The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-07

tion of constructing engineer for the
Lackawanna Telephone company and
will supervise the installation of the
company's system in this city. He is
now engaged in mapping out the vari-
Gus streets in which the company's
conduits will be placed.
While the ordinance provides that
only 5000 feet of wire be laid UNDER
meath the surface Of the street. the
company will place these underground
carriers under many more thousands or
feet Of thoroughfarc for their own con-
venience. The territory bounded by
Lackawanna avenue. Adams avenue
Linden street and Franklin avenue will
be where the conduits will be placed as
soon as Mr.. Dunning's plans are pre-
pared and the weather permits.
The work of preparing these plans
is one that entails an enormous amount
of work. The location of every pipe
underneath the streets to be travcrsed
must be ascertained as accurately as
possible that it may be learned how
near or how far from the surface the
conduits must be placed The absence
Of courts running from boundary line
to boundary line of the territory to be
excavated also tends to make the pro-
posedswork more difficult.
SWITCHBOARD ORDERED.
The switchboard which the company
will use has been purchased and must
be delivered in this city before Sept.
under penalty of 500 day Oft the
contract price. This contract price IL
the neat little figure of $4,000.
The switchboard will have to COM
mence with 2,4oO drops with a capacity
of enlargement up to 5000. This ex-
ceedingly large number of drops is
caused by the fact that each subscriber
will have an individual line of his
own, a fact that will undoubtedly prove
to be one Of the company's greatest
drawing cards for an individual line
means that the subscriber can more
quickly get any party desired, four
times quicker than at present, the new
company's officials say, but they may
perhaps be stretching a point just a
little.
The system to be used is what is
known as the central energy system
and is essentially modern. Wilkes
Barre has had it in operation for some
six months now. The central energy
part means that there are no batteries
but those in the central telephone
building.
Next to each subscribers number on
the switchboard there will be tiny
incandescent lamp. When the SUBJ
scribcr is not using his phone this
lamp is lit, but just as soon as he calls
up exchange" it goes out. Right here
it might be mentioned that to call up
Exchange" all that is necessary is to
take the receiver off the hook without
ringing any bell whatever.
LAMP GOES OUT.
This, as mentioned above, causes the
subscribers little lamp to go out, and
when the exchange girl has obtained
the number of the subscriber wanted
she rings him up and keeps ringing
him up until his lamp goes out. indi-
eating that he has answered by taking
his receiver off the hook.
And right here comes the point. As
long as those two lamps are out the
subscribers are talking and think on
this. ye users Of telephones, there will
be no interjections by the operator in
the midst of a private conversation
asking whether you are "stili talking?"
Consequently there will be no neces-
sity for saying "Oh. go away, ex-
change" and thinking many other
| things you couldn't say.
When one or both the lights go Out
| that shows that the conversation Is
| ended and then and not till then does
the operator discOnnect the two parties
talking. There will be no Limitation
! set on the time one may talk as the
necessity for this is done away with by
the individual lines.
General Manager s. T.. Weiland, who
is now established permanently in the
city, said yesterday that he expected
to locate site for an exchange in 9
| few days, but that he Lad found it 6
very difficult matter to find a place
suitable in all respects.
When asked about what connection!
could be made outside the city he re
piled that the company would connec
as far north as Carbondale with tn,
Independent company now operating
there. The connections with Wilkes
Barre, he said, would join all the citie.
and towns as far as Nanticoke, EN-
bracing practically the whole anthra
cite region.
OUT OF TOWN CONNECTIONS.
He also stated that connections coult
undoubtedly be made with New YOrl
and Philadelphia within not more thai
one years time, and that connections
with the western states was a condi
ton that two or three years Nigh