The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-08-10

1 lut tHousaUus IN our city who are daily
using that comparatively new invention for
converslng at distance. by means OF which
the voice OF friend aiar of Is brought in
stantiy 10 our ears, are as ignorant probably
/ OF the difhcultles OF establishing and carry
ing on thorough telephone system as Is
the average bachelor OF the vast amount OF
profound thought aud mental anguish ex-
| pended in the fashiOning OF w0man's attire.
The system, it is true, has been faulty, and
often calculated to exasperate even mild
hammered people at times; yet when 1t is
| considered bow recent an invention the
telephone really is, an investigation Of
THE RAPID PROGRESS
made 10 applying and making useful its
| principles is rs interesting as il Is q remark
able evidence OF what human Ingenuity,
/ spurred on by the activity OF the age, will
do. The electric telephone, though only
discovered within the past five or six
years Uhe elementary principles being
known TO science years and years ago), was
at once practically applied and speedily
! brought into daily use. In a year or two
after the discovery machines were invented
and teephOnc systems for communication
/ in cities were established. OF course, Ike
all new Inventions, the first used were sus-
! NbpNlOiC VI lDOIt Improvement.
THE TELEPHONE IN RICHMOND.
The first regular telephone exchange in
Richmond WAS established about Two wears
/ ago, and owing TO the constantly improving
/ OF instruments and systems consequent
upon the introduction OF new inventions
/ its service here up TO Il comparatively recent
date has been really experimental. It was
started here under competition between
The Edison phone, operated by the Western
Union Telegraph Company, and the Bell
phone, under the management OF the South
ern Bell Telephone Company. A natural
consequence OF this opposition at a time
when the introduction OF the telephone was
a matter OF experiment was ruiuouS and
cut-thrOat rates, which grew even worse as
| the spirited fight that was W9ged went or.
| The two competing companies once cons0l-
idated, the service throughout the city be.
came uniform, and the system has from
time to time improved until now, it is
claimed by Manager Mcclure, and admitted
by strangers, thai Richmond enjoys as good
II not better telephone service than any
city in the United States, and that, too. at a
lower yearly charge.
THE RICHMOND TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
is one Of the many operated by The South
III Dtll l0ICIlubHt duu lflfRI1Il AO0lDI-
ny, whose territory extends from the Poto-
mac 10 Louisiana, inciHding the States OF
Virginia, West Virginia, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.
This company operates the exchanges in
their territory under license from tie Ameri-
can Bell Telephone Company OF Boston,
Mass. which company are owners and con-
trollers OF all the magnetO-telephoDe patents.
Mr.. {. +. McClucr is manager Of the EX-
change here, and visit to his Office ycsier-
day was made so highly interesting through
his intelligent cOurteSies that we shall give
some idea OF what we saw and heard.
Tue EXch3nge here has secured the most
approved and newest appliances, and have
adopted pretty generally
THE LAW SYSTEM,
to which we shsll conGne our description in
this article. The Law system derives its
name from having been devised by the Law
Telegraph Company, OF New York city.
The great principle OF this system Is that
each subscriber is furnished with a private
wire for his conversation, which he can use
nj pleasure without interruption, as was so
frequently the case with other systems. A
circle, or general calIing-wre extends
throughout the city, and i, attached TO the
phone OF every Law-system subscriber. The
subscriber talks upon this wire when he
pulls down the lever or switch In the centre
OF the instrument. When this lever, how
ever has been released and returns to its
normal position, he talks on his private wire,
which runs direct from his phone to the
central Office.
TO enter the OpeTaing-rOOm OF q large
telegraph office one cannot but be affected
by a strange sense OF mystery at the Cner-
getic, but to him meaningless. ticking on all
sides, which may be conveying important
intelligence; but OF first entrance into
THE CENTRAL OFFICE
OF telephone exchange, where voices from
all quarters Of the city are heard at once
and their perempiOrY orders complied with,
what are we 10 say OF that? Your eaIs ale
first assailed by number OF one sided con-
verSations, all OF which would Indicate that
the unheard was spoiled child demanding
that which an indugent and patient mother
was vainly endeavoring to give.
On entering, the first sight that attracts
the strangers attention Is that OF the young
operators apparently swinging by cords
from the ceiling then the multiplicity OF
wires that come down from the ceiling to
the switch board (before which the operators
stand), and are const0ntly demanding their
attention. The first are the neWly-intTO.
duced
HEAD PHONES,
an invention by means OF which only one
half OF the operators formerly required
are needed. There are five operators,
youths or young men, all under charge OF
the chief operator, Mr.. Carter White, son
OF the late Judge Joseph White; and while
they say they become perfectly used to 1t,
casual philantbropist cannot but be I'M
pressed with the idea that the imposition
Of this head fixture is a cruel requirement
of the business. The head.phOne consists
OF fiat phone placed on one end OF light
semi.circular steel spring, which is wrap
ped with some soft material. This is
attached to the switchboard, on which
the connections OF wires are made, by
means OF flexible conducting cord that
passes over pulIeys pendant from the CELL
ing. Placed upon the head Of the operator,
the phone is held by the spring firmly TO
one or the other ear, and thus he Is able to
move In frost Of his section OF the switch
board, his hands being free to manipulate
the wires in Ia2kIEg connections, according
to the orders received through the phone
on his head. In other words, the operator
virtually stands, as 1t were, at the very
place OF business OF each subscriber ready
to summons any one that may be desired.
THE SWITCHBOARD,
by means OF and upon which the private
wires OF subscribers desiring 10 talk to one
another are connected. II consists OF
number Of hOriz0Gtal brass strips an inch
In width, attached 10 wooden frame slx
teet in height and from twelve TO fifteen
feet long. These strips are painted various