Book Review

This 30 page booklet was first printed in the early 1900's by the Montgomery Ward Company to sell telephone equipment manufactured for the company. It was re-printed in 1970 by Glen Razak after insulators became collectible.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                         

The booklet describes in detail how to construct rural telephone lines using bridging telephones that did not require switchboards. It explains how to select and plant the poles, how to string the wire, and advises its readers against using ordinary fence wire for telephone wire.

The brochure explains that for each mile of line, the following materials would be needed:

96 pounds of No 14 galvanized iron wire. Price: $4.21 per 100 pounds. 
30 No.9 pony glass insulators. Price: 2-cents each. 
30 painted oak brackets. Price: 1.25 cents each. 
30 40-penny nails. 
30 60-penny nails. Price for nails: $2.30 per 100 pounds.

The total cost per mile, not including poles, was $5.22. The shipping weight for the material was 145 pounds.

Much of the brochure is devoted to advertising the telephones themselves. The Diamond Bridging Telephone shown below was priced at $12.65. Other models were priced as low as $9.60.

Wards was rather confident in the quality of its phones. The brochure states, "We guarantee every part, as well as the complete instrument. There is absolutely no limit to the guarantee."

The catalog also list a host of accessories from batteries, to climbing hooks, to wire stretchers and other tools. The only insulators offered were a CD 102 glass pony style, and porcelain knobs to be used when connecting telephone wire to the ground rod.

The 1970's reprint of this booklet shows up for sale from time to time. Printed on paper to look old, the reprint shows a number of collectible insulators and telephones on the first page. Most of the rest of the booklet is a reproduction of the Montgomery Ward's catalog.

An original from Montgomery Ward would be a collectible all its own.