Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-31

sequeHCly, SO VIII the cost. In eStlmat-
ing on 1000 instruments installed, we
must take into consideration some aer-
lal, cable and more substantial con-
struction and much more costly equip
ment, and therefore there would be a
material increase in the cost per sta
ton; without conduit work: safe ap-
proximate would be sS5 per station, or
1000 for the plant, within a given ra-
dius.
Where the demand exceeds one
thousand stations, and quick, up-to-
date service is required, it is absolute
ly necessary to be equipped with cen
trail energy, multiple switchboards and
when in towns where electric light and
electric street cars are used, requiring
many additional appliances to over
come the interference caused by them,
and where 1t is necessary to construct
conduits, we cannot with safety cal
culate less than $500 per station in
stalled; that is system of 1000 un-
der such conditions would cost to in
stall approximately 100000. These
prices are only approximate, and
may vary 10 or Is per cent, according
to local conditions. In large cities,
WHY c,VVV w lV,OOV ouDSSllpSio Oh Y
connected. the cost will approximate
from $3.50 to 5000 per station.
Cost of Operating and Maintaining.
Very few who are engaged in the
independent telephone business knew
the expense of operating or the cost
of maintenance even approximately
when they entered the business, much
less did they consider that the expense
increased, not only proportionately to
the number of subscribers, but in ge-
ometrical progression. To explain:
The expense of operating an exchange
of 1000 subscribers is much more than
twice the expense with an exchange of
500. At first thought we naturally say
that if you can give service to 500 sub
scribers at 81 per month, you can give
service to 1000 for less. Practice
proves just the reverse. The reasons
why are many; some of them may be
plainly understood by the following:
When there are 500 subscribers con-
nected with an exchange, each sub
scriber can call up 500 others, and by
the time every subscriber calls up ev-
cry other subscriber there are sent
through the exchange 100000 calls;
and when there are 1000 subscribers,
and every subscriber calls up every
other subscriber once, there are not
merely twice as many calls sent
through the exchange as there We're
when only the 500 were on the board,
but four times as many, making l,0O0,-
900 calls, which is the ratio of increase
in the use of the telephone with the
increase of subscribers. Thus 1t re-
quires four times as much labor to take
care of one thousand subscribers as it
does to take care of five hundred, and
four times as much wear and tear on
the apparatus, and much more central
apparatus to do it with. The same is
true of inside construction. Consider
that the first five hundred are within a
radius of one mile from the exchange,
with an average of one-half mile of
pole lines; the second five hundred
come within radius of two miles from
the exchange, making an average dis
lance of one and one-half miles for
poles and wires, therefore, the amount
of construction to reach the outer five
hundred is three times that Of the first
five hundred, and four times that re
quired to serve the first 500 will be re
quired to give service to 1000.
l doubt whether this includes it all
when we consider the amount of terri
tory that must be covered by poles and
wires as the circle increases. The ter
ritory to be covered, in radius of one
mile, is only a fraction less than four
square miles. The territory covered in
radius of two miles is four times that
or sixteen square miles, requiring
twelve square miles to be covered with
poles and wires to serve the first 500
would make three times as much pole
line cost to serve 1000 subscribers as
| it requires to serve 500. To serve the
outer districts the wire can pass over
the poles of the first district, but the
poles will have to be much larger and
cost more. The amount of cross arms
] wire, and in insulators is the same as
if all the wires were put on separate
poles from the central office out
Maintenance.
There appears to be general i'm
preston abroad that after telephone
line or telephone system Is built the
work is done for all time. But that is
not the case. Decay and trouble be
gin as soon as the poles are set. The
average life of the white cedar poles
as we get them today is from fifteer
to twenty years. Galvanized iron wire
in towns and cities cannot be counted
on for period much beyond six o.
seven years. In the country it lasts
much longer. The life of switchboard
4 is from fifteen to twenty-five years, OF
| longer, if constant repair and replac
| ing of parts worn out is done careful
ly. Telephone instruments have beer
an uncertain quantity till within few
years. There are few telephones
that have been used many years, prov
/ ing that durable and efficient tele
phones can be made. But the majority
are thrown away in very short time
which is in accord with poor construc
ton in everything. The best that car
be made is what we want.
The expense of maintenance wher
good, up to date appliances are uset
with the very best of construction
should not exceed from three to five
per cent, so that we are on the safe
side of our investment when we make
| n f,,o y,oy. cant n,aiptoponoo f,,pd 49,