The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-07-21
COLFAX LEADS IN
MAIN LINE PHONES
Has Largest Per Cent of Any
City in Northwest.
New Directories Will Contain En-
tire Change in Numbers Modern
Equipment Insures Good Service
For Our Busy Little City.

from the new telephone directory which
will be in use in this city within two
weeks. Instead of the old familiar terms
it will be party j." party y" etc
The new directories are already on the
press and names and numbers have been
included for all who have ordered tele-
phones, although the instruments may
not have been installed at this time.
The directories are of the standard style
conforming to those in use in the large
citiee
Colfax leads every city and town in
the Northwest in the number OF main
line telephones. The per cent is AZ.
Within a month the changes which
have been going on all summer will be
complete. All the unsightly wires will
be removed and in their place will ap-
pear cables. The toll lines however will
not be run through the cables. Mr..
Armstrong, who has charge OF the out
side construction, is in Palouse for a
short time but will return here in few
days with his crew to complete the work.
The temporary work will be removed as
soon as the final cut. over is made and a
general cleaning up will follow. AS a
proper finish the poles will be painted.
Managers and secretaries of the farm
ers' lines which connect with the Colfax
central are working up their lines in
good shape to conform with the i'm
provements which have been going on
at the central office and when everything
is complete the service will be the best
ever known.
The local office is under the manage
ment of s. H. Sauve with the following
competent assistants: wire chief, Alfred
Avery; chief operator and telegraphtr, r,
Mrs. 6. s Gill, linemen, Fay Dickey and
II. Long; cashier and clerk, ArdiIla
Dickey; operators, Belle Dickinson, Flor
ence Thayer, Geraldine Thomas, Ethel
Anderson, Mary Thomas, PhilIis
Thomas, Mabel Gerber; night operators,
Kate Dennis, Gladys Easum; messenger,
Charles Thomas.
When the work of making all the
changes is complete Manager Sauve will
extend an invitation to the public to
visit the exchange some evening and see
the working of a modern telephone
Office.
For some time Mr.. Sauve has also
been local manager for the Western
Union company and as soon as the plant
department can make the necessary
changes the telegraph Office will be
moved to the Mackenzie building.
Necessarily telephone service has fire.
quently been interrupted during the
time the improvements have been in
progress but the end of the trouble is in
sight.
The installation of new central Office
equipment in the main Office in Colfax OF
the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph COM
pany will undoubtedly mean the best OF
telephone service in the city. A switch
board with ten sections equipped for
$50 subscribers lines, with frames, racks,
decks and power plant, has been cut
into service.
The switchboard represents the latest
and best in the art of telephone engi-
neering. 1t is of the central battery,
lamp signal type, which is recognized as
the standard for telephone Offices of this
size. All of the equipment was made
and installed by the Western Electric
company, the largest manufacturer OF
telephones in the world This company
makes all of the telephones used through
the entire Bell syetem and in many other
companies as we'll.
Smoothness, accuracy and promptness
in answering calls are insured by this
installation. The automatic features oil
the new switchboard take care of the
various steps in making and breaking
connections in a manner that leaves very
little manual work to be done by the
operator. The operator does not need
to listen in to the conversation at any
time, so that privacy is secured.
With the common battery telephones
there is no cranking or ringing OF bells.
When the receiver is lifted from it's hook
a tiny electric lamp flashes into view be-
fore the operator, who Immediately
makes the connection desired by insert
ing the metal end OF cord into a jack
or hole.
When the subscriber lifts the receiver
from the hook he performs a manual
act, one that is necessary in every sys-
tenn. Removing the receiver automati.
cally releases che hook, which flies into
contact with several springs. This
causes the lamp to light up before the
operator, who then performs another