Historical Clippings Book (HC-11) (314 pages)

yo Vas FRENCH CORRAL RIDGE TELEPHONE COMPANY HAD FIRST SUCCESSFUL LONG DISTANCE LINE IN OPERATION DURING 1878 Although the telephone was invented on the Atlantic seaboard the daring long distance experiments of the Ridge Telephone Company in Nevada and Sierra counties made history in the latter years of the nineteenth century. The company built and operated the first long distance telephone line in the world for swift communication in the hydraulic mines of the San Juan ridge. It was in the days when Alexander Graham Bell and his Bell company were racing with the Western Union Telegraph Company for control of the “speaking” machines. worked feverishly to perfect their invention. . Thomas Edison and, his associates on behalf of the Western Union, worked to perfect theirs. ‘yights to the telephone although Edison’s invention of the carbon transmitter made Bell’s instruments commercially practicable. The telephones installed by the pioneer Ridge Telephone Company were Edison phones as they were popularly called although the name, “American Speaking Telephone Co.” was stamped on each box. In the years that have passed since the court’s decision, Edison’s part in the development of the telephone has been almost, forgotten. : ; “According to the records of the American Telephone and Tele? @ graph Company, the first long distance line was 45 miles in length, and ran between Boston, Mass., and Providence, R. I. It was built in 1880. The Ridge company’s line was 60 miles in length, and ex-’ tended from French Corral in Nevada county to Milton, in Sierra: county. It was built in 1878. Original letters and documents still in existence prove the date. Furthermore the New England line was unsuccessful and was immediately torn down. The Ridge line _was not only successful but was operated until after the beginning of the present century. The first annual statement of. the Ridge Telephone company showed quite a deficit. Expenses from Dec. 1, 1878, to Dec. 1, 1879, were $2,993.08; and receipts were $464.03 after paying $201.51 to Western Union for interline messages. Profit or no profit, the convenience of the system is what the operators wanted. They were in the gold mining business. The San Juan Ridge was the center of operation for three mammoth hydraulic gold mining companies—the Milton Mining and Water Company, French Corral; the Eureka Lakes and Yuba Canal Companies, North San Juan; and the North Bloomfield Blue Gravel Mining Company, North Bloomfield. All three were, in the late seventies, huge corporations controlling mining oOpeartiuns on the tremendously rich ridge. Some of their mines were as much as sixty miles from the mountain reservoirs high in the Sierras, and towards the end of summer, when water was scarce, quick communication became vital, When news of the invention of the telephone reached these miners they were struck with the apparent ability of this instrument to annihilate space. It was just what they wanted—if it would work. : Instant control from the mines over the various ditch systems that carried veritable rivers of water down the ridge meant the elimination of immense water losses, which would prolong the mining season—and that meant more gold. , These three companies formed the Ridge Telephone Company and commissioned the California Electrical Works in San Francisco to build a 60-mile line—and to make it work! The contractors built it and it worked—for more than twenty years. : { 0 ot iL) Bell and his associates: The supreme court gave the Bell company the .exclusive _ telephone.’ That Ridge Telephone Of the Ridge Telephone Company, the “first long-distance line in the world,” the Knave has had stories in the past, the most comprehensive coming from Charles E. Mooser, M.D., of this city. Recent references to the line, and stories of other early engineering and mechanical accomplishments, have aroused so much interest, I believe another yarn of that telephone line is in order. The Ridge line was associated with hydraulic mining and Dr. Mooser has special interest in both, as his family was directly concerned as stockholders of both the Milton and North Bloomfield Companies. His uncle, Henry Pichoir, was a director and his brother Joseph was the right-hand office man. Pichoir was also American representative of the London Exploration Company which controlled most of the South American and African mining companies. Offices of the companies were in the ‘old Halleck Block, Sansome and Halleck, San Francisco. Adjoining offices were occupied by L. L. Robinson, president of the companies and J. B. Randol, director, and Thomas Bell. Other directors had offices near. Still another director was Judson of the famous Judson Iron Works. As a youth Dr. Mooser frequently visited the mines at French’ Corra!, _and other places, was familiar with local of/ ficials and knew all about the troubles with the Farmers Association and the fight to close the i\mines. The fight succeeded, feeling for a time ‘ran high and some feuds were started. It is from Dr. Mooser and out of this background that I am giving you the telephone story. A Maker of History “During the last half-century America has lost track of the Ridge Telephone Company, has forgotten its name and its accomplishments —which is a pity,” says Dr. Mooser. For although the telephone was invented on the Atlantic seaboard, this daring organization made history by building and operating the first longdistance telephone system in the world. The time was the late 1870s; the place, strangely enough, was the hydraulic gold-mining fields of Nevada County, California. It was in the days /when Alexander Graham Bell and his Bell Company were racing with the Western Union Telegraph Company for control of the ‘speaking Bell and his associates worked feverishly to perfect their invention; Thomas Edison and his associates, on behalf of the.

