The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-02-13
Modernly Equipped.

or ferIeCtlOH anu NOAPicsehCSS
Some Points Of Interest in
Connection with the Growth
and Development Of the System.
Through the courtesy of General
Manager F. c. Toepleman it was the
privilege and pleasure of the Editor il
few days ago to inspect the new plant
of the Home Telephone & Telegraph
Company which has Just been entire
ly rebuilt throughout. As hereto
| fore stated new and modern switch
board has been enstalled, cables
adopted in place of separate wires
and the whole system rebuilt and
modernized giving to Henderson and
connectingpoints served by the Com
pany service second to none any
where.
About ten months ago the Home
Telephone 4 Telegraph Company be-
gan the installation of a new tele
phone exchange, and since then the
work has been steadily pushed for
ward to completion until this week,
| when what was left of the old system
will have passed into history.
To accomplish this revolution has
necessitated Il vast expenditure OF
energy, labor and many thousands
of dollars in money.
The result is a thoroughly modern
and up-to-date telephone exchange
with an installed capacity for 400
metallic circuits, upon which both
Henderson and the Telephone Com
pany are to be congratulated. y.
The outside plant has been rebuilt
new throughout on the mu? lie ca
BILE distribution plan. The high
poles with many arms and open
wires have been replaced With neat
| low poles and cables to t,ie very
marked improvement of Ou.' streets.
| Each cable contains from 30 to 264
copper wires.
To accomplish the proper distribu
ton OF circuits the cables are cut into
at convenient points, and the de-
sired wires taken out and carried
into terminal boxes from which the
service wires are connected to the
subscriber stations.
/ Throughout the city there are 43
of these distributing points and ter
mid i boxes connected to upwards
of $4,000 feet of cable. These street
cables are then carried into the Com
pany's exchange building, where
they are again opened up and con
nected to the main distributing frame.
Here each circuit is connected to /,
double set of lightning arresters aud
heat coils, through the medium OF
which both the subscribers instru-
ments and the delicate switching ap-
paratus are protected against light
ming and other high tension currents
From the frame the circuits are led
i'll silk and cotton covered 20 pr
cable to the switchboard terminals,
and from these, other small cables
connect the subscribers circuit to
the jacks aud signals, cords and
plugs, through the medium OF which
the operator completes both local
and long distance connections.
The switchboard-a Western EIec.
trio Company's multiple type-is a
veritable maze of wires, coils, relays
lamps, switches, stunts, regulating
and controlling devices-keys, cords
etc, ETC., and embodies everything
that is modern and up-to-date in the
art of Telephony. The operation O.
the board il both interesting and
unique.
When IL subscriber removes the tel
ephQne receiver from the hook to call
Central, a signal corresponding tC
that number comes into view and Il
pilot lamp is lighted; the operator
plugs into the corresponding jack
which automatically restores the
signal and eXtinguishes the lamp
at the same time causing a supervis-
DRY Indicator to fall and remain sc
until the connection is completed
This enables the operator to control
the connection without the necessity
of cutting in.
Replacing the receiver on the hook
restores the supervisOrys, and signals
the operator to disconnect. So dc
not hang up your receiver until you
have completed your call.
If second connection be desired
move your receiver hook up and
|
OF Il second, and the operator will
then know you wish to give al,
order.
From the point where subscri-
ber's line is connected at the tele-
phone to its termination on the
switchboard signals, there are 3G
different points at which soldered
connections have been made, and at
each of these it has been tested one
or more times before same was pro
nOunced ready for the final working
connection. Multiply 400 by 36
and it gives you IA 400, the number
of connections which have been made
tested and soldered in the construc
ton of the new Henderson system.
To connect local subscriber will
, the Long Distance lines calls into
! play multiplicity of apparatus thai
: is truly bewildering;-no less than 1;
sets OF relays and coils, some OF which
: carry 10 connections.
The insertion OF the operator
plug sets all of these delicate appli
ances in motion, thereafter the actor
! Is automatic, the various device
$ performing their part with an uner
' ring precision that is nothing shor
: OF marvellous; you almost look to 10
cate its very brains; the right thin.
at the right time in the right way
unless there be some disorder.
When you consider that an atom
of dust, or the semblance OF moist
= ure at any one of these scores @
e contacts. can open, cross or disrup
t the whole circuit. it is not to be won
/, dered at, that telephones do get GU
/ of order.
!. Telephony is business of infinit
= detail and minutia; yet it plays
mart in the husinaSs Affairs. Of L.