Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-10
THE TELEPHONE PUZZLE.
How Ii Has Been solved,

How Ii Has Been Solved.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR
As at present conducted the telephone bust
ness. as noted in THE STAR recently, presents
some features unlike those of other seemingly
analogous enterprises. for when the number of
subscribers increase i'm telephone exchange
system. the service required to be- performed at
the central station, in the multiplying of calls
is such that the expense of maintaining the service
increases in ratio proportonaiIy very much
greater than the increase Of receipts and there
is OF necessity an increase of rent of the appa-
rattlS to each subscriber as the system Of a CITY
grows. so that the charges per month in the
smaller cities. while being considerable less for
the service and use of apparatus is more profit
able to the exchanges. Tie problem of how to
overcome this very annoying and uDbusinesslike
feature of the telephone business which has
been puzzling the telephone management, is be-
ing solved with certainty.
In 1879 the Connolly Brothers & NcTirhe of
this city. and Philadelphia and Pittsbury Jointly
invented and patented a switching apparatus
for central telephone stations. which admits of
the operation of connecting two subscribers
upon separate wires by automatic mechanism.
The service being performed by the subscribers.
with the assistance of mechanism. no service is
required at the central station. The principle
upon which this invention operates is not un-
like that involved i'm the stock telegraph print
ers, which may be seen in all public resorts in
the cities ticking off the quotations of stock and
other news. and performing the difficult task
wholly without attendance and with unerring
precision, instead of operating to present a
certain letter to be printed. This auto
matte switch presents certain wire
to be connected, and, unlike the stock printing
mecha is j. it is arranged to present the several
wires Oh the series interci,anoaby combining
with the stock printing mechanism features
| somewhat analogous to those required in re-
peaterS. for the central stations of fire alarms
in large cities. which work with certainty with
out attendance The apparatus constructed at
Philadelphia is provided with twenty-five
radating lines, and calls given from sub
scriber's box on one of these lines is automat-
| lcaliy delivered at the desired station upon
another wire with prOmptness and precision
that would make some of the exchange opera
tors blush. This invention is owned by the
York, who have improved it to in
crease its capacity, and it is stated
that they have SO modified it
| as to make it available for any number of wires
without serious complication or confusion in its
operation. In brief, they have discovered the
law OF Increase which applies i'm it's use and can
as easily multiply wires, without confusion, to
meet an increased demand for service. as the
multiplying of cars upon a horse railroad, and.
| unlike the present discOuraging methods. the
more the business is increased the less proper
tiOnal expense attends its performance.
1t has the added advantages that it does not
forget; does not require vacation with an I'M
skilled substitute to replace it; responds in
stantly at night; makes telephOning more
cret. and every way more satisfying to the man
agenent and the public: KY.
Odd Names OF Post Offices.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR
We have SO often been amused at the odd
names given to towns we thought the readers
of your paper might like to hear what we found
in our extensive travels over the United States,
(map) Arizona is certainly ahead in patriotism.
fer she boasts of a new town called american
Flag" We found a poor, little Barefoot in
Kentucky, and there is only one Shoemaker"
in the country, and he has settled way up in
Monroe county, Pennsylvania Money is in
Mississippi, So of course, we find 80. k there
While there is ''Glory' in Texas. the poor people
of Tennessee have "Grief7' with Gas we know
what it is to have grief without it.
"OtheIlo' is up i'll Minnesota cooling his eal-
ousy. but 'Desdemonia' left him long ago and
settled in Texas.
Poor, sentimental Romeo has been i'm Ten
neSsee. Mississippi and Michigan. and can find
no juliet; he has at least been told there is
''NOnesuch in Michigan.
If Secretary Hunt wants steamboat" to
help build up our broken down navy he will find
one in Nevada without any help from govern
ment.
New York state has towns named for all the
Ill.
could only find two politicians in the land,
"Republican" and democrat
Imagine dead beat" staying long in either
of the towns PAY Up or Pay Down" that is,
if the people in that vicinity live up to those
rules.
1t is aggravating to see how the bachelors
have been provided for. They have Bachelors
Hall" Bachelors Rest" (from what?) aud
bachelors Retreat" and foriorn ''MaIden," the
only one in the whole United States, is doomed
TO live in North Carolina har Moi hos
been left in Virginia. her Gum" in South Caro-
lima. mirror" in Kentucky. and the most la
mentabe part of, all, her 'Bangs" are in the
same state with Bachelors HAIL. consequently
it is no comfort to her to know she can see Pin
afore," Saratoga ''BrOadway." and her
"Grandfather." without leaving the state She
probably would prefer to go to those places in
full dress however.
We were told that there was ''Bliss" in Vir-
ginla with Bachelors Hail." but that can
hardly be. The inmates of the Hall can button
up their coats way to the neck but they can't
conceal the fact from us that something is want
ing in their OUTFIT for the only Vest in the
country is way up in Missouri.
The aspirant for office who. when asked. by
some stately government official, where he halls
from. might feel somewhat Inundated in an
swering Tub, )" Tin Cup" or ..Turnip" Never
mind, young man. if your former residence sa-
yors of the kitchen, and the dimensions are
small, you may occupy the White House yet
although you now live in (a) Tub
The girl who resides in You Bet" California
must find it hard to avoid using slang.
Among other queer names, we find cyan
kee." Quaker" Left Hand" 81. Bob"
Sweet Lips" DISMAL" ''Why Not" "Pump-
kim and 'Peculiar.' FOSSIL.
AUTHORITATIVE CONTRADICTION.
Mark Twain Informs an Enauiriny
Friend in South Australia that he is
Not Dead.
gentleman in South Australia, who was I'M
AZ the impression that Mark Twain had once
visited that far away region. and when there had
actually lodged under the same roof with his
father, happened to hear recently that the famous
humorist was dead. He was so much affected
by the news that he at once wrote to Mr. Glenn
ems to ascertain if it was true. The reply he re-
ceived is printed in the Adelaide Obse,pe, of Oc-
tober Is, and is as follows.
During the present year Ihave received letters
from three gentlemen in Australia who had in
past times known people who had known me
sin Australia" but l have never been in any
part of Australia in my life. By these letters it
appears that the persons who knew me there