Poweshiek Co. newspaper article

MCFARLIN, VEST, BANE

Posted By: Gordon Thompson (email)
Date: 3/31/2009 at 07:41:40

COMPANY IS OWNED, OPERATED BY RESIDENTS OF TOWN; FREE FROM DEBT.

By Fred Lazell, Jr.
(Tribune Staff Writer.)

MONTEZUMA--Long distance telephone service to all the neighboring towns up to 30 miles distant is but one of the unusual things about "business" in this city of 1,257 population.

The service is provided by the Montezuma Mutual Telephone co., owned and operated by Montezuma residents. The company is capitalized at $50,000 and is entirely free from debt.

Deep River, What Cheer, Keswick, Barnes City, Tilton, Gibson, Brooklyn, Malcom, Guernsey, Hartwick, Victor and Ladora are the neighboring towns with which Montezuma residents may converse without the customary toll charge. The company's books list 851 subscribers, or more than half the population of the city.

MCFARLIN IS PRESIDENT

President of the company is Clyde McFarlin. J.W.H. Vest is vice president and Harold W. Bane, secretary and treasurer.

What's true of Montezuma telephones is also true of Montezuma radios. There are 283 homes in Montezuma and a recent check showed 235 sets in use.

TWO DRUG STORES.

The retail trend may be toward the big stores in the larger cities but Montezuma merchants have a wide patronage over a 20-mile radius. The two drug stores for instance, do a $75,000 business each a year, have about 700 separate accounts and list from 130,000 to 170,000 orders on their prescription files.

With the exception of one chain store, all of Montezuma's retail establishments are locally owned. They include two drygoods stores, two hardware stores, two implement houses, one harness shop, seven groceries, four restaurants and cafes, two furniture shops, one shoe store and two men's furnishings establishments.