The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-03-17
HAVE ONLY One TODAY
Final Transfer of Iowa to Home
Telephone Completed.

1
operator who has been in charge OF
the remnant of an exchange left at
the old place has been moved tonthe
Office OF the "Home Company" Which
took over the old exchange. All of
the instruments OF the Iowa Company
have been replaced with Home Com
pany service and where instruments
were duplicated the old instrument
was removed, and in place OF the two
com .sanies and two exchanges in OPP
Eeration there is now but a single
company serving the people of Oska-
/ loosa, s.et ID 4. E~.4- .af H. -.
The Home Company in making the
transfer of the service have added
many new subscribers to their ex-
change in addition to taking over the
exchange list. Of the Iowa Company
and more than one hundred new in
struments have been installed.
4 The growth of the telephone in Os-
kaloosa has been wonderful. The
first telephone operated by use of
battery with signal and electric cir
cult was installed in the summer of
1881. The Line was three miles in
length and was used between the
Excelsior Coal Company mine, Shep-
pard Brothers store, three miles
south OF Oskaloosa, and the compa-
ny's Office In Oskaloosa, which stood
on First avenue west on lot now &C.
cupied by a corner Of the Sewers
Manufacturing Compsny's brick build
ing, The line was installed on trial
and was found to be of such great
use in handling the company's bust
ness that it was retained. The old
Bell Company exchange dates its eX-
istence in Oskaloosa from 1882, when
Frank e. Engle was local superin-
| tendent He constructed the line to
Excelsior which was regarded as a
great curiosity. Men were willing to
wager money that no one could talk
over a wire a distance of three miles.
When permitted to use the instru'
ment some yelled at the top OF their
voice. Many believed Uhe instru-
ment to be some kind of joke. Peo-
pie came from great distances to see
the wonder and it was regarded IN
fear and trembling until Mr.. Engle,
who came from Cedar Rapids, an
nounced that he was going to bund
an exchange in Oskaloosa. This was
one of the first exchanges in Iowa
and the claim Is made that the line
to Excelsior was the first toll line
ODD in tho ctofn
In making he exchange in Oska
loosa, instruments were installed free
lin public places to get Accumulation, tc
z have some one with whom to talk
instruments were placed in railway
stations, hotels, liveries, the news
; papers, city headquarters, fire station
and other places calculated to have
: calls. People were slow in taking W
: with the idea and for years the ex
change grew slowly. 1t started witt
few instruments and was seVera
years in accommodating fifty stations
One day operator and a night mar
who also did construction and repair
work, and the superintendent tooF
care OF the business of the exchange
Contrast these conditions with thu
,, thirty-fiye hundred subscribers ant
the hundred or more employees en-
gagged with the business OF the
Home Company. Following Mr.. En-
gle, Charles A. Croney came to OslIa
loosa as superintendent, and after hin
Charles E. Hall, now one OF the gen
eral managers of the Bell interests II
Iowa. When Mr.. Hall was callet
higher he was succeeded by H. w
Comstock, under whose management
l. the exchange began to take on new
life. Then came B. Frank Reno ant
numerous others until the system o
management was changed to thu
present form.
Miss Grace Jenkins was the frs
hello girl in Oskaloosa and pointet
out as the girl who handled the talk
ing machines. She was followed b,
Miss .MoIlie LeSuer, who also had en-
tire charge of the operation of th'
exchange. As soon, as toll line
we're added and communication witt
lother cities was established anothe
girl was added and for a number o
years the work was cared for by TIVE
operators.
When one was able to talk to OF
tumwa and Marshalltown anothe
. wonder had been achieved, but n,
one dreamed. of talking to friends ant
business firms in Des Moines, Daven
port, and Sioux City. The bushes
, Fnrall of today sits at his desk an,
talks TO Denver, st. Paul, st. Loui
+ and Chicago. Only recently Oska
loosa had communication with Phila
. delphia by means of the telephone
and parties talking from New Yorl
City have been heard by people a
the instrument in this city. But tn
end is not yet. Automatic exchange
are being installed in large cities an,
the girl at central is out OF a jot
Next comes the man with the wire
less telephone, land it works. ]
will soon be possible for wiley t
coyertly slip a small transmitter int
kGbby's coat when he leaves tn
house in the morning and she vii
be able 10 follow his doings durin
the hours OF his absence, Grea