Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-17
Wonderful Growth Since Invention
Thirty Years Ago.
MODEL PLANT IS IN OMAHA
Nebraska Telephone Company Has
$4,000 Phones In Operation in
Omaha and Suburbs-COn-
stantly Increasing.

A little over forty years ago, when Alex
ander Graham Bell invented this instru-
ment, he, little more than those associated
with him, realized the future OF this in
vention or probably little thought of its
effect on the development of the country.
The telephone was first exhibited to the
public at the Centennial exposition in 1876
At that time an enthusiastic friend Of the
inventor prophesied that in 1900 there would
be 100000 telephones in this country This
prophecy, at the time, was considered by
many to be preposterous but the result has
been more marvellous than the most optl-
mistic thought 1t possibly could be, and to-
day there are more than 100000 Bell tee-
phones In use in the United States and
Canada.
The Nebraska Telephone company, a
branch of the Bell system, has more than
| 5000 telephones now in use in Omaha The
system here consists of five exchanges,
Douglas, Harvey, Webster, Florence and
Benson, all these being inter-connecting so
that subscriber on any other exchange
can reach any one in Omaha, Council
Bluffs or any Of the suburbs.
Omaha's first telephone directory was put
out July 10, 1879. This consisted of a single
sheet of paper containing less than forty
names. This directory contained the names
of Omaha's pioneers. some of them still
in active business life.
Those who are acquainted with the tele-
phone only through the use Of their office
or home instrument little realize the COM
plicated machinery that is required to fur
nish telephone service to a city the size
of Omaha, but to one who has seen the
maze of 10000 wires coming into the cen
al aN..NN
message through the various tables in it's
twisting and turning until it reaches the
operator and then back again through
another pair of wires on to the person who
receives the message, or who has explained
to him the complicated, but instantaneous
working of the apparatus that is necessary
to get instant communication between a
local subscriber and distant city, begins
to realize the enormity of the enterprise
Complicated Network.
Every telephone instrument in Omaha is
entered into the exchange by two twisted
wires running to the central switch board.
These wires run in punches of twenty or
more in absolutely water tight cables
These cables are moisture proof, for any
drop Of moisture within this cable would
cause instant trouble and cause one con-
Each of the 10000 pairs ~ wires coming
through the underground passage way into
the Eighteenth street exchange, represents
an individual telephone or a party line.
Shortly after entering the building these
cables are Tanned out" which means that
the wires are separated and run into the
Individual connections along the rack in
order that interference with lightning and
other outside causes may be avoided Each
circuit is run through carbon connections
so that stronger force than the ordinary
circuit can be thrown off and grounded,
SO that any charge too heavy for the
board, for which the message must
ultimately come, is by this means thrown
into the ground before 1t can do any harm.
All OF the wires from the rack to the
Easement are run to the second floor where
there is another or an intermediate dis
tibutng rack, where the paired wires are
connected with relays which supply third
wire for each telephone, these three wires
being used in connecting with the second
system by which the central communicates
with subscribers.
The exchange room where the connec-
lions are made is mass of switch boards
constant murmur fills tnis room as one
must realize when it is understood that
1000 calls are made through the switch
board every day in the year. Before every
three or four feet of switchboard space
girl sits, constantly on the alert for calls
coming in to her section. With her hands
she is constantly manipulating the plugs,
placing them in the Jacks" and listening
to the calls from other subscribers at the
same time.
Girls Heuuire Rest
On account Of the rapidity OF the calls
during the rush" hours, each ons of the
girls is given a rest period Of fifteen min
utes during each two hours Of work
When the subscriber takes down his re-
ceiver a small electric lamp, which repre-
SCENTS his instrument on the board of the
operator to whom he is connected, lights
up. The girl reaches for a pair OF cords
and places the plug of one of them into the
proper jack to connect her with the sub
scriber Then she asks for the number. II
he calls for connection OF the same ex-
change she puts the other plug cord into
the proper jack that represents this tele-
phone and presses lever. The lever rings
the second telephone, the one which is to
receive the message. BY the working of
the signal light she can tell when the called
receiver is taken down and when the con-
versation is over. When both receivers are
hung up she takes out both the plugs and
they do service again in connecting two
others. II the subscriber imagines that he
Is causing the central operator any great
discomfort when he jangles up and down
on the receiver he is much mistaken, for
II never reaches her only as the flashing
Of tiny light
For every ten or twelve girls there is an
inspector who walks along behind them
continually, supervising, watching, helping
and working TO insure patrons Immediate
service, Thete are in the employ of the
company nearly 400 girls, OF which number
about 300 are at work in the Douglas ex-