Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-23

phone service in Gardiner is assured,
after Saturday night, when the CEN
tral office will be transferred from the
present location to the new building
of the Maine Trust IL Banking Co,
corner Water and Church streets.
The removal, known among tele-
fphone employees as cut over" will
end months of preliminary work and
will cost the n. E. Tel. & Tel. Co,
Approximately $4,000 in this city.
The change will be made between
9 and IL O'Clock. During this time
but few subscribers viii be using the
lines, and none win be Inconvenience
| ed In the new building the equip
ment will be Of the most modern
TYPE. The switch board will be like
those used in the larger cities. The
greatest improvement in service will
| be change from the magnetic sys-
| TEN of operating to the common bat
terry system.
In the former the electrical current
| is generated from a battery connected
with each subscribers telephone. In
| the latter it is furnished from the
power plant at the central office. After
| the change there viii be no more
turning the crank to call the opera
tor Lifting the receiver from the
hook is all that will be necessary.
Divided ringing will be continued ON
all two party lines. which means that
a subscriber on these lines hears only
his own bell ring.
After 1929 o'clock, on Saturday
night subscribers are requested not to
turn the crank for it will put the line
out of order. Simply take the re-
ieeiYer from the nook and the call will
| be answered
Up to about 1890 O'Clock the calls
will be answered from the present of
fee. operators will be on duty in both
Exchanges and the change will be
made in few seconds.
| sunday morning the new system
will probably lie working satisfac-
torily. Every effort will be made to
have half Of the lines ready for in
stant use by morning. If subscribers
faii 10 get the operator they should
Immediately report the trouble to the
chief operator. who will have the line
put in order as soon as possible The
| latter part of this week a new direc-
tory supplement containing The cor
fected numbers of all subscribers in
Gardner, Augusta and Hallowen will
be delivered to subscribers at these
| places, but 1t should not be used un-
| til Sunday morning.
After that time calls NAV be de-
layed by asking for numbers in the
present directory. y public opening OF
| the new central office will be held,
Friday afternoon and evening. Feb.
,, when every citizen is invited to
cali and inspect one of the most COM
| plete telephone exchanges in Maine.
Manager Herbert and other officials
| Of the company will be present and
explain the work.
Although the mechanism is COM
plicated it is so finely adjusted that
| every local subscriber can talk with
every other local subscriber in few
| seconds, and conversation can be es-
taofshed with hundreds of thousands
of other Bell system subscribers at
| distant points in few minutes. on
the present switchboard the operator
is notified of a call fhy drop which
falls in front of her. On the new
switch boards there are nearly 500
| tiny electric lights. When IA receiver
| Is removed from the nook one OF THESE
! little lights glows and the operator
asks what number is wanted. When
| the receiver is replaced ON the hook
another lamp burns and the lines are
disconnected. The new board will be
| quicker in operation than the one now
| in use, and operators will be enabled
| to handle more calls.
There are several other improve
ments in the new Office equipment too
technical for description. The prelimi-
| nary arrangements for the cut over,
| has really been a big job. About Is
men in the construction department
have been working in Gardiner 70" q
year getting ready for the cha age,
and for two weeks 80 men have been
employed here. During the next six
weeks fully 90 men will be necessary
| to complete the work. There still re-
mains more or less work to be done
at every subscribers telephone. bat
teries must be removed and many
miles of open wire must be taken
| down. This open wire has been re-
placed by aerial cables, which i'm
proves the appearances of the streets,
gives better service to subscribers, re-
| duces induction trouble and lessons
| the cost of maintenance. The new
switch board equipment will cost