davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

is consideration of some value In reckoning up
the cost of telephone service to the user
Following the question OF rates naturally
comes that Of what does the subscriber get. The
chief value Of the telephone service apart from
the efficiency and reliability CT the service itself,
is the ability to communicate over a large area
The New-York system gives good value Tor the
money in all respects. The efficiency of the SER
vice has probably reached higher point III
New-York than elsewhere. owing primarily to
the adoption OF exclusively metallic circuit
system Of lines and swtchboards and the equip
ment Of all subscribers stations with long dis
lance telephone sets. The area served by the
system is just under forty square miles New
Workers are sufficiently familiar with the incon-
veniences of travel resulting from the peculiar
shape in which Nature has laid out these forty
square miles and they will not be surprised 10
learn that the same causes which make travel
ling in New-York difficult and uncomfortable
make telephoning difficult and expensive. There
are twelve telephone exchanges in New-iork
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

subscriber as in fact they do. but since inc IN
PRODUCTION Of the message rates attention Is pald
not to the average use OF all subscribers, heuIe
which really has no significance at all. but 10
the individual use Of each subscriber. when Is
much more important both to the subscrlper
and to the corApany than any general average
statement. People use the telephone service In
widely different ways just as they DO the malls
or travelling facilities. Mr.. Blank. in his pri-
vate residence. uses IL for sending orders 10
tradesmen, for occasional message 10
friend or to he doctor. and 50 on and 10 call
10 his wife from the Office or from out Of town;
so 600 or 500 messages year suffice for all his
needs But Blank. Dash & Coz or the Hudson
River Trust Company. Of which Mr.. Blank Is
president doing business on large scale and
with wide circle Of clients, conduct a great
proporti N Of their business by telephone, have
a number OF telephone instruments In their or
fees. with small switchboard and several
trunk lines 10 the central Office and send 3poOo
messages a year OBVIOUSLY An average figure
taking i'm two such extremes has no meaning.
The use made Of the telephone service ny
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

many large concerns is far greater than Is
generally known, and TO accommodate prop
erIy the great quantity OF telephone traiic 'n"'
naturally flows In and out Of busy once the
telephone company has lately introduced
scheme OF service known as the branch ex-
change" system. which consists in the establish
ment OF a veritable miniature exchange III 'he
establishment of the subscriber. small switch
board is set up and connected to the nearest ex-
change Of the general system by some fve or
six trunk lines which take consecutive numbers
and terminate side by side at the exchange
switchboard. From the private branch SWITCH
board there radiate lines to the different offices
n the establishment terminating usually In the
desk telephone sets now so popular In New
York An operator stationed at the branch
switchboards acts as Intermediary in securing
all connections required by the various stations
connected to the switchboard and in distribut-
ing directly to the persons wanted the calls that
come in over the trunk lines from the general
system. This method of handling telephone SER
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

New-York. five Of the larger are housed in
special telephone buildings. designed for the pur-
pose and models in all respects Of what a telc-
phone central office should be. The buildings
are, OF course fircproof as they can be made.
and where exchanges have had to be established
in leased quarters. a special point has been made
OF choosing the safest building in this respect
available. The loss that would be caused TO the
business interests Of the city by the burning out
Of OF the exchanges would be almost meal
cuabe. and the precautions taken against fire
in all departments OF the exchanges are pains
taking To the last degree. The operating rooms
In the top floors Of the exchange building.
where the conditions ~ light, ventilation. I'M
hampered floor space and freedom from dust or
dirt are the best Obtainablc The cables go w a
shaft from the basement 10 the operating room
floor. and terminate in a special room. where the
cable conductors are connected to the lightning
arresters. from which they pass 10 the switch
board, where the busy operators duty
day and night 10 answer the subscribers calls
and connect their lines together by aid Of the
ninble cords and plugs that form the temporary
link in every connection. OF the switchboard
this Is not the place 20 speak. It's myateres is
complications and It's operation cannot receive
justice in the scope Of such article. Suffice
il TO say that there over 600 feet Of IL. six
feet high. in the New-York system. and every
foot contains densely packed collection Of cleo
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

