Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08

the great lead tubes That c0nQuct the un-
derground cables the wires are separated
and distributed. They are laid out. as 1t
were. on tabie-like tracks and, while ap-
pearing to the uninitiated to be in confused
| masses, are in reality numbered and placed
Here, too, they are guarded against light
ming shocks. and electrical currents caused
by the crossing of light wire. These
are two simple devices which are, however.
supplemented by .third-a tiny fuse
which, when burnt out. announces the fact
by lighting. a little lamp in a special
switchboard, which leads to immediate de-
lection and location.
II a subscriber telephones from a neigh
boris that his "'phone'' is out Of order. an
instrument is Immediately attached to his
wire, where the change Is made from the
outside to the inside at the exchange; If
a man Is sent to the distributing pole near
est his home and another test is made.
then II that is unsuccessful the difficulty is
located underground and the regular test
ing machine called into operation. This
instrument sends out q current sufficient
ly strong to pass around the entire. circuit.
and failing to do SO accurately measures
the distance to the break In this way the
workmen are DIRECTED to a certain nanhole
and are enabled to make repairs without
delay or experiment. In the same way
trouble in the rural districts is discovered
and located with minimum waste OF time
and effort. When the telephone company
searches for trouble" it Is testing appar-
emily sound wires and comparing their
records in order that breaks may be pre-
vented and the system uninterrupted.
Originally each telephone had a little bat
terry Of its own, which at fixed periods
was renewed by the company, but now all
are supplied from main battery at the
central office. This Is charged daily-us-
ually at night as the process Is apt to
cause temporary buzzing Of the wires
Runs Like Clockwork.
The whole system is run like clockwork.
tbo in oP ~
ators to the addressing of the envelopes
in which go out the monthly bills. Every
unit fits into it's own little groove and
helps to run the great machine. If you
order phone today and sign your con-
tract, the order of installation is made out
on an eight-fold blank and sent by messen-
ger after 400 O'Clock to the line forman's
residence Another section goes to the
equipment foreman, a third to the installa-
ton clerk, fourth to the store keeper,
fifth to the wire chief. a sixth to the
exchange manager, a seventh to the divi-
sion superintendent. and the last, the eighth,
to the superintendent of traffic. These are
returned with reports. signed, and recorded.
In the course of the operation you have
got your phone and been given a number,
so much you know, but beyond this your
wire in its several sections has been num-
bered and registered all the way from
your home to the exchange. where new
d
been made in all the multiple boards.
Step by step the entire system is extreme
ly simple, but in it's aggregate 1t becomes
marvelously complicated. The demand for
service has almost outgrown the possibility
of supply. for in most instances 1t has to
be anticipated as much as two years In
1892 there were about 1000 phones In use
in Washington-now there more than
q 900. Within very short space Of time
the branch exchange on Capitol Hill has
outgrown its quarters. and building is
now being erected for its use which will
contain switchboards accommodating TO-
600 lines. Plans are being made for a
branch Office at Tenleytown. Others are
to be erected in Mt. Pleasant and Takoma,
and a second exchange Is to be installed
in the main Office.
As a Public Servant
The whole United States, for telephone
purposes, is divided into about forty sec
tons, each operated by a Bell telephone
company, all Of which are connected and
covered, as 1t were, by the Tong distance"
telephone The local company has not only
Washington. but Baltimore and Annapolis,
all of Maryland, except the Eastern shore.
and four counties in northern Virginia and
West Virginia Without being a news
agency, 1t keeps the farmers supplied with
the weather report and the quotations on
crops, and furnishes them with other items
of special or immediate interest.
In Chicago when Theodore Thomas, the
great orchestra leader and musician. died
It was announced, on account of the fact
that the morning papers had gone to press,
to each telephone subscriber who called for
any number; and more often than
might suppose, the telephone company ex-
tends the courtesies of its Information bu-
reau beyond the limits of its business. 1t
is without exaggeration a public servant,
but 1t is run upon cool-headed business
principles-the belief that the best service
brings in the end the best return. 1t is
wisely and cleverly handled, but there is
magic in 1t still.