The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-01-15
new TELEPHONE SYSTEM
UNION CITY EXCHANGE
Installation of New Plant in Union
City Nearing Completion.

The Cumberland Telephone and Tele
graph Company, which has been con
Quoting the work of converting its plan
in Union City from the magnetic, o
the old-stye service, into the fashligh
system, for several months, is now near
ing the completion of that work. Th
new system will dispense with the bell
in calling altogether There will be nj
ringing in order to get your call. Th
receiver, or ear phone, will simply b.
lifted from the hook, and the actor
caused by the removal of the receive
produces flash of light Immediately
over your number at central, who will
plug out your light and call the numbe
wanted.
Before we enter further into the op
GRAFTON of tbs new system, will state tina
representative of the paper visited the
new plant this week. We were very
courteously received and conducted
through by Mr.. 0. T. Pickard, who, by
the way, has been an exceedingly vahl.
able addition to the citizenship and bust
ness interests of Union City. Mr.
Pickard is District Manager with head.
quarters in Union City, and is person
ally conducting the contract in Union
City, which involves a complete trans
formation Of the system and an outlay
of approximately $35, 900.
1t is very pertinent here to remark
that realization of the extent aud i'm
portance of these changes was brought
home to us in a very forcibly way.
When Mr.. Meninger was here and he
and other representatives of the COM
pany, with Mr.. Pickard, stated to the
local committee that the changes to the
new system would involve large outlay
and an expenditure of about $35, 600,
the report was received with great deal
of misgivings. The committee, it might
as we'll be said, was dubious.
But when we were shown over the
new plant with its extensive and in
Vulnerable modern devices for pro-
noting the efficiency of the service, the
intricacy and accuracy of every detail
and the perfection of the whole work, it
could be easily understood why the
change would be not only expensive but
require the very best skill and months
of time in which to accomplish it. 1t
must be remembered also that the wir-
ing and cables all over the city had to
be completely changed, the poles and
wires removed from the main business
thoroughfares altogether, and after the
office fixtures and plant have been prac-
sically installed into place the changing
of the instruments in the homes and
business houses takes place. All this
With the buying and building of new Of
ice quarters will undoubtedly incur an
of the amount not far from
he figures stated by the company as
heir estimate of cost.
In the first place the office and ex-
hange quarters have been actually
loubled The house on the corner was
the property of the company,
Who enlarged its real estate holdings by
be purchase Of the adjoining building.
'hese buildings have been converted in
, double apartments, one for the offices
t the company, with rest room, lock-
RS and adiuncts to the rear for the COM
ort of the operatives. The apartment
, the west will be devoted exclusively
, the exchange and operating room.
ii the new operating apparatus is now i
eing installed into this apartment, and !
le contract for the work is in the hands r
the Western Electric Company, with |
[r. E. Arnold, scientific electrician, i
J manager of the installation. |
The front Office to the east will be for s
lie manager and his assistants with a il
bby for the patrons of the company. r
be front of the building has been re- t
tilt entirely, as can be seen from the p
rect, with pressed buff brick, and n
nple window light, in very attractive Ii
The offices will be sup o
led with the most substantial hard Il
bod booths and furniture. The rest Il
ID cloak room to the rear will be sup a
led with literature for the use of c,
nployees and operatives exclusively. rt
ON Depot street an entrance will be te
ade for the operatives and the apart it
ents will be connected with an arch II
or near the center, through which W
e operating room can be reached. 1t W
Il all be conveniently and comfortably Ell
ranged, for the operatives as we'll as hi