road presents over tie steam road are very
numerous. In order that steam road passenger
traffic shall pay it is necessary To run Ions ana
heavy trains at intervals more or less long. The
locomotive is thus worked most efficiently.
The electric car. which does not depend upon
a portable furnace and boiler for its power.
which is made in the most economical manner
possible, by the finest class Of engines in
central powerhouse where everything is run
economically, may be run at more frequent IN
tervals. each single car or train running hsM
when compared with the loads carried by the
steamcars. The element OF economy enters into
the problem. and the suburban road can ccm-
pete for the passenger traffic on fair basis.
Examples of the deprivation OF the steam rail-
roads passenger traffic by the electric suburban
and interurban roads is manifest. In New
Jersey and in Brooklyn within the last three
years the electrician has taken a strong hold
and the trolley roads Of these cities have taken
a very large proportion OF the passenger traihc.
carrying not only the suburban resident, but
also the chance visitor and the eXcursionist.
Operating their line more economically. the ares
are Of course. somewhat smaller and TINS -
also a potent factor in depriVins the steam fd.i-
road or It's local passenger traffic. some ~ Inc
nterurban roads are built on principles almost
Identical with those of the steam road.
The Cleveland. gainesville and Easton KAN
way runs through about thirty miles of the teifl-
tory covered by the Lake Shore Railroad. II
has regular steam coaches hauled by a motor
car
The Cleveland Akron and Bedford Line is
line Of similar length running in adj dining terri
tory. Between Niagara Falls and Buffalo =
still another road which runs FOR about twenty
miles, the cars are large and the double trucks
are fitted with four motors. Between Washing
ton and Mount Vernon sill another trolley ro"i
equipped for heavy traction Is running. ana a.
of these roads are doing very large business
In the state OF Connecticut the trolley road run,
ming IN the same territory rs the steam r"At
has had much greater difficulty but proved II
self 80 fierce a competitor 10 the steam road 'hd'
for self pr eseryaton the steam read has Deeh
obliged to adopt electricity on certain OF KS
branches.
The adoption OF the trolley road having forced
the steam roads into the use of electricity as "
motive power. some Of the steam ROADS htNe
naturally adopted electricity and dscatdel
steam entirely Last year the New-Nork New
Haven and Hartford Railroad substituted elec-
,rlcty for steam on branch road ABOUT Ten
miles long. formerly part Of tho Old Colony -
tenn. starring at Pemhertor and running As ir
as East Weymouth over six and haf mics
~ this the ears are run, regular uohey .'"'
taking current from an overhead wire ny d
trolley pole. The trains are made up OK s'nK'-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

a. the minimum rate for a direct line Is Soo
a YEAR with that number OF messages; add
tional messages cost from S12 per 100 down to
81 per 100 as the number contracted Tor IN
creases and IL the messages are taken on large
scale they may be had at the rate OF $40 TOT
800. or 8 cents apiece This scale OF rates, II is
apparent suits both the large and the small
user The householder. the professional man DO
ing a small amount OF detail business, the small
retail store. the carpenter the plumber, etc.
who all want to be in touch with the world
through the telephone service. but do not need
10 use 4; very largely. are well accommodated
at the minimum rate. and get all the advantages
81 a telephone connection in a large system at
very moderate cost. while the important firms
doing a large volume Of business can make com
tinations OF lines capable Of handling any
amount Of telephone traffic which may flow in
and out % their Offices. II must be borne in
mind that all messages charged against the
originating station. so that those you receive
cost you nothing. With many people the facili-
~ for receiving calls is even more important
than the ability to send them, and In all cases II
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30
-ical apparatus and wire rivallins IN complex