yo Vas FRENCH CORRAL RIDGE TELEPHONE COMPANY HAD FIRST SUCCESSFUL LONG DISTANCE LINE IN OPERATION DURING 1878 Although the telephone was invented on the Atlantic seaboard the daring long distance experiments of the Ridge Telephone Company in Nevada and Sierra counties made history in the latter years of the nineteenth century. The company built and operated the first long distance telephone line in the world for swift communication in the hydraulic mines of the San Juan ridge. It was in the days when Alexander Graham Bell and his Bell company were racing with the Western Union Telegraph Company for control of the “speaking” machines. worked feverishly to perfect their invention. . Thomas Edison and, his associates on behalf of the Western Union, worked to perfect theirs. ‘yights to the telephone although Edison’s invention of the carbon transmitter made Bell’s instruments commercially practicable. The telephones installed by the pioneer Ridge Telephone Company were Edison phones as they were popularly called although the name, “American Speaking Telephone Co.” was stamped on each box. In the years that have passed since the court’s decision, Edison’s part in the development of the telephone has been almost, forgotten. : ; “According to the records of the American Telephone and Tele? @ graph Company, the first long distance line was 45 miles in length, and ran between Boston, Mass., and Providence, R. I. It was built in 1880. The Ridge company’s line was 60 miles in length, and ex-’ tended from French Corral in Nevada county to Milton, in Sierra: county. It was built in 1878. Original letters and documents still in existence prove the date. Furthermore the New England line was unsuccessful and was immediately torn down. The Ridge line _was not only successful but was operated until after the beginning of the present century. The first annual statement of. the Ridge Telephone company showed quite a deficit. Expenses from Dec. 1, 1878, to Dec. 1, 1879, were $2,993.08; and receipts were $464.03 after paying $201.51 to Western Union for interline messages. Profit or no profit, the convenience of the system is what the operators wanted. They were in the gold mining business. The San Juan Ridge was the center of operation for three mammoth hydraulic gold mining companies—the Milton Mining and Water Company, French Corral; the Eureka Lakes and Yuba Canal Companies, North San Juan; and the North Bloomfield Blue Gravel Mining Company, North Bloomfield. All three were, in the late seventies, huge corporations controlling mining oOpeartiuns on the tremendously rich ridge. Some of their mines were as much as sixty miles from the mountain reservoirs high in the Sierras, and towards the end of summer, when water was scarce, quick communication became vital, When news of the invention of the telephone reached these miners they were struck with the apparent ability of this instrument to annihilate space. It was just what they wanted—if it would work. : Instant control from the mines over the various ditch systems that carried veritable rivers of water down the ridge meant the elimination of immense water losses, which would prolong the mining season—and that meant more gold. , These three companies formed the Ridge Telephone Company

and commissioned the California Electrical Works in San Francisco to build a 60-mile line—and to make it work! The contractors built it and it worked—for more than twenty years. : { 0 ot iL) Bell and his associates: The supreme court gave the Bell company the .exclusive _ telephone.’ That Ridge Telephone Of the Ridge Telephone Company, the “first long-distance line in the world,” the Knave has had stories in the past, the most comprehensive coming from Charles E. Mooser, M.D., of this city. Recent references to the line, and stories of other early engineering and mechanical accomplishments, have aroused so much interest, I believe another yarn of that telephone line is in order. The Ridge line was associated with hydraulic mining and Dr. Mooser has special interest in both, as his family was directly concerned as stockholders of both the Milton and North Bloomfield Companies. His uncle, Henry Pichoir, was a director and his brother Joseph was the right-hand office man. Pichoir was also American representative of the London Exploration Company which controlled most of the South American and African mining companies. Offices of the companies were in the ‘old Halleck Block, Sansome and Halleck, San Francisco. Adjoining offices were occupied by L. L. Robinson, president of the companies and J. B. Randol, director, and Thomas Bell. Other directors had offices near. Still another director was Judson of the famous Judson Iron Works. As a youth Dr. Mooser frequently visited the mines at French’ Corra!, _and other places, was familiar with local of/ ficials and knew all about the troubles with the Farmers Association and the fight to close the i\mines. The fight succeeded, feeling for a time ‘ran high and some feuds were started. It is from Dr. Mooser and out of this background that I am giving you the telephone story. A Maker of History “During the last half-century America has lost track of the Ridge Telephone Company, has forgotten its name and its accomplishments —which is a pity,” says Dr. Mooser. For although the telephone was invented on the Atlantic seaboard, this daring organization made history by building and operating the first longdistance telephone system in the world. The time was the late 1870s; the place, strangely enough, was the hydraulic gold-mining fields of Nevada County, California. It was in the days /when Alexander Graham Bell and his Bell Company were racing with the Western Union Telegraph Company for control of the ‘speaking Bell and his associates worked feverishly to perfect their invention; Thomas Edison and his associates, on behalf of the.