The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-19
SYSTEM PROVES WORTH
NEW AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE
EXCHANGE HAS VERIFIED
ALL PREDICTIONS.

. Ter months of uninterrupted sery-
ice in Madison has proved the SUI
perior utility of the automatic tele-
phone system over the old, and this
fact is no better evidenced than by
the showing the new service made
during the recen storms when it was
unaffected in any way while prac-
tically every other avenue of public
communication was blocked.
During a storm several years ago
the old line was entirely out of order
for several months and thrown into
complete disorder and il was almost
necessary to rebuild the entire sys-
TEN before service was resumed.
Operators could not get TO their work
through the deep snow and the city
was practically cut off from the out
side world.
And the disorder came just at the
time when the use of the phone in
creased many fold with the resulting
exasperated public al the delays and
inconvenience suffered, the newt
able consequence that confronts
every manual system in an emer-
gency.
over 5000 calls per day were sent
through the automatic exchange dur
ing the recent storms and the ma
chimes seldom rested except for a
few seconds at a time. They de-
ms fn1a1 tA root M a1nnn mn Xaun-
tons, and were on the job every sec
ond of the day.
An automatic exchange is no dis
criminator of persons. Neither does
it misunderstood your number. nor
does ii fail to tell you quickly If the
line is busy, and if It Is not occupied
will connect you with the line called
and internationally summons the sub
scriber until he responds, or you are
certain he or she is not at home.
In normal times an average of
5000 calls passed through the Mad
ison exchange daily. an average Of
six per subscriber. The average for
the long distance calls is $50, but
during the recent tie up, their total
raised to $50. 1t would be hard TO
equal this record under the old man
ual system.
Every call has the exclusive use of
over 1000 parts and $4,000 moving
parts are kept in use daily. Some of
the machines are adjusted to operate
through a space of but 1900 of an
inch while some of the other ma
chimes operate at the tremendous
speed of $3.50 vibrations per minute.
Where formerly four to six young
women were required to handle the
work of the exchange, one is now en-
ployed to serve as information OPP
orator, and mi for the long distance
calls. Two others do the work on
the toll lines u of Madison. The
old system required constant changes
in the operating forces. Few young
women remained in the game" more
than a year and the exchange nearly
always contained one who was an
apprentice. The automatic system
never quits. 1t goes on just the
same whether there are one or six
young ome in the office.
The old adage ITO err is hui
man" inspired a young engineer, a
Mr.. Keith, to contrive a machine that
would erase the human equation and
thus stop the %torrential outbursts OF
temper from peeved subscribers ev-
ery day. He was considered a Wis
ionary and worked necessarily for
twenty-five years to make his dream
come true. That he was ultimately
successful is shown by the success OF
the automatic system In every city
where it has been put into operation.
Madison Is one of the smallest
cities In the country to be favored
with automatic service and is far
ahead of some of the largest ones In
seeing the practicability of the In.