed this rate in the ordinance. It was not long until
the Summerville Telephone Company had about all the business there
was in DuBois and if it had had a long distance connection, the Bell
Telephone would have been out of existence, so far as DuBois was
concerned.
Some time after this a country line, called the S. U.
B. Telephone. Company was organized and located its exchange at
Luthersburg. This Telephone Company arranged with the Summerville
Company to take care of its DuBois patrons. This telephone company
reached throughout Sandy, Brady, Union and Bloom Townships. It was
organized on up-to-date business principles and gave a service at
about $6.00 per year. This company made an arrangement with the
Summerville Company to build a toll line through to Curwensville to
connect with the Clearfield and Huntingdon Company, another
independent concern. This was a very profitable arrangement to both
companies and continued until the Bell Telephone Company finally
absorbed the Summerville. However, the S. U. B. Telephone Company
maintains its own exchange at Luthersburg under the arrangements
made with the Summerville concern. At this writing it seems strange
that a town the size of DuBois had inadequate means of communication
with the outside world,
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