Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-11-19

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IN the ma tier Of telephones IN. city
81 Augusta is Web up on the list OF
the cues given above only three. san
r francisco with one to every ID of IFS
population. Boston with one ia every
y and Cleveland With one to every os
are ahead OF her. There are. accord
ING |" the latest supplement to the list
q, subscribers to the New England
Telephone Company. i3l telephones
within the limits of the Capital civ.
ihere are also four subscribers who
90 not allow their names to appear in
the list for one reason or another. Five
new telephones have been pat in since
the time the list was issued and add
ing the last two classes to the first W.
nave total Of flU now in operation
The population OF Augusta according
to the last census was II. 5S3. A simple.
process o. division will reveal the fact
that the city has a telephone to every
90 inhabitants
Investigation also shows that Gardi-
ner is Well up On the list. having :: To-
tai Of 2nt telephones. or one to every
26.l inhabitants. Hallowell has total
Of 50 or one to every 33.9 inhabitants
Thus i, Will be seen that the kennebec
cities are not at all behind the average
Of the country ut large in the matter
of telephone service.
The growth of the telephone system
has been phenomenal ana now the tel
ephone is almost as essential in the
transac ton of business as money.
~. Of h. !,
predicted. 1t is spreading itself over
the whole country ana if the improve
mcnts made in this line OF electrical in
Nention keeps pace with other lines, il
is destined % reVolutionize TO an even
greater extent then in the past the
business of the world. The latest in
Vention. the automatic system of tel
cph oninC would seem to show that this
is the case.
The difference between automatic eX
changes and marually operated eX
changes consists in the entire suppress
sion. in the former. OF the services of
a third part: in making connection be-
tween two subscribers. BY automatic
M ans any subscriber y enabled in
stantly to connect himself with any
connect both lines when his CONVEX
sation is finished. By an ingenious
application the calling subscriber IS
prevented from interfering with the
line already in use and is notified that
the called party is using his telephone.
The method adopted to secure this re-
suit is one of extraordinary ingenuity
and interest: and while the compleNity
Of the system is apparently very great.
Vet it Is due simply to multiplication
Of similar parts in themselves simple
and. as has been proved in practice.
reliable III their operation.
The system recently installed at Fall
River. Mass. for example. comprises an
exchange. centrally located in a small
brick building shown in one of the
Illustrations and a fun metallic system
Of circuits to the SUBSCRIBERS as
t,ihuted over large portion of the city
and it's suburbs. The wiring from the
exchange to these subscribers is car
ried out underground in twisted-pair
cables OF the conference standard,
ard laid in conduits. In the outlying
districts of the city the lines are over
,c,d Of the usual construction. cables
being carried on poles to distributing
hoxeS and circuits run thence by aerial
wires to the subscribers premises. In
it's external details the wiring for this
exchange is precisely similar to that
70, any metallic circuit exchange syS-
T.. m using a manual switchboard; the
difference is found in the suoScriDerS
Instruments and in the exchangesitself.
The subscribers station contains, be-
sides the usual bells. tranSmltter, in
,luction coil. battery and receiver. the
selective calling apparatus Whlch is
M, united in box about the size OF the
nsual telephone magnetic. ON the front
NJ this box is "a disc of metal, having
along the edge on one side ten holes
,un,bered consecutively from l to ..
Nv inserting the finger in one OF these
holes the disc may be turned. a stop
nI,ced at the lower part limiting the
distance to which it may be turned
with the finger in any given hole. 10
call a number the subscriber first re-
moves the receiver from its hook and
Inserting his finger in turn IN the holes
NJ the pepper number. turns the disc
until his finger is stopped at the bot
tor, then releases it. ana lets IL go
hack to It's starting position Having
turned up the proper numbers IN this
w he presses z button which rings the
called subscribers bell ana II me called