The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-03-03
NEW
PHONE SYSTEM
NOW WORKING
INVENTION OF CITY ELECTRICIAN
INSTALLED AT POLICE STATION
AND Is GIVING PERFECT Salts
FAcTIoN-sAvED CITY 5000.

Modern and up-to-da In every re-
spect is the new telephone system now
in operation at the police station, and
which was invented and perfected by
a Pensacola man. The system is the
invention of Len LeBaron, city cleo
trician, and not only does it work en-
tirely satisfactorily, but the device
worked out and perfected by the city
electrician saved the city an expendi-
ure of at least $4,000.
The system is used on the private
telephone system over which the po-
ltcemen on the beats make their re-
ports to the station, the result accom-
plished by the new attachment being
that an officer (provfded he should be
SO disposed) cannot now report from
one box and say that he is at another.
The device is so arranged that when
the officer calls the station the bell on
the phone in the station designates by
taps the number of the box calling.
This is quite an attachment in itself,
but this is not all. Besides the indi-
cation of the bell. there is a. tape at
tached to a machine, on which the
number registers simultaneously with
the tapping of the bell, thus giving q
double check system. so that if through
any error or in case the attention of
the desk sergeant is attracted so tina
he does not properly count the taps of
the bell, the number is registered any
way.
Another advantage of the new sys-
tenn is that it precludes any possibility
of a misunderstanding in case of a call
for the patrol wagon. Under the old
system 1t was not an uncommon oc-
currence for the desk sergeant to fail
to understand distinctly the number OF
the box to which a patrolman ordered
the wagon. OF course, with the new
attachment this will not happen as the
number will be registered, just as when
the officer uses the telephone to re-
pora.
The working of the system Is as
simple as anything OF the kind could
be made. all that it is necessary for
the officer using the station phone, or
patrol box, to do being to pull lever
down and turn it loose. When the
lever goes back. into place it registers
the number of the box as described.
The perfection of this arrangement
is the result of weeks of study and
work on the part of Mr.. LeBaron, who
set to work to supply the need of the
city with no pattern or sysem to copy
after. and he has succeeded in work
ing out a system which thoroughly an
swers the purposes and compares ia
vorably with any system used by any
of the large cities In the country.
As stated, the efforts of Mr.. LeBaron
have saved the city an expenditure Of
at least $4,000, as the officials of the
city had realized that tho develop
ment and progress of tho city had
made the system now in use an abso-
lutte necessity. Prices were obtained
from the leading Manufacturing COM
panies all over the United States and
it was found that it would be impos-
sible to install such q system for less
than $1,000. 1t was then that Mr.. Le-
Baron determined to work out a
scheme to serve the needs of the city
and at tho same time save money.
The result was that the system which
he has completed and which is now IN
use was perfected for about $500.
While he has not yet done 80, Mr..
LeBaron intends obtaining a patent
upon his invention, which is, undoubt-
edly, a valuable one