Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-22
BOULEVARD EXCHANGE /
QUICKLY CUT INTO USE
Interruption to Telephone Service
Lasts Less Than One
Minute.
MEETS GROWTH OF WEST BNn
Telephone Development in Richmond
lIas Been Phenomenal, More Than
100000 Calls Being Made Each
Day--Oyer 10000 Phones.

/
10 O'Clock Richmond telephone patrons
experienced sou,o littlo dlmoulty in
getting the proper connections. In that
b!ief interval OF tipo tho Chesapeake
ana Potomac Telephone Company OF
! Virginia cut 1900 lines from tho CEN
! trai ohicc TO tho new Boulevard" eX-
ohunss ut 2GI5 Stuart Avenue West
End So quickly and eRectually was
4 ina Change made that those who woro
H not expecting It were ignorant OF what
II haJ been done.
i The rapid growth OF the West End
section Of the city and tho Increased
demand for telephone facilities to serve
tnat section made necessary the cstab-
ishInent OF the exchange. Tho new
Exchange which is supplied with the
most modern equipment. will serve sub
| scrtberH transferred from the. "Madi-
SOM and 'Ieandolph' exchanges who
arc located west Of Allen Avenue and
south OF tho Richmond, Frederick sburg
and Potomac Railroad. The new issue
Ios tho telephone directory. which Is
beng distributed 20 patrons. contains.
al far as possible. tho new telephone
numbers. and to avoid confusion. pa
irons are requested TO look up num-
oers In tho new directory before max
ing calls. Subscribers whose numbers
hnvo been changed have been duly
notified by the company OF tho new
nuInberg which have been assigned TO
them.
NEW EXCHANGE HAS
| MOST MODERN EQUIPMENT
| The nov Boulevard office 10 the most
| modern and up-to-datc exchange In
the companies territory. Nothing but
| the latest and most approved apparatus
aaa been installed. and every detail OF
| tho exchange Is complete. In the new
| building, as we'll Ut the central
Offices. the operators restrooms and
dining rooms arc comfortable and
| ha frr
| rounded by all OF the comforts to be
found In the most modern residence
| The vast amount OF skillful work re-
| auirad to disconncct the telephones last
| night from the Randolph and Madison
~eSchnnBes to tho new Boulevard OK
change can hardly be realized By the
| average person. For several months
past tho telephones IN tho 'West End
which wero TO be transferred to the
| boulevard exchange have been con-
| nocted by miniature copper wfree In the
Underground cables with tho boulevard
exchange, but at the Same timo have
rcmalned connected with one or tho
other OF the downtown eHchangce.
| Last night ny pulling the heat coils
| on the main frame III u downtown Office
| theac lines were disconnected from the
| central office. simultaneously with tho
| pulling of tho heat coil In tho central
office the relays on these same lines In
! The Boulevard office were released, and
| automatically the lines were thrown
Into the Boulevard exchange perma-
| ncutlT.
| While many months OF hard work
| Sero required 10 do tho preliminary
| the actual transfer OF telephones from
| ono exchange to tho other vas mado
! in less than one iniputo.
RICHMOND LEADER IN
TELEPHONE DEVELOPMENT
Richmond was one of the flret cities
~ tho entire country to have tele-
phone exchange. The nrst telephones
were installed hero In the year 1879.
There were few subscribers IN thoac
times. and their telephones were con-
| Hected By wires crudely stretched over
the housetops. On january /. 1890,
there were in Richmond and Immediate
suburbs TeB telephones, and by 1900
che number OF telephones in use was
I.9i7. Ten years later the number had
reached 1854, and there are to-day In
tho city and Immediate suburbs 10000
telephones In nse
On January /. 1900. about 1900
Richmond exchange. while to-day
there arc being handled 100000 calls
each day, 55 per cent OF which have to
so through 4 second operator because
II Is necessary to switch them from
ono exchange to another. Thesc figures
indicate that during every twcnty-four
hours some 100000 persons in the city
communicate with each other over the
telephone.
In the year 1910 only one exchange
was operated by the company. but dur
ing July OF that year the Monroe"
now Randolph" exchange was put
in operation ,nnd the other exchange
was; designated Madison" The newest
exchange, boulevard" was last night
put into operation, connecting 5000
telephones. Tho company. by careful
calculations, estimates that with the
advent OF the year 1890 two switch
boards Will be required TO servo the
wegt End. and, with this IN mind. tho
now Boulevard Building has been con-
structed SO that additional storiess can
be added and additional room made for
another switchboard.
At the present 275 operators and sew
eraI supervisors are Required TO operate
the Richmond exchanges. while In 1900
twenty 1--we girls did tho work.
Shot In Leg.
Cornelius Banks. coiored, 1894 East
Arch Street, was shot In tho left leg
10 ., G., ~