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

associated with them and the operator
Is governed in disconnecting 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
end interval. This ring-back which
the subscriber hears after placing his
call is practically an echo of the ring
being rung at the called subscriber
station; not only showing them that
the operator has put up the connec-
} ton. but also keeps them informed as
TO how promptly or how slowly their
friends answer their call. As sub
scribers are generally familiar as 20
where in the house the telephone OF
the desired friend is located. this al
lows thin to decide how long to ring
any particular bell. This ringing at
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
I room a moment, or where the first
ring was not heard owing 20 some CO.
incident noise. Sharp ringing at even
! 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
nd. after receiving a call occasion
closes her key before testing the
7 jack of the called number. Is this way
! she puts subscribers on lines already
Z in use or line which is out of order
on the new automatic board this can
not occur. as there is no way possible
for her 10 cut out from the calling sub
scr!ber 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 70 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, 4
Shinking their partyqis out, often hang |
up. Not so on the automatic board. !
Upon plugging the calling subscriber !
in on 2 dead line she does not cut |
herself out from him; instead. the |
subscriber can hear the noise of the |
exchange and generally upon hearing |
the operator answer another call, viii /
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 !
ringing board, are done away with. |
enabling the operator to give more
attention TO other incoming calls and
flashes. After the connection has
been established the operator super
vises only when called in by fash.
Operators practice of plugging out
q second incoming call before she has
completed the first one is common on
the manual board. This naturally de-
lays a call. where an operator on the
adjacent position could have taken il.
on the new board this is an impossible
ity. because in so doing she will cross
the tRo calling subscribers.
The day force at the new plant on
Eighteenth street will include one
chief operator. two information. two
clerks. three supervisors. eight long
distance. % regular operators. and
one operator at the service observing
desk. At night three regular opera
tors and two long distance will be kept
on the job.
New Plan to Handle Complaints.
Another big feature of the new plant
4. the service observing desk. All
complaints registered will be kept on
record at this desk. When the sub
scriber registering a complaint calls
he service observing operator gets
IN the Bne and keeps record OF time
ken 10 make connection and other
"details. This IS repeated as often as
$ necessary. and then a report IS
made to the manager. The report en-
Ibles him 10 find out just where the
roubie lies. The subscribers them
elves are causes OF many Of the phone
roublee and the office at the present
inc has no way OF uuulns TINS Out
The new switchboard has capacity
Z 10 600 subscribers. and the company
as at presest about 5000. N
All estimates and figures on this .
ears improvements were made on a =
asis TO care for the increasing bust
ess OF ;he company for 10 years 70
ONE. 4 complete survey OF all the
ouses in the city was made by engi-
GERS and placed in four classes. name
y business. private line. two and four
lrty line phones. When the business
Rock Island outgrows the capacity
7 the new plant sub-stacions will be
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