The San Francisco call., 1896-01-15
INNOVATIONS,
Expert Operators to Be Made of
the Sunset Hello
Girls"
The Pacific Telephone Company to
Become a Rival of the Postal
and Western Union.

The "hello girls" must learn teiegraphv
! The word has gone forth, and it will moi
be many months before the telephone
wires through the entire State will be
| carrying telegraph messages, licked of
by the girls who, heretofore, have only
been required to say: What number
sir? Six-three? There you are"
The lines Will still be used to talk over.
But telephone wire has what is known
as a telegraph side" that is to say, q
message can be ticked over it while con-
Yersation IS being held on the same line
In fact, two messages can be sent, because
each of the two wires, one going out and
one returning, which are essential to com
plete a te ephone circuit, makes tele-
graph circuit.
The work done by telegraph will at first
be entirely for the company. No outside
messages will be received-at least, not
until November OF this year. This is be-
cause of an ag reement between the tele-
phone and the Western Union people.
After November it is probable that the
Telephone Company will become an active
rlv al of the Western Union and the Pacific
Postal Telegraph companies. With a COM
plete plant doing the work of two com
ptH4SS. HO 6Atld BCliSC 4O4 4liIOlllSil dIltl
operators, the Telephone Company would
make large profits transmitting telegraph
messages.
At present the officers of the company
refuse to say whether they are going to
take advantage of this opportunity to util-
ize the full capacity of their plant.
"There is one thing you may be sure OF,
said John l. Sabin, who is the president as
well as the general manager of the Pacific
Tolpr1hnnp Com - fhqf c hat WI IN
not be long before candidates for positions
TO take charge of telephones will be re-
quired to be expert telegraph operators.
us it true that you have required all
your girls to begin learning telegraphy?" ?"
was asked.
.sNot all of them," he said. 1--WE are
going to make use of our wires to expedite
messages by means of telegraphy. So the
only ones whom we have required to learn
the art are the girls employed in the
'Sunset" division.
Mr.. Sabin then explained the use of the
two wires to complete the circuit. Each of
these wires Is capable of carrying a mes
sage sent with ticker while a person is
talking over it, This system had been
utilized for some time on the lines between
San Francisco end Stockton and San Fran
cisco and Oakland.
I'VE have been taking advantage OF the
telegraphic possibilities OF the wire to as
SlSL IN SeHQlllS lSlCtAOilC A1CoSdSSS 4Oi
some time" he said. I'm fact, the idea
originated here, and it was only a few
months ago that 1t was put in operation
in the East.
"They have used the telegraph side OF
their wires there to great profit though,
se,iing them to some business house or
news company. We have not been able
to do that.
You see," he added, "the Western
Union Company held the coast rights to
the Edison patents in the beginning. We
held the Bell patents. Then the Western
Union Company disposed OF its patent
rights to Us with the agreement that we
were not to use our lines for commercial
telegraphy during a given period. This
period expires in November, 1886"
"Will YOU then enter into competition
with the Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies in the transmission OF
messages? was asked.
81 can't say anything about that now"
said Mr.. Sabin, ''because l don't know
But you are as well equipped for the
work as the other companies, are you
notP'
GAS well equipped?' he replied. "Why,
we have the best plant in the State to-day.
No other company has nearly as good
poles or wire. We would have to make
absolutely no addition to our plant, since,
for our own use, we are going to supply
the Offices in the different towns with tele-
graph instruments"