The herald., 1893-11-07
HELLOING 1 800 MILES
LONG DISTANCE AND SHORT CIRCUIT
TELEPHONES.

mo Doo tno EOTuftF anu tthat Ahcy Obc
Thorn Fer--The Charges Seem High, but
They Permit the Use of Considerable
Conversational Lecture For Test Calls.
A continuous long distance telephone
line extends between Boston and Mil
waukee. o 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
cults are much used, and If 30 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 18
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 q
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-
iee
"What class Of interviews is most
conducted over the longer circuits?'
II 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 q
unit. That is, the charge between New
York and Washington is So, between
New York and Chicago SO, 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 the ends OF the line. All sub
scribers to the long distance telephone
can be connected with the circuits just
as they are ii the local business. If a
man is wanted who is not subscriber
to the long distance service, he is hunted
up and brought to 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. 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
winter Hannels in his trunk, if he had
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.
tance 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, a distance Of
f.000 miles, the service is really over ,00C
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 q 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 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.. 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 chat with Chicago would not
aid an understanding of the subject. The
reporter thought it might, and Mr.. Mea-
ney drew toward him a movable stand
ard telephone instrument and called up
Chicago. That active city quickly re-
sponded, and the telephone was turned
over to the reporter. The thousand-mile-
away voice began in a clear singsong
voice, "This is the Worlds fair tele-
phone exchange station"
''That's all right" said the reporter.
'rm Sun man and wanted to hear
your voice."
Then it laughed and said in natural
manner:
II have to answer about 90 test calls
day, and SO have made up little lee
ture which / give them free"
Then conversation of several min
utes followed, unbroken by "burr-r-r," !"
a''zip-tsing' or a single whats that?"-
New York Sun.