The record-union., 1898-04-24
WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL.
Internal Telephone System-The
Latest and Neatest Thing Out.

Record Union" office by the Sunset
| Telephone Company what is knowr2 as
the house telephone system. 1t is a
very complete and admirable thing, and
is especially adapted for use in large
| dwellings, extensive stores and factO-
ries and in business houses, shops,
etc, having several departments.
In the Record Union" office it IS
found of first value, labor and time
and temper saver, not only to the
'Record-Union force, but to all who
have to use the telephone in commu-
nicating with. any of the departments
of the paper.
1t is simple and easily understood.
but it is open to inspection by any of
our friends who wish to see and exam
inc it in detail. In this office there are
at present six stations, for five of the
several departments of the paper, one
being for general use.
At each station there is a neat boxed
switchboard, and a desk or stand long
distance telephone receiver and trans
mitter. Beneath the switchboard
there is what may be called a bug
zer," but in some systems a bell is sub
stituted This is operated by a coil
y
hard rubber plate, into which the thir-
teen wires of the system are gathered
Every station has it's number Thus:
aging editor: 8, main station, through
which Central" is reached. etc On
the switchboard are corresponding
numbers. A brass plug inserted in any
one of the station holes of the switch
alarms sufficiently to call attention
On the board there is button which,
when pressed while plug is inserted,
alarms the station of the number
plugged" AS soon as the receiver is
lifted to the ear the "buzzer'' ceases.
When communication between stations
is concluded the hanging of the re-
ceiver in place starts the 'buzzer"
again and notifies the parties that the
plug must be removed.
All the station holes, except that of
Central Office, can be plugged at once,
and the parties in the six departments
on different floors, can converse with
each other as easily as if assem- bled in
the same room. Moreover, no one can
''cut in,' there is no induction, and no
one on the general line can hear a word
spOken-not even Central knows any
thing about it; as that office cannot be
called or cut in until Centrars plug is
inserted
Central can alarm as in the general
system, at the main or general house
station. Thus it is a little telephone
system within a greater one. For any
station, or all of them. can be switched
by Central into communication with
any telephone office or box just as in
the old system. 1t is neat, takes but
small desk room, saves many a weary
climb of stairWayS, is Sectetive, and is
a saver of time because it is so much
more speedy in communicating than
any other telephone system.
To illustrate one of its virtues: sup
pose a business man calls up the Rec
ord Union" office. The alarm sounds
in the editorial rooms and the party
begins his message, which it is discov-
cred is for the counting-room Instead
of saying as of old, You want the
business office: tell Central to give you
black 131. instead Of red 131'--thus de-
laying the customer and often causing
him to lose his temper-the recipient
inserts business office plug" in the
switchboard touches the button and
business office" is at orce thrown into
communication with the customer,
while editorial rooms" go on With
their own affairs
The Record Unions" little plant has
been installed less than a week, but the
force would not he without It now for
scarcely any consideration. Telephony
has made so many advances in late
years that we are ready to believe any
thing told of or promised for it, but
this latest trick is a little the neatest
and best of any of the more recent i'm
provements with which we have been
,nna6n ann11airtnd