The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-22
HELL0ING 800 MILES
LONG DISTANCE AND SHORT CIRCUIT
..n TELEPHONES.

Conversational Lecture For Test Calls.
A continuous long distance telephone
line extends between Boston and Mill
waukee. distance, as the line is run, of
1900 miles.
A reporter who was wondering, as
many other people are wondering, no
doubt, if the long distance telephone cir
cthts are much used, and if SO by what
class of people and for what purposes,
called to ask those questions of Edward
P. Meany, assistant general manager Of
the company, in the main Office, ut 19
Cortlandt street.
YES" said Mr.. Meaney, "the long
distance service is used to such salts
factory extent that it is being constantly
extended. In the far western part Of
our territory Milwaukee has been added
to the system, and this side Of Chicago
line has recently been run down from
Toledo to Dayton o., and from Dayton
extensions are making which will bring
Cincinnatiand Indianapolis into the serv-
ice.
"What class of interviews is most
conducted over the longer circuits?"
81 should say that social and domestic
affairs bring most of the patrons now,
although there are some business inter
views conducted"
Mr.. Meaney explained that the charges
for long distance interviews are based
upon five minutes conversation as a
unit. That is, the charge between New
York and Washington is 50, between
New York and Chicago 50, for each five
minutes or portion of that time. This
does not include the time used in MAX
ing the connection or bringing the par
ties to tho ends of the line. ALI sub
scribers to the long distance telephone
can be connected with the circuits Just
as they are i'll the local business. If
man is wanted who is not subscriber
| to the long distance service, he is hunted
| up and brought to a central station
without charge.
When two people get fairly started on
a long distance interview, they can talk
from 400 to 600 words i'll five minutes,
! according to the subject and their famil-
iarity with it. 1t is fact that most in
| terviews end before the unit of time has
elapsed. One. New York woman who
had her son at South Bend, Ind, where
he is at school, called up anxiously, asked
| her startled hopeful if she had put his
|
| not maliciously carried off his fathers
razor and if his tooth had stopped ach-
ing. Being satisfactorily answered on
all these points, she paid for the service
and went on her way rejoicing.
Business men chiefly use the long dis
lance service to consult about terms of
contracts or to report the text of con-
tracts which must be repeated to insure
accuracy.
The chief difference between the long
distance and the short circuits is that in
the former what is called metallic serv-
ice is used--that is, in talking between
New York and Chicago, distance of
1000 miles, the service is really over 900
miles of wire, as the wire, instead of be-
ing grounded at both ends to complete
the circuit, is doubled or looped to make
the complete circuit metallic. The in
structions for speaking and listening are
the same as those printed for the use of
the ordinary telephone, and the result,
so far as hearing is concerned, is rather
better over Il Thousand miles than over
one. This is owing to the metallic Cir
cult, which does away with the madden
ing burr-r-r resulting from induction
and from the use Of a heavier and SUI
perior copper Wire. The wire used in
the long distance service weighs $40
pounds mile, the ordinary service wire
weighing but $40 pounds.
Mr.. Meaney said that while there was
no mechanical reason why the service
should not be continued across the con-
tinent, it is not probable that, for the
present at least, it will go beyond the
Mississippi river, owing to the great cost
OF construction, operating and mainte-
! nance expenses. When these facts had
been given to the reporter, Mr.. Meaney
asked if a chat with Chicago would not
aid ~ understanding of the subject. The
repoY. Z thought it might, and Mr.. Mea-
ney drew toward him Il movable stand
ard telephone instrument and called ND
Chicago. That active city quickly re-
sponded, and the telephone was turned
over to the reporter. The thousand-mile-
away voice began in clear singsone
voice, This is the Worlds fair tele-
phone exchange station
That's all right" said the reporter.
I'm Sun man and wanted to hear
your voice"
Then it laughed and said in a natural
| manner:
| Il have to answer about 90 test calls
Il day, and so have made up little lee
ture which give them free"
| Then conversation of several min
ntes followed, unbroken by a "burr-r-r,"
a 'zip-tsing' or Single whats that?'-
| New York Sun.
Life Line Sugges tion.