Promoted from the Ranks.

H. M. Eldred, recently promoted to the general management of the Standard Telephone and Electric Company, of Madison, Wis., has been in the telephone business since 1895. His first service was with the Wisconsin Bell Telephone Company. His beginning was of the usual sort for a man with the right kind of ambition-in a very menial capacity. By application he soon mastered the details of his work and was promoted. His advance continued and he resigned the

E

H. M. ELDRED.

position of State Superintendent of Equipment in June, '02.

He took up work in the Independent line as traveling representative for the Standard. That his efforts in that capacity proved satisfactory is self-evident in his being selected for the general managership of the company.

Minnesota Independents to Meet.

The Minnesota Independent Telephone Association will hold its regular annual meeting Aug. 31 at the State Fair grounds in Minneapolis. The meeting will be held during the State Fair, and a large attendance is looked for. An excellent programme has been prepared.

The Minnesota Independent Telephone Association was organized June 10, 1902, at a meeting called at the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis. A constitution and bylaws were drawn up and adopted and the following officers were elected: President, Dr. J. H. James; first vice president, Hon. J. A. Tawney; second vice

president, J. J. Greaves; third vice president, E. L. Bradley; secretary, W. Howard Mears; treasurer, Joseph Lockey. Dr. James is still president of the association, while the offices of secretary and treasurer are filled by R. F. Clark of Hector and E. H. Moulton of Minneapolis. The association organized with ten memberships and has had a steady growth since that time. It is expected that a large number of new members will be enrolled at this meeting, and those contemplating such a move can get all the information they desire from the secretary, R. F. Clark, of Hector, Minn.

Preliminary plans to organize the Central Illinois Independent Telephone Association, to include every central Illinois independent telephone company, were made in Bloomington, Ill., recently. Albert Schuler, of Streator, was chairman of the meeting, and R. C. Critchfield, of Minier, was secretary. A committee was appointed to outline permanent organization plans.

The Northwestern Iowa Independent Telephone Association met at Arnolds Park, July 20.

There was an enormous increase in the use of the telephone in the German empire in 1902. There were 757,648,580 conversations by wire, an increase of 75,000,000 for the year, or more than 200,000 a day.

PERSONALS

William G. Norman has been selected to succeed Victor Stevens as manager of the Dubuque Telephone Company. Mr. Stevens continues to hold the position of president of the company.

Miss Clara Bourland, aged 16 years, daughter of W. E. Bourland, a prominent citizen of Dixon, Ky., was killed by lightning while talking over a telephone during a heavy thunderstorm, August 15.

The People's Telephone Co., of Sloan, Iowa, has incorporated for $15,000.

The Funston Long Distance Telephone Co., of St. Joseph, Mo., has incorporated for $15,000. The directors and stockholders are: Edmond B. Funston, Jesse G. Funston, J. J. Funston, and Thomas J. Porter.

The Dexter City (Ohio) Southwestern Telephone Co. has incorporated for $10,000 capital. The incorporators are B. T. Worrell, Adams Shriver, G. W. Hutcheson, J. B. Hutcheson, and L. D. Headley.

The Girard Telephone Co., of Girard, Ohio, was incorporated by E. H. Sotze, J. C. Koehl, E. L. Hauser, S. C. Hazen, J. G. Jones, W. J. Wallis, and R. T. Izant. The capital is $35,000.

The Iowa Telephone Co., of Ottumwa, Iowa, will make improvements to its system to cost $80,000. It will include a new central building and conduit work.

The Reddick Mutual Telephone Co., Reddick, Ill., has incorporated for $5,000.

The Burdett Home Telephone Co., of Burdett, Schuyler Co., N. Y., has incorporated for $5,000. The directors are H. R. Martin, H. M. Clark, and C. W. Daniels, all of Burdett.

The Galena (Kansas) Home Telephone Co. has incorporated for $10,000.

The Katy Telephone Co.. Elsmore, Kansas, has incorporated for $2,800.

The Mt. Pleasant Telephone Co., Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, has increased its capital

from $5,000 to $10,000. Mitchell Gallogher is the president.

