The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-05-15
NEW EXCHANGE AT ROCKLAND ME-.

The Knox Telephone and Telegraph
Company has been busy the past six
months making extensive changes in
their Rockland plant, running new aerial
and underground cable preparatory to
changing to common battery, the cut
over being made March 1st The West
ern Electric crew took charge early in
November, with George Molltor as fore
man, and new No 10 relay board was
installed in place of the branch terminal
board which had been in use for the pas
ten years. The preparatory work, lnclud-
ing the change OF sub-station equipment,
has been done by the local employees.
The new metal instruments, types 334A
334R and 3333B, have been used entirely
this company being the first exchange IN
New England to be wholly SO equipped.
Invitations were sent to all subscribers
in the Rockland exchange, asking them
to make an inspection of the new equip
ment on April 9Th and 9th and great
many of them awaited themselves of the
opportunity TO visit the exchange.
This company was formed in July, 1902,
and was consolidation of the New Eng
land company's interest in Knox county
and what was formerly known as the
Eastern Telephone Company operating
in the same territory. 1t was organized
with General Sherwin as President and
Maynard S. Bird as General Manager.
At the time of the consolidation, new
building was purchased, opposite the
post office on School street.
The company consists of six exchanges
beside the Rockland exchange, connect
ing 2646 subscribers, 1879 of these being
in Rockland. Camden, a well known
summer resort on the Penobscot Bay, is
thrifty little exchange of about $50
subscribers and was taken over from
the New England III June, 1910, and by
its steady gain in connected stations IS
showing its ambition to get into the
common battery class. Two of the eX
changes, Vinalhaven and North Haven,
are reached by submarine cable six and
one-haf miles in length, this connection
having first been made by the Eastern
Telephone Company about fourteen years
ago, new cable having been laid by the
Knox Company in 1909. These are quite
important exchanges owing to the sum-
mer resort at North Haven and the large
fish and granite businesses carried on at
Vinalhaven.
The company is under the manage
ment of Eugene R. Spear, who succeeded
Mf DlIu DIS general HdIldSei III l5l1.
He is also general manager Of the Waldo
Telephone Company. Mabel Spear, who
has been in the employ of the New Eng
land and Knox Companies for period
of twenty-four years and is well known
by all telephone employees in the State,
has charge of the operating and account
ing departments. Robert M Packard,
superintendent of construction, has been
in the employ of the company since the
consolidation and previous to that, was
with the New England. Victor P. Hall,
wire chief, entered the employ of the
company in November, 1905. Charles K.
Philbrick is local manager and the test
man is Fred P. Colson who, in the past
year, has been promoted from combina.
ton man. He has been in the employ of
the company some eight years. The
chief operator is Mabel H. Colson and
the supervisor, Mildred S. Tibbetts. In
Camden, after May LIST, the operating
will be in charge Of Margaret Annis as
chief operator succeeding Jennie Wads-
worth. New England Telephone Topics.