trical apparatus and wire rivalling IN compieA-
inv the nervous system Of the human body.
To operate and maintain the New YORK te aoo
phone system occupies the time or some I,fo'
persons Of both sexes and all ages The execu-
tive managerial and engineering departrien ~.
and the office forces Of the various branches ',it'
tween 500 and 400 OF these The traihc oepurl-
mert which conducts the operation OF the eA
changes has staff OF nearly 6OO. or when inc
large majority are women operators. anu '"u
struction and maintenance departments. which
build and equip the plant and install and main.
tain the subscribers stations. contain most Oh
the rest. Practically all the work or the coiI-
many requires skilled labor OF one sort or an
other and most OF II demands skilled labor OF
very high degree. The operation OF the swltch-
boards provides one of the most refined ana PEST
remunerated occupations open to working
women an occupation in all respects superior 10
that offered by stores or factories.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

and the northernmost Of the twelve Is 1feinoh''
which REQUIRES trunk lines nearly fourteen
miles long to connect il with the exchange al
Rroad-st The whole of the city. in spite or us
large area. IS served at uniform rates. ana a
telephone message costs the same whether the
subscriber calls for 4 station connected to the
same exchange as his own or whether ne calls
for a station belonging to tho most distant OK
change demanding the use IF lines aggr" eating
fifteen miles In length. The average length OF
line used for all connections including both those
completed at the sychange n which they orig
mate and those which pass through two eN
changes is three miles. From this figure, bear
ing in mind that ne usual telephone coinmuni-
cation is both message ard r'ply. some idea
may be had of the amount of time saved every
day by the telephone service in New-Nork
This view Of the telephone service becomes
more accentuated when the immense volume OF
traffic handled every day is considered. The
usual days work at present IS about l'"W"
originating calls Of which some l2o,WU pass
through two exchanges. In former days II
would have been pointed out that these figures
represent an average Of ten calls per DAY per
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30

Illuminating large commercial establishments
all over the country to the total exclusion % the
incandescent lamp. The latest development in
the business namely. the Improvement in the
length Of time which these lamps will burn
without retrmmng attention. marks an
other era in the rapid progress which the art
has been making. and II will not be long probably
before the already large field OF lighting
cupIed by incandescent arc lamps will be stlll
further extended till it will invade the private
dwelling and will occupy there the same DON'T
nant position which It now holds in every other
field OF electric lighting The vest,buie. parlor
boudoir and living rooms will one by yield
to It's merits and appropriate its benefits.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30


That DISTINGUISHED authority on electrical SCI
ence. w J. Johnston has said that "electricily'
although popularity supposed 10 be Still III It's
infancy has during the last ten years maue
such rapid strides. and Is so likely to continue
10 keep UP It's reputation in that direcuoh III
the future. that no intelligent American can
AFFORD TO longer remain ignorant OF Its funda-
mental laws and Of its principal practlcal appH-
cations In the arts and sciences.
No other branch Of applied science presents
anything like much interest TO the general
publjc and the desire is universal to know some
thing Of the subtle but powerful agency whch
has reyolutionzed the lighting Industry ana
street railway traction. and from present APP
nsarances seems destined 10 enter even more
largely than it now does into the commercial
life OF the future.
The average reader. however is apt 10 resaru
electricity as something mysterious. not 10 say
uncanny. and to imagine that its intricacies can
only be comprehcnded by those specially trained
in electro technics.
The fact OF the matter Is that. although no
one is vet able to explain what electricity really
Is the laws which govern II are just as well de-
fined and just as thoroughly understood as are
those which apply TO light. heat or air.
Moreover in most electrical lines the days OF
experiment are over and the industry is now
So well established that machines for generating
electricity are as closely standardized as are
steam engines or bolts screws.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-30
WORLD OF ELECTRICITY
GREATER NEW YORK'S WONDERFUL
TELEPHONE sYsTEM-3S2 MILES OF
IEAD-COvERED CABLE-l'o.ooo
MESSAGES A DAY-50O00
MILES OF WIRE.

