The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-28
Arc Days Of the Tele-
phone Girl Numbered?
Invention Makes the Sub
Scriber His Own Operator.
Blo0i and MIX Take Place OF Bone
in Making Of Buttons, Etc.

Are the days OF the telephone girl num-
bcredy 1t certainly seems so from the
reports which come from Germany OF an
invention which IL Is claimed VIII 90
away entirely with her services.
Apostoloff is the name of the inventor
and his device consists of an automatic
arrangement by means OF which direct
communication can be obtained with one
or more persons. by its use each subscrloer
can personally communicate with another
in anyothcr city or town, no matter howuls-
rant IL may be, and az many messages can
bc sent simultaneously from one city To
nnothcr as there are telephones IN each
city. Conversation cannot be overheard
Inv any third person, AID a person when
in communication with one or wlth
several other persons can prevent theDl
from intcrruptlng him on from cutting on
his COMMUNICATION. In order to obtain
these advantages all that Is necessary Is %
add 10 the telephone of each SUI scriher
small apparatus by means Oi Wblcn ne
will be enabled 10 communicate auto
niatically through the central station with
whomscever he may desire 10 converse.
In the central station more Important
change Is necessary. There all the ordl-
nary telephone instruments are replaced
by single table. on which are inld the
automatic communicates. lhls tanle
can be placed in any room and the room
can always remain closed. IL necessarily
follows that there is no longer any Use
for large corps of employees at central
station one person being able To do the
work which has hitherto teen done 10y SO
many.
1t is easy TO be- seen that IL the invon-
tion Is at all what Is claimed Tor 1t, the
telephone service Is likely 10 be rcvolu
tionized. Not only will communications
between subscrb bers be aInplilied anu nc
celcrated, but the cost To the subscriber
FOR use OF the telephone will be consider
ably lowered. owing To the fact that there
viii no longer be any necessity of paying
.salaries To IA large stall of employees. mus
q large amount of money VIII be saved.
Moreover, IL must be remembered that
under the Apostoiof system any number
of subst ribers can be accommodated In
one room and without the slightest in
crease Of expenditure. This is u notable
point as hitherto in all large cities the
central stations have required consider
anle room. A. hus in Faris, as late as
1891 (before the hotel des Telephones was
built) the central station was SO over
crow ticd that now subscribers found IL I'M
possible to obtain admission.
The inventors method of accomplishing
this revolution in the telephone system ~
very simple, and he lays stress upon the fact
that subscribers will find the improved
telephone very simple instrument
and that IL will be practically Impossible
for them To biuldcr with 10 or get 10 out
OF order Each telephone Is fitted with a
small apparatus which Is known ms
manipulation, and on the outside of which
are placed three holes and several buttons.
These buttons, when pressed, show the
number of the subscriber with whom one
desires to communicate. This number
appears as follows: In the hole toward
the left are found the numerals of the
thousands and hundreds, and in the hole
toward the right those of the tens ana
ones. The central hole is used as sort
If guide between subscribers; thus wien
the telephone IL not In use, this hole bears
the word 'off - showing that the line is
clear. How easy 1t Is TO obtain direct
communication through telephone in-
proved in this way Mr.. Fradlss clearly
shows Us. LET us suppose, he says, " that
subscriber A wants TO talk to subscriber
B, whose subscription number is 2753.
A presses the buttons in the left hole, ana
tho successive numerals appear in order
that IL. 2 and Z, the left hold containing
only the numerals Of the thousands and
hundrods. "A then presses the buttnns
In the right hole. and IN like manner
obtains tho numerals anu g. "A has thus
placed himself automatically In commu
nc ltion with BIS telephone No. 2153)
Ruhla IN Thuriugia is town noted as
the place where the largest proportion OF
German pipes arc made and these arc ex =
ported TO all parts of the world. Tho
German papers give some remarkable
data as TO this industry as carried on at
the huhln WORKS, showing that for some
years past the annual production Of
bowls, independently of stems or handles
amounts to5i0, eco mcerschaums and nearly
8. Ju0, 900 Of imitation meerschaums the
total Of wooden bowls produced is rot far
short of 5000, CO. while tho average
number of that popular variety. the china
pipe, attains the prodigious number of
between IL 600, 900 and 1900. 0D0, of these
nb)ut q. 300. 90 being Of common porcc-
lain aud the remainder Of fino ware. But
in addition to these there are also pro-
duccd some 1900 go of pipes made Of
other materials than those enumerated
above. The same manufacturers are en-
gagged In turning out annually ID O00OO0
Of pipe stems OF different kinus, also mil
lions of 'occesslr;cs" such as flexible
stems, chains, shoppers, etc.
A fact not generally known is that the
buttons and various other articles for