The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-25
Account of How Interurban Ser. vice Is Worked in Modern
 Telephony.
WHAT HAPPENS IN CENTRAL
Several Processes in Getting a Distant Subscriber on Out of Town
 Calls.


 communities are brought into person. al communication with each other, the actual operation of the Toll Line call is probably absolutely unknown to the great majority of telephone users. Even those who are familiar with the process of handling local messages know little or nothing of the working of the Toll Line System.
 The first step in the process is, of course, for the subscriber to get the local operator and request her to con- meet him with the Toll Line operator This she does by plugging into one of a strip of jacks or holes marked Toll Line that are in the board in front of her. Her responsibility with the hand ling of the call ceases when the record CT answers. By plugging into one of these jacks the local operator has thrown light on what is known as the Recording Table" table situat- ed in another part of the operating room and connected by means of
 trunks with the local switchboard.
 As soon as the signal is lighted in front of one of the Recording Opera tors" she throws back key which al- lows her to cut in on the calling sub scriber's line and at the same time sig nals, by means of eXtinguishing of a lamp, to the local operator The sub scriber is now connected up with the Recording Operator" who takes from
 him the data for his call the ring number of his telephone, if it be party line, and the name of the sub scriber whose telephone he is using. She then informs him that he will be called as soon as the party desired has been obtained or some definite report on the call received, and releases his line.
 The ticket is then passed to a mes senger who hurries directly over to one of the operators seated at the Toll Line switchboard, board separate from the local board but connected to it by trunk wires. The Toll Line op- orator first picks up the calling sub scrihers line by means of switching trunks, leaving the only time that the subscribers line may be used by an- other subscriber, the short space of time that it takes the messenger to go from the Recording Table" to the Toll Line" operator
 There is a most excellent reason for holding up the calling subscribers line. as this method does, particularly if it happens to be party wire. If it were not done the operator might connect up the. out of town party and upon trying to reach the calling subscriber ind the line in use. This might mean not only holding up the called sub scriber but the annoyance to this per- son and the loss of all the time that 1t has taken to establish the connection.
 AS soon as the Toll Line operator flels picked up the calling sui3serihsr's line she plugs into jack with the front of the pair of cords she is using. the rear cord being connected with the local subscribers line, and calls the de- sired exchange, She then requests the operator at the distant point to give her the number desired in that di- vision. When the proper subscriber is reached she rings back on the calling subscribers line and as soon as the | two start to talk cuts out of the line At the same time she pushes the ticket | under the ealculigraph which registers the exact time that the conversation started. By means of lamp signals, similar to those on the local board, | the operator is informed the instant the conversation ceases and again | stamps the ticket, this stamp showing the actual time taken up by conversa- ton
 She then signals the operator in the distant exchange to "clear" or take | down the connection and this having been done the calling subscribers line is once more free for local use. In case the conversation has lasted more than five minutes the calling subscrib- 1T is informed of the exact charge. The ticket is then filed away to be sent out with the quarterly bills.
 This handling of the call, of course, las been where there was a direct wire to the desired office and where the calling party has been reached without difficulty. In case there is no direct wire the call is relayed. The Toll Line operator calls up another exchange and the switching operator in that of ice, going through the same work, calls up the division that is desired
 Where the party called is not in, leave word is left with the inforna- .ion operator of the called parts ex- change Word is left at the house or office to call up 'No. 20" and when he loes this she looks in her files and finds the uncompleted ticket. The call | s then referred to the original calling operator which reduces the number of ost or uncompleted calls to a mini num- Where there Is a delay in the handling of a Toll Line call, caused by he line of the called party being in use 'or instance, reports are made from ime to time to the subscriber by the operator and the cause of the delay loted on back of the ticket in code, he code being used as it takes much Z ess time than it would to write the re- port in long hand
 It will be seen that the work of d lOll liilS Cdll requires HucH nore work than establishing a local but the value of it is pro- )ortionately greater, By means of this Ystem q person fin any community in he State may hold personal conmuni- 'ation with anyone in any other com nunity, so complete is the manner in which Connecticut has been covered by his net work of wires, The State has become like ona city of great area where distance is no barrier to quick 
 INCORPORATES IN NEW JERSEY.
 The Butler 6 TyieF- companv of thIs