Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-13
TO MAKE BIG IMPROVEMENTS
Nebraska TeephOne Company Increases
Stock Six Hundred Thousand.
PLANS SOME NEW EXCHANGE BUILDINGS
and Improvement of Inter-
urban Lines Also Decided Upon
c. w. Lyman Becomes Vice
President of Company.

An increase Of capital stock from $780,
900 to S2,400,0 900 was authorized yesterday
afternoon by the stockholders Of the Ne
braska Telephone company In annual meet
ing. The $500, 900 additional stock, in
shares Of 500 each, will be placed on the
general market in the east and in Omaha
Each ,stockholder will be entitled to one
share at par for every three he holds. II
is planned to spend the entire amount dur
ing the year 1903 on extensions, enlarge
ments and improvements in Nebraska and
Iowa.
Chief among the Improvements authorized
will be new exchange buildings and switch
boards in Omaha, Lincoln and Council
Bluffs, placing the wires underground as
ordered by the council in the latter city
and a general extension OF metallic
equipped long-distance toll lines and the
general Improvement of local exchanges.
The improvements at Council Bluffs and
Lincoln are announced for the first tine.
Plans have not yet been drawn for the
work. nor the cost closely estimated. The
burying OF the wires in Council Bluffs
makes a permanent building absolutely
necessary, as the conduits are put in to
stay and their terminal cannot be changed
without great expense. AS TO the character
or scope OF the improvements at Lincoln,
little information is given out.
New Man on Directorate.
At the meeting yesterday afternoon
s1.SOO,OOO of the s1,sOO,OOO worth of stock
was represented. The old board of direc-
! tors was reelected, with the exception Of
I C. W. Lyman. who was chosen to succeed
the late J. J. Dickey. both as director and
/ vice president. The board Of directors now
I Of folInura. e NJ.
Morsman, Guy C. Barton, C, E. Yost. c. w.
Lyman. all Of Omaha; C. J. French of Bos-
ton and A. Burt OF Kansas City. The off,
GERS, who were reelected, with the excep-
! tion Of NJ. Lyman, are: President, c. E.
/ Yost; vice president, c. W. Lyman; secre-
( tary and treasurer, f. NJ. Morsman.
Concerning the Omaha improvements. II
/ was announced that the new exchange
building under construction alongside the
present quarters at Eighteenth and Douglas
streets will be complete June 1. Meanwhile
the new switchboard will be manufactured
in Chicago at a cost OF S125, 900. The new
building will mean an expenditure of
5000 BY the middle OF August the new
switchboard is planned to be in operation.
1t will be operatsd by girls as ct present,
but will enable the subscriber TO call CEN
trail by simply lifting the receiver from the
hook. New instruments will not be re-
quired, a simple adjustment OF the present
mechanism being all that is necessary.
/ This system is used at present IN south
Omaha.
Switchboard of short Life.
During the last twenty years the Ne
braska Telephone company has placed four
entirely new switchboards in the Omaha
exchange, necessary on account OF increased
business and Improvements in the ap-
paratus. The last board was purchased II
1894. cost s65 5000, and is still in use. II
negotiating for its sale the company IL
offered only 5000 for 1t.
By no means the least part OF the ex
penditures to be made during the year viii
be for new toll lines There is a grea
deal OF territory to be invaded Throughout
the state, some OF which is traversed a.
present by wires of independent concerns
and some Of which is not. There will b.
unusual activity during the present veal
on the long distance lines and in the es
tablishment OF local exchanges at small
} cities and towns not reached at present
1t means more or less Of a struggle Will
the concerns that stand on their Owl
footing.
In Council Buffs a site for the exchang
building has not been secured and the on
GERS of the company are unable to say any
thing as to the size OF the structure o
what it will cost