Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-07-11
NIGHT SERVICE.

AT the last meeting of the council a.
franchise was granted the American
District Telegraph Co. to erect wires
aid conduct business in the city. The
above company is really branch of
the Western Union Telegraph Co and
the Wausau service will be conducted
in connection with that company's
local office. The franchise covers two
different systems and one of these will
be established Immediately, known as
the call box system. Boxes are placed
in business houses and connected with
the Western Union office. When the
business house desires boy to go on
an errand or take a message, call is
made from the box, which records the
number in the telegraph office, and
messenger is dispatched The other
system and the one which will ultimate
ly result in the most value to the citi-
zens at large is the night Waterman or
detective service Boxes are distrib-
uted around in the yards of manu-
featuring plants and they also are con-
nected with the Western Union office
The night Waterman, in going his
rounds, must turn lever in each box
every hour. If he fails to report, a man
is at once dispatched to the plant to as
certain what is the matter Some of
the local mill companies have system
which records every time and the hour
at which simila. boxes are visited, but
the mill proprietors have no means of
knowing what their Waterman is doing
until the next morning. The watch
man might leave the plant and let it
burn up together with the box Indicator
as was the case in certain fire in this
city not over a year ago. But by the
call box system protection is assured.
To see that reports, etc., are made the
Western Union will have man in
charge OF the local Office nights who
will be telegraph operator and who
will receive and transmit all telegraph
messages. Before this is done, how
ever, the company must be assured
that at least fifty night watch boxes
will be subscribed for. The placing of |
a night operator in the office will be a
move greatly appreciated by our citizens
for heretofore it has been impossible to |
get message into the office after eight |
o'clock. The night operator at one of |
the depots is instructed to receive
messages after that hour but a person |
is not always sure that 1t will be sent. |
Some OF the railroad company's opera
tors are troubled with swollen Uranium |
and seem possessed of the hallucination |
that they are the general superintendent |
of the road and when given message |
for transmission will answer: "Got too |
much railroad business; can't send |
it,"
The call box and night watch systems |
are in daily use in all of the large cities |
of the state and have given the best of |
satisfaction. Manufacturers realize |
that the latter is the best protection |
they can get in that line against fire,
while the other is convenience not |
appreciated until once installed To |
establish both it is not necessary to |
set additional poles-one wire strung |
on the Western Unions poles would |
probably suffice for all the boxes in |
town. The company also has another
system that is used in a great many |
cities throughout the land and which |
may later be taken up with our city |
officials. 1t is one whereby a patrol |
man must report every hour, that the |
chief of police or night captain knows |
where his men are and in case one or
several are needed they can be easily |
found. 1t is system not liked gener-
ally by policemen, but is approved of |
by the tax payers who are paying them
salaries to perform their duties.