Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-03
The Automatic Switchboard
Soon to Be a Reality In
This State
BIG PHONE DEAL AT WATERLOO
The Commonwealth Telephone Com
pany With Capital Of 100000 Or
sanized at Water!oo-Automatic sys-
tenn Will Be Used in That City
News Of the State.
Special to Times-Republican.

SpeClal TO IlmeS-Repupllcan.
Waterloo. April 3.-Organization OF
the commonwealth Telephone CO., cap
italized at 100000, which has bought
out the Cedar Valley and a number of
affiliated lines was completed in this
city yesterday. The following officers
were elected: President, c. p. Brat
nober; Treasurer. +. j. Eighmey;
Board of Directors, c. p. Bratnober,
Judge f. c. Plat, c. o. Lamson and
G. E. Lichty of Waterloo; C. II. Roden-
bach OF Cedar Falls, A. j. Wheeler, Jr.,
OF Chicago. and j. B. Russell of New
York.
The transfer Of this property. the
amount of capital represented and the
pregnancy of the future with possibili-
ties of extension and perfection OF SER
vice, constitute this as che of the most
far reaching and important deals ever
consumated in this city. The plans of
the company embrace projects of en-
largement and extension which will
place the users of phones In Waterloo
in direct communication with Chicago
and the eastern cities.
The Waterloo exchange will be inn
mediately and entirely rebuilt. The
present system of central office with
hello girls" will give way to the new
est and most efficient of automatic sys-
TENS, the mechanism to L.. provided by
the Automatic Electric Co., the same
concern which is placing new auto
matte tunnel system in Chicago. BY
the automatic system each subscriber
acts as his own operator. AT the front
of each instrument is dial with num-
bers from to 8, and the subscriber
with an indicator makes his own con-
nection with any number on the list.
This gives immediate connection and
does away with the long wait which
under present conditions has frequently
been the case. Besides the rapidly of
service there is absolute secrecy be-
tween the subscriber and the individ-
ual with whom he is speaking, thSre
being no human agency between. only
the sphinx-like material of which the
system is composed. There is pract-
ically no limit to the combinations OF
number that can be used
MI. WneeleTp JT., WIN mas He6otihsSu
the transfer of the business and has
been instrumental in properly placing
the bonds. will return to Waterloo next
week and bring with him one OF the
most capable and experienced tele-.
phone constructors of the east. To-
gether the gentlemen will look the
ground over and will decide then on
the location of their central office. 1t
is very essential that this office shall
be at most strategic point, and the
services Of the new superintendent
with his wide experience is considered
essential to the location of the central
Office Some present building will be
utilized as it would delay the installa-
ton of the new system too long to
erect a new edifice.
The securities Of the Commonwealth
Telephone Co, above the amounts TAX
en- by the directors of the company.
have been entirely underwritten by
the well-known New York banking
firm of j. b. Russell & Co., extensive
holders of bonds in New York, Chica-
go, Wilkesbarre, Scranton and Carbon
dale, Pa.