The Cherry Valley Telephone Co., Cherry Valley, Ohio, has incorporated for $3,000.

The LaCrosse Interurban Telephone Co., LaCrosse, Wis., has purchased the Barre Mills line, which has 100 farmer subscribers.

The Fairfax Telephone Co., of Fairfax, Minn., has incorporated for $10,000. Their object is to build and maintain a local telephone exchange in Fairfax. The incorporators are C. W. Heinmann, E. F. Sell, William Dickmeyer, S. W. Smith, John Mahowald, A. E. Carver and Paul Albrecht.

White & Davis Telephone Co., Columbiana, Shelby County, Ala., has incorporated for $10,000. The incorporators are J. R. White, W. F. Davis, W. P. White and N. Davis.

The Oldham Telephone Co., of Oldham County, Ky., has increased its capital stock from $10,000 to $20,000.

The Adamsville Telephone Co., of Adamsville, Ohio, has increased its capital stock from $10,000 to $30,000.

The Youngstown Telephone Co.. of Youngstown, Ohio, has increased its capital stock from $200,000 to $400,000, with James B. Hoge as secretary.

The Lincoln County Rural Telephone Co., of Tryon, Pa., has incorporated for $5,000. The incorporators are T. D. Rush, J. N. Smith, A. G. Waiters, William Teegarden and G. W. Howerton.

The Illinois Telephone Co., of Jacksonville, Ill., has increased its capital stock from $100,000 to $500,000.

The Castle Creek & West Chenango Telephone Co., Binghamton, N. Y., has incorporated for $500.

The Himrods Telephone Co., of Himrods, N. Y., has incorporated for $2,000. The incorporators are C. M. Van Dyke, E. P. Porter and H. S. Voorthees.

The Cambria Co-operative Telephone Co., of Cambria, Wis., has incorporated for $1,000. H. W.Thomas, Chris. Hecker, E. D. Ford and others are the incorporators.

The Grant & Omega Rural Telephone Co., of Hartley, Iowa, has incorporated

for $4,000. C. E. Magee, president, and R. H. Wohler, secretary.

The Troy Telephone Co., Troy, I., has incorporated for $10,000. The incorporators are J. H. Steinhaus, J. W. Gornet and Chris. Busse, Jr.

The Hutchinson Telephone Exchange Co., Hutchinson, Minn., filed an amendment increasing its capital from $25,000 to $50,000.

The Amberg Telephone & Telegraph Co., of Amberg, Wis., has incorporated for $3,000. A. W. Larson, Geo. S. Robinson, James A. White, Louis Redeman and J. B. Woods are the incorporators. The Majenica Telephone Co., Majenica, Indiana; capital, $2,000.

The Cedarville-Stephenson County Telephone Co., Chicago. Ill.; capital stock. $7,000. The incorporators are S. W. Roberts, S. F. Newhall and H. M. Fisk.

The Deschutes Telephone Co., Bend, Oregon, has incorporated for $3,000. The incorporators are P. L. Tompkins, Geo. C. Steineman and W. E. Guerin, Jr.

The Boone County Rural Telephone Company, Belvidere, Ill., has incorporated for $2,500. Fred W. Plane, D. W. Barningham and H. S. Hicks are the incorporators.

Epoard's Point Telephone Company, Ocoya, Ill., has incorporated for $2,500. Incorporators are W. E. Fisk, W. W. Osborn and W. W. Wagner.

The Cypress Telephone Company, of Cypress, Ind., has incorporated for $2,500. John F. Edmond, John A. Neale, Edgar S. Long, Louis E. Sickle and Albert C. Kamp are the incorporators.

The Enid Rural Telephone Co., of Enid, Mo., has incorporated for $30,000. The incorporators are J. S. Brooks, John P. Maddux and H. S. Horner.

The Lewisburg Telephone Company, of Lewisburg, Ohio, has increased its capital from $10,000 to $20,000.

The Talma Telephone Co., of Talma, Ind., has incorporated for $5,000. S. J. Grove, Lou Grove and Omar C. Montgomery are the incorporators.

The Frederick Telephone Co., of Frederick, O. T., has incorporated for $5,000. The incorporators are J. M. Belamy, A.