494 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



telephone exchange (Bridgeport), the first private branch exchange 

 system (Ansonia), and the first telephone toll lines regularly connected 

 to operating commercial telephone exchanges. 



On February 12, 1878, territory was assigned to the New England 

 Telephone Company, of Boston. On March 8, 1878, a license was 

 granted to the American District Telegraph Company, of St. Louis, 

 and on July 3, 1878, a license was granted for New York City and 

 including a radius of thirtv-three miles. 



This activity created quite a demand for telephones, and by. the end 

 of July, 1878, over 12,000 had been placed. Thus it was deemed wiser 

 to organize a larger and more flexible corporation. So, on July 30, 

 3 878, Mr. Hubbard organized the Bell Telephone Company, of Boston, 

 under the laws of Massachusetts, to manufacture, sell and use tele- 

 phones outside of New England, and capitalized it at $150,000. Mr. 

 Hubbard was trustee, Mr. Sanders, treasurer, Dr. Bell, electrician, and 

 Thomas A. Watson, superintendent. This company acquired all the 

 patents, property and rights of its predecessor, the Bell Telephone Asso- 

 ciation, and its headquarters remained at the Williams factory at 109 

 Court Street. 



This second parent company entered into nine formal agreements 

 granting exclusive rights to use Bell telephones in certain specified 

 territory, and did such excellent work in developing the opening of 

 exchanges, that some 22,000 telephones were in service when, on March 

 13, 1879, it was deemed the wiser plan to organize a new parent com- 

 pany having sufficient financial backing combined with the personal and 

 commercial influence that would enable the business to be handled on 

 the large scale that ripening conditions demanded. So the National 

 Bell Telephone Company was chartered under the laws of the state of 

 Massachusetts, and the company capitalized at $850,000. The executive 

 offices of this parent company were moved to New York, in August, 

 1878, and located at 66 and 68 Beade Street. A year later the com- 

 pany moved back to Boston and secured offices at 95 Milk Street. 



The officials and directors of the National Company were: 



W. H. Forbes, President. Alexander Graham Bell, Electrician. 



G. L. Bradley, V.-Pres. and Treasurer. Francis Blake, Jr., Electrician. 



T. N. Vail, General Manager. O. E. Madden, Supt. of Agencies. 



Thomas A. Watson, General Inspector. 



Directors 



William H. Forbes, Francis Blake, Jr., Charles Eustis Hubbard, 



Charles S. Bradley, Richard S. Fay, Alexander Cochrane, 



Gardiner G. Hubbard, George Z. Silsbee, George L. Bradley. 



Thomas Sanders, William G. Saltonstall, 



Executive Committee 



W. H. Forbes, Gardiner G. Hubbard, Francis Blake, Jr. 



R. S. Fay, Thomas Sanders, 



Now to turn back a year. Before the close of 1878, men successful 

 in other lines of industry perceived that if the crude and limited 



