The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-17
new HELLO EQUIPMENT
NORTHWESTERN TELEPHONE
co. TO REMODEL IT'S SYSTEM
heh Subscribers VIII No Longer
""e 10 ring UD Central, but just
Fut the Receiver to the Ear, and
operator Will Answer-A
MiiienniaI Condition Is Prom
Used.

LIE northwestern Telephone comma
ny yesterday secured building permits
Tor repairs to the building owned and
occupied by it at the northwest corner
of Fifth and Cedar streets. and also
for the construction Of a new huildino
for the Dale exchange.
Inc permits call for the exDenditura
OF $24,OO0, but this is only the starter
so 70 speak, as 1t is the purpose TO ex.
pend something over 500, 900 in putting
in new telephone system in the rnafn
exchange at Cedar and Fifth streets.
The main Office building will he on
tlrely remodeled, and all but two stores
on Fifth street will be occupied by the
company. The main office when conn
pleted will be duplicate Of the one in
Minneapolis, and the same system now
IN operation there will be installed in
st. Paul, together with any new i'm
provements which can be secured.
Hennessey & Cox have the contract
for remodeling the building at Cedar
and Fifth streets, and work will be
commenced at once by the contractors.
The cost Of changing the building to
suit the demands Of the new system
is estimated at $4,000
All OF the interior of the building
Will be torn out and the structure fitted
up on the most improved plans. The
work Of remodeling will be completed
IN about three months, but it is expect
ga mat the new system will not be
III Iuii operation before March 1, 1899.
The Dale exchange building will be a.
one-story brick situated on the north
slde or Laurel avenue between Dale
and st. Adams streets. and will cost
$4,000 without the Instruments The
contract has been let to John C. Wun-
der. of Minneapolis, who built the
South exchange building in Minneapo-
lis. The structure will be 42x52 feet,
and will be put up at once
Inc new system to be put in the st.
Paul office will be the same as now
successfully operated in Minneapolis.
The system does away with ringing
OF bell when the subscriber calls up
the central office, and also keeps the
operator at the central office from
breaking into conversation by asking
if the subscriber is through talking.
By the new system each telephone
has small electric bulb about the size
of the end Of a lead pencil under the
number on the switch board in front
of the operator. By the taking down
of the receiver on any telephone this
bulb is lighted and the operator at the
central office asks for the number de-
sired. When the person to be talked
with takes down the receiver, the cleo
trio light in front Of the operator Is
also lighted, and, as long as the two
lights are burning, the operator knows
the line is busy. When the receivers
are placed back, the lights go out and
the operator diseonnects the lines.
The system is to be put in by the
Western Electric company, of Chica-
go, and, in addition to the feature
mentioned above, other improvements
will be added. In the remodeling of
the building a room will be provided
for the use Of the operators as a re-
ception and reading room, and another
room fitted up with gas range, where
employees can have lunches prepared.