Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-28
HELLO SYSTEM FOR ROADS
TELEPHONE SUPPLANTING TEL
EGRAPH TRAIN SERVICE.
Many Lines Favor the Change.
Northwestern Companies Exper-
imenting With Success.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, November -. - The fore
Swallowed change of operation by the rail-
ways from telegraph to telephone appears
to be approa ching. SO long ago as last
June the Illinois Central had practically
completed a telephone system along the
lines of the Cherokee division into Sioux
City. and the action taken by the Ameri-
can R;jlway Association at its meeting in
Chicago last week is reported putting the
final seal of approval on the change and
making it certain over 10000 miles o.
railway
Running out of Chicago at present the
Northwestern is operating its lines 10y
telephone far Baraboo, Wis: the
Milwaukee is using over =0o miles Of tele-
phone wires for dispatching; the Bur
lington has 80 miles. and the Illinois Cen
trail is operating by phone as far south as
Cairo. l..
1t is stated, in fact. that $3.50 miles of
main and branch lines ont of Chicago are
now equipped with telephones, and that.
as result of the final approval OF the
system by the American Railway Asso-
citation at the recent meeting. the tele-
phone mileage will be rapidly increased
and the dispatching and operation OF
trains by telegraph become obsolete i'll
time.
Illinois Central Plans.
The Illinois Central is the only road that
has already equipped its lines into Sioux
City with telephone connections. 1t was
stated at yard offices that no train orders
had been sent by phone SO far. but that
the instruments had been used for long
distance talking. r. Parsons. assistant
superintendent of telegraph, was In the
city something over d week ago from Chi
cago. and it is limited that his visit was
not altogether unIOnneCted with the COM
pletion Of the telephone system. Il. +.
Nichols, the Centrars representative here.
admitted that change from the telegraph
to the telephone method Of operation WAS
not unlikely at some future time. 1t Is
understood, however. that the early in
stallation of the telephones by the Gem
trail Was first taken up more as a protec-
tive measure.
The telegraphers' strike was lesson
and a warning to the roads of what might
happen If trouble should arise at some
future time, and the road is said to have
put In the telephone system as soon as
possible in order to have secondary sys
tenn of operation in case the telegraphers
should ever strike on its lines.
Other Roads Investigating.
The roads have been investigating the
possibilities of the phone for some time.
AS much as four years ago the Milwaukee
was using the phone for operation on
some OF it's small lines i'm Wisconsin. The
Northwestern is understood to have been
trying it also, though but little mas been
done with 1t on the Sioux City division
committee was appointed by the roads
year ago to investigate The phone sys-
TEN, and 1t has now reported favoraby,
finding that the telephone Is not only as
safe as the telegraph in directing the
Gent and economical. 1t has the advan-
taga of saving time and of being operata-
bic by any one. obviating the necessity of
skilled. high-pay telegraphers.
The change will not come Immediately.
for the installation will be expensive. The
present telegraph wires. however. can
be used for the telephone. and the entire
system Installed without interfering with
the use Of the present Geographic equip
ment
Nine-Hour Law Responsible.
The change is directly due to the oper-
alton of the nine-hour law. This made it
necessary for the roads to employ three
instead OF two operators at many stations
and to employ 5000 additional men in
creasing expenses by something like s1o-
UO0.UJH.
The Order of Railway TeIegraphers at
that time refused TO allow its members
to instruct student operators. and il was
sometimes difficult to obtain extra men
who were competent. The new system
VIII allow the work to be done by women,
and will also make a place for Superan-
nuated employees and others made unfit
for outside work bv injuries.
The chief objection urged against the
phone for the use of the operating depart
ment has been that mistakes were likely
to occur. But A system has been worked
out that is said to do away with any
chance of error. The operator will re-
ceive the message from the train dis
patcher and will repeat it to see if he
has it correctly. Al TIE same time third
person will listen and act as a check.
The change when made. will force
great number of railway telegraphers to
seek other means of employment.