Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-02
Switchboard Is
Intricate Device

A telephone exchange without q
switchboard-it wouldn't be possible.
II would be like ship without helm or
rudder, There would be no hand that
could guide. it
A wonderful device is that big
switchboard in the headquarters of The
Marshall Telephone Company. It's of
solid mahogany. 1t cost $4,000, and
it's depreciating at the rate Of $4,000
a year. For just that tiny bit of fric-
ton the operator produces. when she
connects my phone with yours. and
yours to someone elses, that is re-
peated day after day and never ceases.
is wearing out the life of the board
little by little.
But there are FIVE more years of
good efficient service in the board OF
the local exchange. Into it run LOO
pairs of wires. connecting 5000 tele-
phones. 1t has capacity for 5000
pairs OF wires and steadily the surplus
age of its capacity is being taken. for
new phones are being added at the
rate of almost two a day, including
Sundays.
Picture big cupboard like piece OF
furniture. against the front side or
which operators are sitting in row.
Its rear side is enclosed with doors.
Take out one OF these Within il shows
such a multiplicity of tiny wires that
one marvels how any set of human
beings ever put them together without
snarling them go they could never be
untangled But each pair of wires has
place and each pair is in its place
and on the jon. If they are not the
trouble man is there. He's always
there-usually two OF him. ready on the
instant TO answer the operators call
10 come If any wire or connection gets
out OF service
And when one stops 70 think that not
only are there 100 pairs OF wires in
This board but dozen times that many
the wonder increases For this is a
multiple hoard That is each wire Of
the system can be connected with each
other wire Of the system in any one
OF a dozen sections of the board If
tina. were not so IL would not be pos
sible for central 10 connect YOU Be
fore each section there is an opera
tor. She has the whole system of wire
ends az her finger tips. SO has each
OF her sister operators sitting beside
her.
Each operator answers i69 pitoT1+s:
10 her for numbers she connects
those 100 to all the others. The board
she faces shows her VINO wants TO be
connected \ little light. made by an
incandeseent lamp no larger than the
end Of a small lead pencil, burns back
Of your number before "central's eyes
when YOU take down YOUR receiv r,
Il she is rot looking a the board
larger pilot" ligh; below warns her. a
red li.ht % the board CLEANS when
she has made the connection She
presses 2 button to ring the number
YOU have ASKED for When he takes
down his receiver 10 answer another
red light appears Il goes out when
the person called has hung M and
when yoy. hang up your red light
also goes out Then central discon
meets the lines.
she presses one row .. buttons 10
ring phone on private line. She
presses one of the rows Of red. yellow,
white or green buttons depending on
what color of party phone YOU have
asked FOR.
Its wonderful mechanism. and
wonderful system for efficiency and
quick service It's the one means by
which YOU are able % talk with any
phone Of the system. It's yours to
command. and It's always ready for
duty II is bat one of the great parts
OF a service that is offered for ready
communication with the city and the
world outside at a price as reasonable
as promptness and adequacy will al
low
MARSHALL TELEPHONE COM
PANY