DEVELOPMENT OF TELEPHONE SERVICE 49 



' telephone engineer.' That is why Mr. Coy had not only to plan his 

 own central exchange system, but also to devise the necessary switching 

 mechanism for his central office. 



Confiding his plan to his friend, Herrick P. Frost, the latter agreed 

 to assist Mr. Coy. Not that Mr. Frost knew aught about the telephone 

 or telegraph, but because he wanted to make a place for his son, then 

 about sixteen. Neither Coy nor Frost could spare the funds necessary 

 to build the exchange system, so Mr. Frost borrowed six hundred dol- 

 lars from his brother-in-law, Walter Lewis, organized the New Haven 

 District Telephone Company, secured a charter, and issued capital 

 stock having a par value of five thousand dollars. Of this amount 

 Coy and Frost subscribed for $2,000 each and $1,000 was transferred 

 in November, 1877, to the parent Bell company for a license granting 

 the exclusive right to use Bell telephones in the counties of New 

 Haven and Middlesex, in Connecticut. Mr. Coy states that later this 

 block of stock given to the Bell Company was repurchased by the 

 treasurer of the company for two hundred dollars in cash. 



By virtue of his services as the good angel so essential in pioneer 

 undertakings, Walter Lewis was elected to the presidency of the com- 

 pany, Mr. Frost was made treasurer and Mr. Coy filled all the other 

 offices. Morris F. Tyler was the company's attorney, secured its char- 

 ter, obtained the necessary additional loans to enable extensions and 

 improvements to be made, took his pay in stock, and later became the 

 head of the organization. Incidentally it may be added that on May 

 31, 1878, Mr. Frost secured exclusive licenses to use telephones under 

 Bell patents for the term of ten years, in the cities of New Haven, 

 Hartford, Meriden, Middletown and New Britain, in Connecticut, and 

 of Springfield in Massachusetts, subject to his leasing not less than five 

 hundred telephones the first year, and expending not less than $8,000, 

 including the amount already expended in New Haven. 



Being ready to proceed with the installation of its ' telephone-call 

 system,' Mr. Coy mailed to the prominent citizens of New Haven a 

 thousand copies of a circular describing the many advantages the sys- 

 tem would offer, and earnestly requesting subscriptions for the service. 

 It was expected that at least fifty replies would be received, but only 

 one subscription was obtained, and to the late Eev. John E. Todd, 

 pastor of the Church of the Eedeemer, belongs the honor of being the 

 first person in the world to subscribe for the service of a commercial 

 telephone exchange system. Quite rightfully Mr. Todd's name headed 

 the first list of telephone subscribers ever issued. 



So complete a failure to arouse public interest in the telephone 

 system was a bitter disappointment to Mr. Coy. But being a born 

 hustler, he immediately sent out a competent canvasser to solicit con- 

 tracts. This agent succeeded in ultimately securing over two hundred 



