Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-25

very interesting one. AS early as in
1871 the first telephone connections
were mentioned az existing in Sweden.
and their increase. both in number and
extent, rapidly developed. In many
of the large towns companies were
formed so as to carry on telephone
activity. At some places the telephone
network was erected by the roval
board of telegraphS. more especially in
| Skone. the SouthernmoSt province of
| the kingdom. In most towns. bOroughS
and more or less important places.
| the interchange Of telephone COM
manner, so-called telephone clubs be-
| ing formed. founded on the simplest
principles, being intended to place
their members in telephone communi-
cation with as many as possible with
! out any idea of deriving pecuniary
profit. The payment was therefore
often decided yearly and was raised
or lowered according to requirements.
That it was not high may be gathered
/ from the fact that in more than ninety
clubs, with a total of more than 5000
/ y
erage. was S6.16. 1t must, however
be noted that the subscribers had
themselves to defray the expenses of
their own connection and apparatus
By degrees the telephone communica-
tons were still further extended. the
central stations of the telephone clubs
being connected with each other by in
( 6nnnn6nnt RI yI-hi
in MANY instances. extended over sew
eral provinces.
! Communication by telephone in
Sweden was thus chiefly left to private
enterprise. However. from 1880 il
may be said that things changed.
The government then. by means of the
board of te1egraphs, commenced to
compete vigorously with the private
lines, and by laying the inter urban
double-wired lines between the more
important towns and places. and by
the purchase of private networks. the
state telephone has developed to an
enormous degree and replaced many
of the aforementioned telephone clubs
or telephone companies. There, not
withstanding their merits concerning
telegraphing in King Oscars domain.
capped by very considerable faults
and disadvantages, chiefly caused by
the want Of unanimity when building
and handling the lines. In spite of
the higher fee charged for state tele-
phone INSTRUMENTATION it has
therefore generally been found more
profitable to allow the state telephone
to assume the whole The diet, under
standing the great importance of this
new means of communication. has gen
erOusly granted large appropriat to
the state telephone. The central and
southern parts of the kingdom are al
ready connected by double-wired lines.
In the north many such connections
are made, and are being still further
extended and completed.
At the close of the year 1893 the net
work of the state telephone intercom-
; munication included go central and
, distinct stations, the combined length
of the wires being more than 1900
= miles. The number of apparatus in
: use is about $4,000, of which 500 were
: at the stations and the balance used
, by the subscribers.
Among the private companies there
can be no doubt that the Stockholm
, General Telephone company occupies
, the foremost position. Its central sta
ton is the largest and best arranged
, in the world. Originally intended fol
, 1000 lines, it can now, in consequence
, of certain alterations, open as many
: as 1000 lines. July 1, 1894, the com
e pany had 9,727 subscribers. The total
, length of private telephone wires al
, the same time was about 2S,6OO miles
:, with 430 centrals and 1900 apparatus
:, Thus, in the entire realm, there were
: more than 44,60O miles of telephone
=, connections, 6S5 central and district
stations, and 1000 telephone appara-
tus in use.
, AS to the latest statistics of Sept. u
, the city of Stockholm has one tele-
phone to every eighteen inhabitants.
The number of apparatus is $4,000
: All business is transacted per tele-
: phone. You buy your theater tickets,
subscribe for your newspaper or order
your groceries all by means of tele,
: phone. AS mentioned above, telephone
! communication can be had for a price
) of $40 per year, when the charges in
1880 were as high as SIS. This devel-
opment depends partly upon the fact
! that among women plenty of hands
can be had at a cheap price. But the
telephone service has proved a very
unhealthy occupation, so much so,
even, as to incapacitate women for a
service of any longer duration, ten
years being considered to be the long
est period a woman can stand the
strain in any O. the larger telephone
stations. All the telephone stations,
however, are superintendent and
worked by women. For the admit
lance to the telephone service, it is
requisite to have testimonials as to
good conduct, fair schooling, and
strong constitution" The lowest
wages paid are $50 crowns 800, the
highest 1,SOO crowns $3.50, a year, be-
ing the salary of the women superin-
tendents. The average is seven hours
attendance daily. In some cases vaca-
ton is allowed for a fortnight; o-1er-
wise, no vacation at all.
AN ANCIENT LIGHTHOUSE.
- Lzr. H.,