The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-12-17
new systemic Be
ENTIRELY MODERN
Equipment Being Installed By North
western Telephone Co, Will Ac-
conmodate Population Of $4,000
CALL CENTRAL AUTOMATICALLY
Lights Will Notify Operator Of All
Calls-Interior Of New Building
Ready in March

Bemidji's new telephone system
WILSON he a reality for workman
of the Northwestern Telephone com
pany are pushing the work to COM
apletion as fast IS possible. By the
time the new switchboard is INSTALL
ed the underground cables viii have
been drawn into the condults, and the
entire plant will be ready to connect
up, putting the new service in OPP
Grafton about the first of March.
It is expected that the material
for the main frame will arrive here
about the first Of January and work
will begin Immediately in installing
it. The switchboard will then fol-
low and the work in putting it In
place will be pushed as fast as
possible. The new switchboard will
be OF the most modern type and has
a capacity for accommodating 1000
subscribers, which means that the
new system will be able to take care
of the telephone wants of Bemidji
until it is a city Of 1900 people. At
the present time only 1000 subscribe
ers can be taken care of. The install
lation of a switchboard of the kind
being placed in Bemidji requires
much work and it will be some time
before the new exchange will be cut
over.
Automatic Service
Another change which will be giv-
en- an enthusiastic welcome in Be-
midi will be that of doing away with
the magnetic type of telephone to
the common battery order. This will
do away with the crank in calling
central. In the future all the speak
erz Will have to do Is to take the re+
from the hook, which wilrssfg
nal central automatically by the
lighting of a lamp on the switch
board in front of the operator. When
a person is through talking and
hangs up the receiver the operator
will he again notified by the lights
and will disconnect. This will do
away with the necessity of the cen-
trail opening the key and inquiring
if the talker is through.
Building Is Complete
The telephone company's new
building is now complete and is ar
ranged so that the business can be
carried on in a proper manner, it
being the idea Of the officials to give
the patrons as good service as pos
sihle. The exterior is attractive,
and is finished in natural birch,
with hardwood maple floors. It is ex-
ceedingly well lighted. The base
ment will be occupied by the plan de-
partment, where the machinery, and
apparatus for charging the storage
battery is located.
The second floor will be used for
Manager Giles office, the operating
room and a retiring room for the OPP
orators. The retiring room will be es-
pecially attractive to the young wo-
men operators, Of which there are
fourteen, and will be provided with
easy chairs, couch and other furni-
ture to make it as pleasant as possible
When in operation Bemidji will
have n of the best telephone ex-
changes in the state, and the com
pany has given expense but little
thought in the erection Of the new
system.
BUYS EICKSTAD FARM.
J. H. Kruger of Sherwood, North
Dakota, has purchased the Fred Eick-
stad farm near this city and has