Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-12-01
HELLOING 1,sOOMILES
LONG DISTANCE AND SHORT CIRCUIT
TELEPHONES.

A continuous long distance telephone
line extends between Boston and Mil
Waukee. . distance, as the line is run, Of
1850 miles.
A reporter who was wondering, as
many other people are wondering, NO
doubt, IL the long distance telephone cir
cults are much used, and IL 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, at 10
Coetlandt street.
YES" said Mr.. Meaney, 1.-The long
distance service is used to such q 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 u
line has recently been run down from
Toledo to Dayton O., and from Dayton
extensions are making which will bring
Cincinnati and indianapolis into the serv-
ice.
What class' of interviews is most
conducted over tine longer circuits"
Il 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
fer long distance interviews are based
upon five minutes conversation as q
unit. That is. the charge between New
York and Washington is 81, between
New York and Chicago 50. for each five
minutes or portion of that time. This
does not include tine time used in max
ing the connection or bringing the par
ties to the ends of the line. All sub
scribers to the long distance telephone
can be connected with the circuits just
as they are i'll the local business. If a
man is wanted who IS not a subscriber
to the long distance s,rvice, he is hunted
up and brought to a central station
without charge.
When two people get fairly started on
long distance interview, they can talk
from 400 to 600 words in 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. Que New York woman who
had her son st South Bend, Ind, where
he is at school. called up anxiously, asked
her startled hopeful if she had put his
winter darnels in his trunk, if he had
not malicicusly carried off his fatheSs
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 reror: 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 a metallic serv-
ice is used-that is, in talking between
New York and Chicago, q distance Of
1000 miles. the service is really over 900
miles of wire. as the wire, instead of he
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 thousand miles than over
one. This is owing to the metallic cir
cult, which does away with the madden
ing bur-r-r resulting from induction
and from the use Of heavier and su-
perior copper wire. The wire used in
the long distance service weighs $40
pounds mile, the ordinary service wire
weighing but $40 pounds.
Mr. Moanov sui6 that ,,,l;l<, $to~a 500.