The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-07-17


eral hundred little boxes. each contain
ing telephone, stand over in the west
ern end OF the great hall. Some firms
have more than one telephone. and
again more than one firm uses a Ger
tain wire. These boxes are always
busy. Every change in the market is
telephoned instantly to brokers' Offices
In twinkling every office can reach
| its man on the floor. .-s(-ff
When "A broker is called from his
| office 10 execute some order the man al
the telephone presses number, and on
| each OF the two great bulletin boards,
in full sight of every one in the room.
ton, a messenger. Of whom there are
scores, dashes through the crowd 10
find the broker. II takes only a few
seconds for him TO get in commuDica-
ton with his office. Instructions are
given so quickly that the course Of the
market Is frequently changed entirely
in minute or So These numbers that
fash out on the bulletin or calling
boards are manipulated by electrical
devices. Pneumatic power also comes
into play as The broker puts his
message into one OF scores Of tubes
and sends IL TO the telegraph room or
messenger service room below.
1t is place, this Stock Exchange
of mechanical contrivances OF com
pick order, adding to the value Of the
mental alertness Of the members
Great is the contrast TO the procedure
Of thirty years ago, when there was
more dclibcration on the floor OF the
Stock Exchange There are many mem
bers to-day who can recall when they
made the rounds Of various Offices i'm
Wall Street with a slip Of paper dis
playing quotations, and asking bankers
and investors or spectators to buy or
sell. Wonderful Is the transforma-
ton to the present system, and the
greatest part played in it has been by
the telephone.
No longer Is there single telephone,
or two or three Of them, In every large
business house. Such n place is now
central Office Of it's own, and every
man OF importance In IL has his own
telephone on his desk. If he wishes 10
speak with another man on the same
floor, perhaps in the same room, to
say nothing Of talking with man in
another part of the building, be leans
over to his telephone. and the time is
saved that il would take TO send
message in the old way by an Office
boy. Hanging by this same mans
desk is a little contrivance with n
lot OF push buttons. When he wishes
subordinate hc lifts the button
holder, pushes one OF the buttons. and
forthwith the subordinate Is at his
desk.
The reporting on the great news
papers is done largely by telephone, es-
pecially IN the rush hours. In other
days, not ten years ago, the reporter
might use the telephone TO notify his
Office what he had found out. He
would then either come to the Office
to write ont his article, or would die
tate il 10 the man In the Office, if there
was not sufficient time 10 write IL out
after ne had reached the Office. Nova
days the routine reporter the man who
has certain rounds 10 make. rings up
the office and tells q man what he has
learned. The man in the Office writes
il out, or. rather. dashes IL off on n
typewriter The reporter is largely a
scout in such work The newspaper re-
porting business. however. is fast
reaching point where no man will be
employed as a writer unless he uses
the tyCwriting machine. 1t is ncccs-
sary. because every moment OF time
must he saved in that cxactinG work.
Az TO the use OF thc typewriter. ii
may be said that modern business
could not he done without it.. II has
increased efficiency SO that il has made
more business. Imagine one copying
letters in long hand in these days,
and yet there are thousands OF men
in active business who, early In Hfe,
never know any other way of prcServ-
Ing records than In that way. Then
there are other oontrivances for speed
and accuracy. Adding maehines-that
never lie and meyer make a mistake,
If the proper keys are struck--are in
use in thousands upon thousands OF
places, and ~ an Improvement on
that, the latest idea Is TO combine the
adding machine with the typewriter.
so that one can writc'his letter, include
n great mass OF figures in tabular form.
and know that the additions at the end
are absolutely correct a vast amount
Of time and energy is saved thereby
in footing up totals on a bill or In a
letter
And then there Is the device TO die
tate letters when the stenographer is
busy. or when there Is no stenographer
NJ hand. The photograph is turned on.
The business man talks into il, just
as he would TO stcnog.apher. He
makes changes here and there. and
says: "No, don't put It that way.
Make II this way" And SO he con-
Times TO talk to the end. The type.
writer puts the roll in machine.
listens 20 IL clear through. notes the
changes and corrections, and then
writes It out on the typewriter, rs IL
the employer were debating slowly
apl al an ordinary typewriting speed.
And in addition TO all these things
there comes the wireless telegraph.
Chicago business firms are putting II
in use. between stock yards and down
town offices. When II reaches n fun
serviCcablc use IL Will he employed
whareee. possible. FOR the business
nlan is Sraedy TO GET hold of every de-
L, a.. a., a II, tf,,n hnH ,fr,,t tr.ot a.