Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/335

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES in g (his road through to completion in the face u f difficulties which would have appeared in­ surmountable to most men. Against all ob­ stacles he persevered, and the opening of the road was a great personal triumph. T he road is now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com pany and is an important link in that great system o f railroads. Some years later the name w as changed to the Sunbur)% Hazle­ ton & Wilkes-Barrc railroad. In i88i the North and Wcst Elranch rail­ road w as opened from Catawissa to WilkesB arre. T his branch w as built by Rev. D. J. W aller and now forms an important branch of the road running from Sunbury to WilkesBarre. T his road was also pushed to comple­ tion amidst many difficuhics and obstacles. It also is now a part of the Pennsylvania rail­ road system. About 1887 the W^ilkcs-Barre & Western railroad was opened through a portion o f Limestone, Anthony and l^ r r y townships, givin g railroad facilities to Washingtonville and the surrounding country that were greatly appreciated by the people o f that region. These railroads were welcomed as modem and advanced means o f transit. They carried the people from one town to another. But the need was still felt o f some means o f connect­ ing the towns with the country lying in betw'een— the throbbing world that did not live in town but yet was bound by business and social ties to the town—those communities through which the railroad train whirled, with saucy look and independent move. T o supply this want came the clcctnc rail­ w ay in t ^ 3; and now Danville, supplied with railroad and trolley facilities, looks W k with wonder and amusement to the oklen days o f (he Indian path, turnpike and canal. T he Danville & Bloomsburg Street Railway Company constructed an electric road betw'cen Danvillc*and Bloomsburg in J903. T he Dan­ ville & Riverside Street R ailw ay Company, about the same time, constructed an electric railw ay along Mill street to the Delaware, I^ckaw anna & Western railroad crossing and across the river bridge to the south side, and up M arket street to the State Hospital. These lines o f railw ay have been constantly operated and are now* irarts of the great in­ terna I improvements which Danville feels are indispensable to her com fort and welfare.

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Before the electric railw ays cante the tele-* phone lines, which connected Danville with tlie world at large. In 1880 the North Pennsyl­ vania Telephone Company extended its line from Williamsport to Danville. T his was part of the Bell telephone system. T he office was located in the present O’Conner building on M ill street, opposite the opera house; and Mr. W. J. Arm cs, the manager of the Western Union 'rdcgraph Company, was the first Bell telephone nunnagcr. 1 he first Bell telephone cstablislied in Danville was in the "City Hotel.” Mr. Arm es employed M iss Martha IJo yd as the first Bell telephone operator in the tow*n. Other operators in the employ of this company prior to May, iQOO, were Miss M ary Lloyd, now dcccaseecn in the employ of the company for fifteen years. The office of the company w as afterw ards moved to the second floor of the Lyons building, and still later to its present location in the Swentek building. The managers following M r. Arm cs have been A l. Craw ford, John Kenyon, John Conway, E lw o ^ Matccr, Reuben ^^ Kintzcr and John S. Brace, the present efficient manager. The growth o f this company’s business has I>ccn rapid. T w o hundred and eighty-six telephones were connected with the m n ville exchange on Feb. i, 19 15. In 1899 the Montour & Columbia Telephone Company entered Danville. It established an office in the O pera House block, where for sixteen years it has competed with (he Bell Telephone Company fo r the "hello” business of the town. Charles P. Hancock was presi­ dent of the Montour & Columbia Company, and Frank C . Angle, secretary and treasurer, (icoigc B. W right was managbr. T he com­ pany at present is the United Telegraph & Telephone Company. It had two hun<lred and seventy-two ’phones connected with the Dan­ ville exchange Feb. i . 19 (5. T he present manager is Martin V ’ithington, and the chief V operator is M iss M cKinney, who has been in the employ of the company for five years. T he streets o f Danville have been much im­ proved within the last ten years. Mill street, East Market street. East Front street and RIoom street have all been paved. Other streets have been put in first<lass condition.