Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-31

associated with them and the operator
IS governed in disconnectinE the tele
phones by the action of these lamps
All ringing of bells Is done automat
ically by a special machine two sec
ond ring being followed by a four-sec
ond interval. This ring-back which
the subscriber hears after placing hi.
call is practically an echo of the rims
being rung at the called subscriber
station; not only showing them tha
the operator has put up the connec
} ton. but also keeps them informed as
: TO how promptly or how slowly theil
friends answer their call AS sub
scribers are generally Familiar as C
where in the house the telephone OF
the desired friend is located. this al
lows thm to decide how long to RING
any particular bell This ringing al
four-second intervals is more efficient
than hand ringing, and has resulted in
the reduction in the number of calls
lost. owing TO Don't answer where
the called subscriber was out of the
room a moment, or where the first
ring was not heard owing 20 some CO.
| incident noise. Sharp ringing AT even
I intervals acts to draw the called sub
! scribers hurriedly to the instrument.
| Upon removing the receiver from the
hook of his telephone the ringing
| ceases.
Reduce Wrong Connections.
An operator on a manual ringing
/ board. after receiving a call occasion
ally closes her key before testing the
jack of the called number. Is this way
she puts subscribers on lines already
in use or a line which is out OF order.
On the new automatic board this can
not occur. as there is no way possible
for her TO cut out from the calling sub
scriber until her plug has been fairly
inserted in the jack of the called num-
Der and in doing this she gets the
tests clearly.
Another common practice among
operators on manual ringing boards
is the plugging the subscribers in on
dead lines, where there is no connec-
ton to any subscribers station posi-
bly, due to either of two reasons: That
the line has never been assigned to a
subscriber. or that a subscriber, hav-
ing had his number changed, will
leave the line which he had previously
had. dead. In cases of this sort, where
dead lines are called for. operators at
times connect their calling subscrib
ers with them; these subscribers,
thinking their par;y1is out, often hang
up. Not so on the automatic board.
Upon plugging the calling subscriber
= 4
herself out from him: instead. the
subscriber can hear the noise of the
exchange and generally upon hearing
the operator answer another call, will
draw her attention to the fact.
Such phrases jas, Il will ring them
again" and They don't answer, ,
which are so frequent on the manual I
ringing board. are done away with. |
enabling the operator to give more |
TO other incoming calls and 1
flashes. After the connection has |
been established the operator super
vises only when called in by flash.
Operators practice of plugging out
a second incoming call before she has |
the first one is common on
the manual board. This naturally de-
laws a call. where an operator on the
adjacent position could have taken it.
on the new board this is an impossible
ity. because in so doing she VIII cross
the two calling subscribers.
The day force at the new plant on
street will include one
chief operator. two information. two
clerks, three supervisors. eight long
distance. 20 regular operators, and
1ne operator at the service observing
desk. At night three regular opera
Tors and two long distance will be kept
1n the Job.
New Plan TO Handle Complaints.
Another big feature of the new plant
5 the service observing desk. All
registered will be kept on
-ecord at this desk. When the sub
icriber registering a complaint calls
he service observing operator gets
IN the nne and keeps record of time
AIKEN to make connection and other
letails This Is repeated as often as
$ necessary. and then a report is
made TO the manager. The report en-
bles him to find out just where the
rouble lies. The subscribers them
elves are causes of many OF the phone
and the office at the present
ime has no way OF finding this out.
The new switchboard has capacity
Z 1000 subscribers. and the company
as at presest about 5000. 4
All estimates and figures on this !
ears improvements were made on
asis to care for the increasing bust
ess OF the company for 10 years to
ONE a complete survey OF all the
ouses in fine city was made BY engi-
GERS and placed in four classes. name
? business. private line. two and four
arty line phones. When the business
Rock Island outgrows the capacity
T the new plant sub-stations will be