Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16

sorts of FRANKS with the Transmission of
sounds when lot Of wires running
straight along are strung on the same
poles. The FRANKS are mostly eliminated
by transposing the wires but, curiously
enough, it won't do to transpose two sets
of wires which run over the same line Of
poles at identical points. for this leads to
complete parallelism," a phenomenon
which all telephone men dread but which
few outside the business have ever heard
of. Accordingly, transposition scheme"
has to be wrought out for every line. and
when there several wires. the scheme
is a highly elaborate affair. Like the
man who faStens the wires to the insu-
lators, the one who transposes them spends
much of his time shining up and down
poles He must have great experiences. but
his knowledge of electricity need not be
great. no matter how complicated the
transposition scheme, for it is made ready
in advance. and he has only to follow In
structions. He is the last man to pass over
the line. When he has finished the wires
are nearly ready to talk the over.
head construction party can make them.
Commissnry and Material.
So much for the actual construction work
between towns. The commssary and ma
terial departments are quite important,
for the must be housed and fed in
their hustling progress across the country
and their materials must always be at
hand
The method of conducting the commits
sary department varies according to the
nature of the territory passed rough In
thickly settled regions the men eat and
sleep at hotels. farm houses and boarding
houses along the route, hotels being pre-
ferred The advent of a gang Of eighty
men creates no end of excitement in each
i.eighDorhood, and, of course, their accomo-
dation fills all the spare bed rooms and
the extra places at every table. Every
construction gang is preceded by one or
mere men hunting for boarding places. and
these men are also charged with arrange
ments for the transportation of the force
to and from work mornings and nights.
From seven to eight miles is about far
as they can be taken economically. and
there is, therefore, an average distance of
about fifteen miles between headquarters.
When the country is thiny settled the
party is furnished with vans-great spe-
cially constructed wagons, somewhat like
circus wagons-some containing berths for
sleeping purposes, some being fitted with
ranges and cooking utensils to serve as
kitchens, and others being loaded with food
for the men, fodder for the horses and
miscellaneous supplies. A camp Is pitched
at the close of each days work and the
number of men in the party Is augmented
by teamsters, cooks, walters and doors of
all sorts Of odd jobs. Households were
built to accommodate the party which con-
structed line along the course of a GER
tain southern river through region ILL
supplied with highways. and all hands were
f1oated down the stream by night between
fortunate; the men insisted upon drinking
the river water, lot of them fell sick OF
typhoid fever and several died before Its
ravageS could be checked.
Getting poles. wires, crosspieces and other
essentials of construction to the men
promptly is as necessary as feeding and
housing them. This work is in charge OF
the material man, who precedes the con-
struction party, and must be possessed or
unusual executive ability. He must be in
close touch with the pole-buyers scattered
all over the country, the engineer who drew
the specifications for the line and the super
intendent of construction. Working in har-
mony with the material man is the franz
ing gaag," whose members assemble and
put together the crosspieces and poles.
Their work is satisfactory only when the
construction party finds everything 1T needs
ready to hand at all points along the route.
The commissary and material departments
make extensive of horses and mules,
which are generally hired from farmers and
others along the line, In the hauling of
poles wires &c. and in the transportation
of the men between sleeping places and
their work. 1t is not at all unusual for a
party of telephone builders to use from