The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-28
GREAT STRIDES BY
] TELEPHONE since
| H0USET0P CIRCUIT
Richmond, With Crude System,
Was One Of First Cities to
: Have Telephone Exchange.
Dmal1 Number Of Telephone
Users In 1879 Has Grown to
Large Army. Possessing
More Than $1,000 Instru-
H1entS.

| 4 SV = A0A ~AS~S~ ~Acu ~
nsnts.
TAou9h Richmond was one Of the
~ cities in the country to have a
Do3oph0ne exchank an exchange
watch served the subscribers connect
u With each other by wires run on
housstops-the greatest development
NJ most rapid increase in popularity
AAad usefulness Of the telephone has
taksn place within comparatively re-
pqnt wars.
In 1879 there were = very few tele-
|bhone users. those connected with
Ehe crude housetop circuit.
In 1880 there were 7s8 telephones in
Richmond and the immediate suburbs.
The number moro than doubled In
H. nsxt ten years, there having been
xo17 Telephones in use In Richmond
Ind vicinity In 1900.
The greatest percentage of increase
number OF telephones here came In
oe next decade. January l. 1910, md
mt the telephone census figures to be
So.
Today there are in the city Of Rich
nond and served directly from the
Aree great modern exchanges more
EAan 1880.
There arc now handled by zsv OPP
orators and supervisors an tverage of
G7o.oo0 telephone calls al In this
.Bity. In 1900 the average daily num-
hor Of calls Was approximately $4,000
Back In the beginning OF the tele-
bhone In Richmond one OF the r1rst
Elites in the United States to success
billy operate the telephone G amer
ciAlly. the service. Though crude. was
&nGarded ~ wonderful. Some of the
original subscribers. looking back to
)Aooe days and their telephones now
toeard the telephone AZ one OIL the
|mosG remarkable OF the many amaz-
[ng achievements OF the earlier yeGrs
q the twentieth century.
Tho Old Housctop Lines.
The old housetos lines that were
Dood In 1879 and 1850 were changed
% what was then considered an up
Ee-1Ate telephone plant. this consist
~ Of poles with cross arms attached
md carrying from Ave to ten wires
&mch. This system was then on what
termed . grounded basis. there be-
1e AMY one wire used to fun nish SER
6oco 20 q subscriber; and, as 10 well
r0membered by the older users Of the
olsphoue. all telephone instruments
Reso operated by q hand generator.
- what 10 technically termed mag
I1ooo service.
The system, then, was to have one
U1ro 20 answer for q great many tele-
Dho0eA and when one STATEN was
n11oA every other telephone connected
4teA he circuit was also rung. It will
Mo - eomembered that II was neces-
ny a4 the time Of calling to give the
'poga4or tho number Of the telephone
bang uesd. tho old familiar phrase
|De1ng mo. on No. 5 please"
01oAmond was one Of the first cities
= the country to adopt the more moo
gu aerial cable system OF construc-
)loou tor outside plant.
Oum1uf1 System Installed In 1eu7.
IAter. however. the whole method
e outsl0s and inside construction was
Aangod, ana In 1909 the then most
MODERN and up-to-dAte underground
'Do0G0at system was installed In this
~; and also telephone exchange
Ind oorvtco surpassed by no other city
= The country wAs put In commission
peg The me- Of the Richmond public.
| \ oonparison Of tho old open wire
)n1geAl hines with the present under
sund systsm can be made by .
9aAoo - the following figures:
SAeoo opmpany's main pole line. feed
~ The West End WAS located. this
)a0e Has been replaced by 4 conduit
I'D underground cables in the alley
b the rear Of this street. these cables
paSTying approximately 5000 wires.
Gk WIN b seen that TO furnish q pole
lfScisntly largo TO carry this number
u wires would be beyond the imagtna-
(3on Of the average telephone user.
Man Of Overhead Wires Gone.
1t Will be remembered that at the
- - 49, - -
broad and Main Streets, It was 4 dit
doult matter TO see tho sun on clear
Dnys for the mass Of overhead wires.
EAis condition has now been changed,
hnd By the installation OF the teie-
<Aone company's underground plant.
4A1oh now more than three times ex-
e10o the requirements In the city or
finance governing this matte. It IL al
i1oge impossible to tell without going
)nt0 the. place Of business or residence
y . telephone user whether or not he
= subscriber to telephone service.
To 9tve you m idea OF the devel-
4ichmoAd on January l. 1900, we
handled about 1900 calls per day.
Rhils today We are handling ITO. 900
6nlls per day. IS per cent OF which
have TO 30 through = second operator
Recount Of being switched from one
5kchangs to another sai@ an official
u & Chesapeake and Potomac Teie-
Shone Company yesterday. This
means that in every twenty-four hours
lao. 900 PEOPLE are put In communica-
HON With each other by telephone.
One Exchange Until 1909.
up 70 1909 the company operated
snly one exchange In Richmond, but
Ia July 9TH Of that year the Monroe
F4ow RAndolph) exchange was put
ITO operation. The Boulevard ex.
mango Was put into service Novem-
- n, I0l4.
f'sThe company has figured out that
" 1870 two switchboarda will be res
Hmired to serve the West End, and the
NV Boulevard building has been 80
'1bigned that additional stories can be
5naod ana sufficient room made for
lCeatinued % 1ixhth Page.