xLrcrRIcITY IN ALL ITS MANY APPLICATIONS
ro ,xD,srp1rs-sTREEr RAILWAYS CARTOONS
wrr:Es. CABLES. PRoPEILERs. MACHINERY
THERAPEUTICS. ELEVATORS. 1LLUMi-
NATION HOUSEHOLD AND BUSINESS
PROTECTION. DyNAMos. SAFES
brushes AND OTHER COM
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10
A DELEGATION OF WHOLESALER
APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD
OF EaUALIzATIoN.
TO INCREASE VALUATIONS
THEY CLAIMED WOULD WORK AN
INJUSTICE ON THEM AT THIS
TLRTN
ssHssMnNfs III OTHER CITIES.
Claimed the Valuation of Jobbing
interests Is Greater Here Than
in Other Places Mentioned.

Al the invitation of the special COM
mlttee Of the board of, equalization ap-
pointed to consider the interests of the
Jobbers, delegation of wholesalers at
tended a meeting of the committee
yesterday afternoon. W. B. Dean, A.
ii. Lindeke and D. r. Noyes were the
spokesman of the delegation, which
also included George r. Finch, o. P.
Lanpher, ]. w. Cooper, E. A. Young,
A. b. Driscoll, Richards Gordon, P. H.
Kelly and others.
Mr.. Dean, who spoke first, dwelt
upon the Importance and value of the
Jooblng Interests to the city at large.
IN urging upon the committee the in
Justlce that an increase in the present
assessed valuation of the jobbers'
property would work, Mr. Dean SUBJ
mltted to the committee a statement
showing the assessed valuations of the
Jopplng interests in the cities of st.
Faul, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York
ana omaha. The figures demonstrated
that the st. Paul jobbers were sub
jected to a much larger assessment
than in the other cities named. This
was especially true in the case of the
Minneapolis jobbers.
Mr.. Eindel1e also made a plea in be-
half Of the jobhers, and expressed the
nope that the, members of the commit
tee and the board of equalization
would give the jobbers due and fair
consideration. Mr37 Lindeke assured
the committee that he believed the
board of equalization meant to do the
fair thing by all interests, and that
he for. one did not place any belief in
the absurd rumora, that the members
OF the board had it in for the job
bers. Mr.. Lindeke. also took occasion
to commend the board for it's action
IN raising the assessment of the rich
people on the hill. In conclusion, Mr..
Lindeke trusted that the board would
see fit to allow the assessed valuat ton
to remain at the present figures.
d. r. Noyes said a few words along
the line covered by Mr. Dean, and
then the committee adjourned. It
seemed to be the general sense of the
members of the committee that the as
sessments of the jobbers should not be
increased. ti a
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10

water barrels on the streets during the
summer, the work of the city mis-
sionary committee and the various
other work done by the union.
After the secretary's report had been
read, President Hunt presented the
president of the Bethany Congrega-
tional society with a banner for the
bership for the year.
Ira G. Oehler, the treasurer, next
made his report. He reported the total
amount received at $20799, and his
total disbursements as $190.11, leaving
a balance of $17SS There were no
outstanding obligations and the society
was free from debt.
Miss Carrie e. Holbrook spoke on the
journey to the last convention. Miss
Holbrook is one of the popular En-
deavorers in the state. She told of the
journey of the seven coach loads Of
neapolis on July 2, in her usual pleas
ing enthusiastic manner She de-
Scribed the beautiful scenery along
the line of travel, and told of the
various ''yells" which the Endeavorers
adopted
W. G. Fordyce told of the welcome
the Endeavorers received at San Fran
cisco and all along the route. He said
the CaliforhianS were especially hos
pitable, everything was welcome. &C.
f.. was everywhere. Even some OF
the saloons had the sign over their
doors.
Miss F. E. Nicoll read a paper on
Committee Conferences" She said
that some of the best meetings of
the EndeaVorers was some of the COM
mlttee conferences. and that they were
one of the features Of the '97 converi-
ton
State President c. N Hunt gave
an address, ''The Convention as a
Spiritual Factor He said the greatest
Spiritual influence of the convention
was the assembling Of kindred hearts,
and coming in contact with young peo-
pie from all over the world some Of
them came 1900 miles to the conven-
ton. He said the most conservative
estimate of the number who attended
the convention was placed at $4,000.
seventy special trains coming in over
the Rio Grande road alone. 1t was
the large union assemblies which III
srired spirituality.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10
COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE
THE CHARGES
MADE BY DORIAN AND CARROLL
COULD NOT GET ANY ENCOURAGE
MENT FROM THE BOARD OF
ALDERMEN.
sTUTzMAN HAS BEEN BUSY, TOO.
He Says the Matter of Filming the
DisOrderIy Houses Is Worse
Than He Imagined.

