The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-01-20
new EXCHANGE
OPENED MONDAY
Crawford, County Telephone
Exchange Now in Operation

Exchange Now IN Operation
Phones Not all Connected as Yet But
Work is Being Pushed. Splendid
Equipment Installed.
The Crawford County Telephone Ex-
change with its central Office over
Kelly Bros. new store, opened for busi-
ness yesterday. During the winter
thousands of dollars have been ex-
pended by this essentially home enter
prise. to install as nearly as perfect
plant as possible. Every bit OF material
used has been the best and the most
skilled workmanship has been en-
ployed The exchange will start with
about $50 phones, almost equally
divided between town and country. 1t
is freely predicted that within the
year this number will be doubled. For
the small rental charged we do not see
how any farmer can afford to do with.
out phone. If it has become neces.
sity in town where it saves the walk
ing of few blocks how much more OF
necessity is it in the couatry where
each message may mean the saving OF
several hours time and miles of travel.
The usefulness of telephone de-
pends entirely upon the promptness
and reliability of the service and this
the new exchange has made every
possible arrangement to insure. The
employment OF experienced operators,
the installation. of the best labor saw
ing equipment and the splendid con.
struction of the entire plant attest the
efforts which havr been made along
this line.
Miss zella Hover and Miss May
Kelly both experienced operators, have
charge of the central office under the
direction of Mr.. J. F. Glenn the mana
ger of the company. Under the system
used by the new exchange the bell
ringing feature has been cut out to a
large extent. The person wishing to
use the phone simply takes down the
receiver, this one act sends the signal
to central that you wish your phone
connected with some one. The signal
given to the central operator is a
bright glowing light and the number
of your telephone is raised just as the
figures are raised in a cash register.
The operator connects the instrument
indicated, inquiries the number wanted.
AS soon as the persoa wanted takes
down his receiver a bright red light
appears opposite the number. This
light burns as long as the two receivers
are down. In case the party who sent
the first call finishes with one person
and wishes another number, the light
corresponding with the fist number
called is extinguished. This notifies
the operator that No. has finished
with No 2 but is still on the phone and
wants some other number. Not until
both parties are through talking dc
the signal lights go out. These signal
lights keep the operator informed al
the time. There is no need to ask
"Did you get them?" for as soon as Nc
2 takes down his receiver the sigma
appears. AT the central Office the
"ringing" during the busy hours will
all be done by poaer. The operator
simply pushes convenient lever anc
the dynamo and storage battery do the
rest. This is q great saving of time
and energy. The power is supplied by
the Denison Electric Light and Power
plant and and is stored in twenty large
batteries for use at any time. The
electrical force for the entire city ex
change IS at the central office, there
thus being no phone batteries TO rul
down or get out of order. For tht
rural service reinforcing batteries ar,
used in the phones. All cf the delicat,
machinery used is of the most modern
and improved make and there seems t,
be no reason why this should not be
model exchange. 1t will certainly b.
of great value to Denison business mel
and to the farmers and it threatens t
bea dangerous rival to the Iowa Com
pany in the city residence field.
The exchange expects to connec
with the other independent exchange
of the county and thus one can tall
with farmer living on the Kirou
Schleswig, Charter Oak or Vail line a
well as with those on the Denison ex
change. There has been some mis-
understanding as to the tolls TO b