Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-10-31
HELLOING 1,SOOMILES

HELLOING 1,S0OMILEs
LONG DISTANCE AND SHORT CIRCUIT
TELEPHONES.
We Use The rsrnsr s.d wAss rhsy Uss
rAsn Ier-rAs Charges sssn Hish. bat
rAsy Permit the Zee ef csssidsrssss
cs.vsrsaties-A Lecture Fer Test Gala
A continuous long distance telephone
line extends between Boston and MI
waukee. Q distance. - tho line u run, OF
1900 miles.
A reporter who was wondering, -
many other people arc wondering, no
doubt, II the long distance telephone cir.
cults are much used, and u % by what
class of people and for what purposes,
called to ask those questions OF Edward
p. Meany, assistant general manager OF
the company. Ia the main ONCE, ct II
Cortlandt street.
"Yes," said Mr.. Meaney, ''the long
distance service IL used to such . salts
factory extent that II Il 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 viii bring
Cincinnati and Indianapolis into the serv.
loo.
"What class of interviews u most
conducted over the longer circular
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 Ave minutes conversation a. .
unit. That Is, the charge between New
York and Washington u e, between
New York and Chicago %. for each hve
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. AL sub
scribers to the long distance telephone
can be connected with the circuits Just
a. they are In the local business. II .
man Is wanted who II not . subscr1ber
10 the long distance service, he Is hunted
up and brought to central station
without charge.
When two people get fairly started on
a long distance interview, they can talk
from 100 to 600 words In Ave minutes,
according to the subject and their famil.
iarity with 1t. II Is fact that most In
teryiews end before the unit OF time has
elapsed. One New York woman who
had her son ut South Bend, Ind, where
he is at school, called mp anxiously, asked
her startled fopeful II she had put his
winter hannels in his trunk, II he had
not maliciously carried Of his fathers
razor and II his tooth had stopped ach.
ing. Being satisfactorily answered on
ali 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 il used-that Is, in talking between
New York and Chicago, distance OF
1000 miles, the service IL really over 600
miles Of wire, a. the wire, instead OF be-
ing grounded at both ends to complete
tine 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,
30 far a. hearing Is concerned, Is rather
better over O 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 heavier and su-
perior copper wire. The wire used in
the long distance service weighs $50
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, Il is not probable that, for the
present at least. 1t will 90 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 II O chat with Chicago would not
aid an understanding Of the subject. The
reporter thought 1t might, and Mr.. Mea-
ney drew toward him o movable stand
ard telephone instrument and called mp
Chicago. That active city quickly re
sponded, and the telephone was turned
over to the reporter. The thousand.mils-
away voice began In Q clear singsong
voice, This IL the Worlds fair tele.
phone exchange station"
That's all right" said the reporter.
"rm Q Sun man and wanted to hear
your voice" =,
Then It laughed and said in natural
manner;
"I have to answer about 90 test calls
q day, and % have MADE up o little lee
ture which give them free"
Then q conversation Of several min.
utes followed, unbrQken BY "burr.r.r,"
Q "xip-tsing" or single "what's thaty-
New York Sun.