There promises to be a batch of in
vestigations pulled off around the city
hall during the next week or so. A
special joint committee has just con-
Guided investigating the city treasurer,
and the deposits in the Allemannia
bank, and another joint committee is
quietly investigating the reports made
that the mayor and other officers are
playing favorites in the matter of fining
keepers of disorderly houses
President Arosin, Of the assembly,
who fathered the city treasurer inves-
tigation, started another one going yes
terday by notifying the city clerk that
Messrs. Thompson, Craig and Johnson
would act as the special committee
from the assembly to investigate the
action Of the city engineer. That Off
cial has been charged with attempting
to "hold OUT" $50 from the sale of old
scrap iron. The charge was made by
ex-Street Commissioner Carroll recent
ly discharged, backed up by Mayor Do
ran, who is relative by marriage of
the discharged street commissioner.
The assembly, or a majority of the
members of that body, have taken the
Carroll-Doran end of the fight which rs
being made on City Engineer Rundlett,
and intend pushing it, notwithstanding
the calling down given the mayor by
the Dispatch for descending to such
petty work. A joint special committee to
investigate the charges made
against the city engineer was
not asked for, owing to the
fact that the resolution would
have been killed ir the board of alder
men. Knowing this, the mayor and
his following in the assembly, through
Assemblyman Thompson, introduced
resolution asking for a committee Of
three from the assembly to make the
investigation. While President Arosin
undoubtedly acted in good faith in the
appointment Of the committee, it is
probable that the committee will not
look for chance to give the city en-
gineer any the best of it while conduct
ing the investigation. President Arosin
seen yesterday said the committee
would be officially notified of their ap-
pointment this morning, and the inves-
LEGATION as to the charges made against
the city engineer by Mayor Doran and
his sons father-in-law would COM
mence probably some day this week.
That the investigation will result in
any change in the office Of city engin-
eer is not at all probable, although
this is the aim and intention of those
who have plugged up the trouble.
Under the. law it takes a three-fourths
vote of the members of the council to
impeach city official and none of the
board of aldermen will stand for any
such work, especially when the reason
is so apparent as in this case
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10
TAKEN FOR REV. L. BROWN.
Book Agent Suspected of Reing the
North ST. Paul Minister.

The. resemblance of a young book
agent, who has been canvassing the
vicinity of St. Miehaels, Mimi, to Rev.
Leonidas Brown, the pastor of the
North st. Paul Methodist church, who
jumped his bail while awaiting a pre-
liminary hearing on the charge of GRIM
inally assaulting Harriet Rogerson,
caused the former no little embarrass-
ment last week, when he was taken
into custody on suspicion of being the
missing minister. The authorities of
st. Michaels were SO certain that they
had the right man. that the assistant
county attorney was notified and hast
lily dispatched Deputy Sheriff Wagner
to bring the man to ST. Paul. When.
the deputy reached st. Michaels how
ever he found another case of mis-
taken identity, and returned home
empty handed.