The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-06
IOWA TEL. CO. TO
BUILD ADDITION
present Building VIII be Almost
DOUBLED In Size, and Merger
Of Two systems is Seen
In Action.
LARGE SWITCH BOARD
Interior will be Greatly Changed
Move. Is Evidence Of Future
Which Manager Hall Sees
In keokuk.

The Iowa Telephone Company today
announced plans for large addition
TO it's present keokuk building, and al
though nothing official has come from
Des Mones headquarters, 1t is beIiev-
ed that the step Is one toward con.
solidation Of business Of the two local
telephone systems.
When C. e. Hall, state manager for
the Iowa Telephone Company was in
Keokuk On January "a he stated to
The Gate City that If the phones OF
the Mississippi Valley Company were
taken over and the two systems made
one. such a move would necessitate
much larger switchboard than the one
now In use. This Is just what the
plans now in progress include, it is
understood.
The new addition will be forty feet
the present building. 1t will extend
forty feet back and ten feet beyond
the east line of the building. Exten-
siye changes will be brought about on
the interior of the building. The en-
tire first floor will be given over to Of
fees, relay racks and batteries.
On the second floor will be installed
aNo. switchboard, one that is capa-
bic of taking care of large number
or additional phones. This switch
oil,
length of the building, which, with
the addition, is to be ninety-two feet.
According to the plans. which are
already in the hands of an architect,
the addition will follow the general
lines OF the present building and the
exterior walls will be of pressed
brick The building, when completed,
will give to the local company one OF
the best telephone exchanges in the
southeastern part of Iowa
While no publicity has been given
the matter recently, the Iowa Tele-
phone Company has been doing. a
great deal of experimenting and pros
pecting in it's Keokuk system. Man
ager Hall sees big growth ahead of
Keokuk and is making an effort to put
the system in such shape that not only
will be able to take over the bust
ness OF the other company, but new
business that The company is able to
secure, Every increase in population
means an increase in the number OF
people using telephones.
Above reference was made to visit
OF Mr. Hall on January "a. The Gate
City secured an interview on that day
and the following is reproduction of
twt paragraphs of it which should be
Of interest.
Our future move depends upon keo-
kuk," said Mr. Hall. We will soon send
to this city commercial and plant en-.
glneers, the former to decide what, in
their estimation. the growth of Keo-
kuk will be; where the new homes will
be located and where factories will
spring up. Keokuk as it may be five
Years from now, will be plated; also
keokuk as 1t may be eighteen years
from now. With this before them
plant engineers will visit the city to
determine how many new phones 1t is
reasonable to suppose can be secured
u keokuk grow as It is hoped as
result of the water power project.
This will be accomplished before
our option expires. If, from COM
mercial standpoint, we think it adj
Vantageons to expand then 1t is reas-
enable to suppose that we will take
over the Mississippi Valley companys
property here
From developments during the past
months, and especially In the an
nouncement that the large new addi-
non is to be built, 1t is now reason
aple to suppose that the property will
De taken over. At least the move
speaks for the faith Mr.. Hall and 9th
or big men Of the Iowa company have
IN Keokuk's future, otherwise the
move would not be made.