The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-25
new TELEPHONE
EXCHANGE WILL
I. COST $4,000
North Dakota Independent Tele.
phone Company Buys Proper
ty on Thayer Street
TWO.STORY BUILDING
is PLAN OF OFFICERS
City Engineer Starts Work on
Preliminary Survey for Con-
tractors and Architects

With the purchase of property west
of the Methodist church on Thayer
street by the North Dakota Indepen-
dent Telephone Company, came the an
nouncement this afternoon from +. L..
Shuman, district manager OF the Bis
marck exchange. of the cOmDAny'S In
tention to erect a new home to cost
in the aggregate with other improve
ments, about $4,000.
The site for the new structure is the
II. l.. Nicholson property. 416 Thayer
street. occupying a space OF 1OX1IO
feet. The transfer was made last
week. Building operations, it was
stated, ut the offices Of the company
today. depend upon the delivery Of
material for the exchange such as the
new switchboard. .....:
.-. GETTING DATA READY
City Engineer Atkinson is at work
on the preliminary survey OF the prop
erty this week and submits informa-
ton TO the architects and engineers
who will at once commence work OF
sketching plans for the new home.
While nothing officially has been
given out. it is the belief Of men con
nected with the Bismarck. plant that
the Headquarters for the North Da-
kOta Telephone exchange will be
moved to Bismarck as soon rs the new
structure is completed. The head
quarters are ut the present time 10
Gated at Fargo. .
BUSINESS GROWTH ILLUSTRATED
1.-THE growth in Bismarck has been
more in the last four years than in
any other city in the state in III line
of business" stated District Manager
Shuman. 1.-Two years ago We passed
Jamestown in the number Of telc-
phones and today we are far in the
lead. There are but three exchanges
rated ahead of us now and they are
Fargo oorhead, Grand Forks and
Minot, but, We are growing at a re.
markable rate"
In explaining the purchase of the
property OH fThayer street instead Of
the downtGxb business district of the
city. Mr., Sh1man stated that the point
selected i ssile center of the exchange
population with relation to the bus
mess and the residence districts of.
Bismarck. Careful study Of the sit
uation was. made before the deal was
closed. eENorth Dakota 1ndepend-
ent Telephone company uses its lines
Of study III. locating all its new. build
ings so asa,to, give to, the public: the.
very best service possible. He stated
that he was surprised himself when
the Experimentation presented to
him and that f Gf32raHHer was seen as the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. STARTS
a crew OF FROM lStto,2O men has al
ready started on the underground sys-
tenn of wiring, work will be completed
before the pavement is laid. The plac-
ing Of the conduits underground and
the locating of manhOles have been 60
ing on ever since the paving crews
started work several weeks ago, and
while the negotiations were pending
for the purchase of the Thayer prop
crty.
Orders have been placed for copper
cable and some difficulty has been OK
pericnced in getting the material on
the ground, butlatest advices received
from the manufacturing concerns
state that they will do all that is pos
Sible to fill the orders for material and
equipment. This, however does not in
terfere with the placing OF the con.
duits underground.
TWO-STORY BUILDING PLANNED
The North Dakota Independent
company plans the erection at least
Of a two-story building which will be
1ire-proof and occupied solely by the
company exchange and offices. Moth
ing other than the delivery of the
hoard will delay the progress Of the
company getting located into the new
building when it is completed.
Because Of crowded. conditions at
the central office Of Broadway, the
commercial office of the telephone ex-
change will be moved o o from the
present location to the business office