The Washington herald., 1908-06-14

Promptly at o'clock yesterday after
noon. the Columbia and Cleveland ex-
changes Of the Chesapeake ana Potomac
Telephone Company were opened for
service. At that hour the lines were
switched in. and two large portions OF
the District took on new names. new
numbers, and new calls. speaking In teie-
phone parIance.
The new Columbia exchange. located at
1920 Columbia road in a new building
expressly constructed for the purpose,
serves that portion Of the District in
cluded between Florida avenue and
Brightwood. and between the filtration
plant and Rock Creek Park. The object
Of the new exchange is 10 relieve the
congestion In the North exchange. part
Of the territory Of which is now included
in the Columbia exchange.
The Columbia exchange building is a
slightly structure Of brick and stone. 50x
l04 feet, three stories high. II was re-
Gently constructed for the company by
John McGregor. according to plans fur
nished by a New York architect
Stands In wisconsin Avenue.
The Cleveland exchange. at 1865 Wis
consin avenue. Is a two-story structure,
built Of REINFORCED concrete. also by Mr..
McGregor and planned by the same
architect. II Is 2Sx51 feet
This exchange takes over the service
formerly carried in the Chevy Chase
exchange and a portion of that formerly
in the West exchange.
The Columbia exchange Is equipped
with 1900 lines, with an ultimate capacity
OF 5000 lines. Yesterday 1900 lines were
cut into service, carrying 2.662 telephones.
OF stations. as they are termed by the
company. The switchboard is what Is
known as a 5O-posiuon board. meaning
that when run to its ultimate capacity
it will require fifty girls TO operate the
lines
The Cleveland exchange has now 900
lines and 400 telephones. The present
| equipment is 600 lines and the ultimate
| capacity Of the switchboard 1.So0 lines.
! At O'Clock yesterday the Chevy Chase
| exchange was abolished. and will soon
! be closed. The new Cleveland exchange
| serves Chevy Chase. Tennallytown, and
I the region generally north Of Georgetown
! and west Of Rock Creek. some OF the
lines extending out into Maryland.
Business Grows Rapidly.
The installation Of these two exchanges
was made necessary by the rapid growth
Of the business Of the company within
the past two or three years. All the older
/ exchanges. except those in the more
thickly settled parts Of the city. have
been cOngested for many months. and
the expansion is expected 10 result in
greater ease in handling messages by the
company and more efficient service to the
public.
An idea Of the growth Of the service in
Washington can be obtained from a few
figures furnished yesterday by an official
of the company. Between the years 1915
and lS9S-twenty years-the business grew
from small beginnings TO the permanent
use Of 1900 telephones Since 1885 the
service has increased 10 the permanent
use Of 5000 telephones. This growth OF
business has been cared for by the COM
pany, involving great outlay Of money
for new equipment, new exchanges. and
additional employees. AS the official re-
ferred 10 said yesterday. Il has been al
most impossible at times to keep up the
mechanical end OF the service TO meet
the demands Of subscribers.
Work as the company might II has
been necessary at times TO make sub
Iscribers wait for telephones which could
not be supplied at the moment. either
because lines were not extended TO the
point where the instrument was wanted
or because the lines and equipment were
already congested with a service that
for the time could not be enlarged.
Started by G.. c. Maynard.
The first telephone service in Washing
ton was a private exchange. established
by George c. Maynard. in small build
ing near the corner Of Fifteenth and G
streets. in property where the Home Life
Building now stands. That was back in
1878 A few years later the National
Capital Telephone Company was organ
lied, and the business which Mr. May
nard had built up was merged into that
of the new company. The exchange OF
this company was at 1920 New York ave-
nue..
Later the National Capital Company
was incorporated into that of the present
company and its first exchange was in
the Small Building. at the corner Of
Fourteenth and streets. The COM
pany remained there about twenty years
when it moved into its new main ex-
change on Twelfth street, near @.
System Has Seven Exchanges.
The system is now composed OF the
Main. Lincoln West, North. Columbia
Cleveland. and Takoma exchanges. The
business is expanding at a very rapid
rate. orders for new telephones being
on record in the central Office several
weeks ahead Of possible installation. The
telephone has become a household ne
cessity. as well as convenience Of the
business office.
Around o'clock every evening Tho
tired operators who work the lines II
the business district begin TO take Il
|, easy. and the girls who have loafeC
some during the day over the hous,
numbers begin 10 get lively. Calls come
in constantly over every position. anC
the swift fingers fly here and there max
ing the connections. In the evening
up to midnight the residence distric
phones are the busy ones. and thos,
IN the business district are mostly quiet
While every precaution has been taker
, TO avoid friction, and while at 3 O'CLOCK
yesterday the turning of few switcl
keys did the business so far as the in
/ ~r~lrf Of ha