New Ulm review., 1917-02-14
PHONE COMPANY TO
OCCUPY new HOME J;
NEW ULM RURAL CORPORATION
TO MOVE INTO CoMMODIOUS
NEW QUARTERS.
MOST HANDSOME AND UP-To-
DATE BUILDING OF KIND
IN STATE.

pany's handsome new building, North
Second and German streets, which has
been under construction for several
months, is practically completed, al
though it will be some weeks before
the equipment has been installed and
the officers and employees have taken
possession. The building is the most
complete occupied by any telephone
company in Minnesota, outside of the
three largest cities in the state.
The building, which is so by So feet
in size, is one story high, with a very
deep basement under the entire struc-
ture. It is built entirely of brick and
concrete, and is absolutely -fre-proof.
The front entrance is from the Second
street end of the building. There is a
large lobby from which entrance is
made to the managers office and the
book-keeper's room, which is very
commodious and will also be used for
the directors meetings. At the end of
short hall leading from the lobby is
the operating room, 20 by 81 feet in
size, and calculated to provide for any
growth that the business may assume
in the next forty or fifty years. From
the operating room there opens lava
tory and a rest room for the operators.
At the east end of the operating room
there is the entrance to the terminal
room, into which enter the cables carry
ing wires for all of the lines of the COM
.pany. One feature of the new building
is plenty of light in every department.
Comfort For Employees Sought.
When we started to construct this
building we determined to. make It
just as comfortable as possible for all
of the employees" said manager Otto
R. Kohn. eve have plenty Of light,
and aimed to make it as warm in win
ter and cool in summer as possible.
Besides we were careful as to ventila-
tion.'
when we decided to build,' contin-
ued Mr.. Kohn, eve sought out all
telephone companies in the state, and
visited all of the best ones, and am sure
that there is nothing anywhere in the
state, outside of the larger cities that
will anywhere near come up to ours
in every appointment. At Duluth we
found the Zenith Company's West End
building came the nearest to meeting
our requirements, and we have built
ours something like it, except that we
have made many improvements over
that one. I am positive that no city
any where near the size of New Ulm
has a telephone building that will COM
pare with ours"
In various parts of the main floor
bubble drinking fountains have been
provided and many other .conteniences
for employees and patrons.
In the basement there is large work.
shop, battery room, boiler and store
rooms. The heating plant is one of
the best that could be procured and is
of the latest construction.
The switchboard, which is now being
constructed at Rochester, N. Y, will
have all of the latest improvements.
1t will be about May l before the switch
board. will ~be completed and installed
Mr.. Kohn said.
The building, when completed, will
cost about $4,000, and with the new
switchboard and other equipment, to.
gether with new cables already strung
and to be installed early in the spring
the outlay of the company for the cur.
rent year will reach upwards of s35, 900
The company has now 1850 subscrib.
ers, $50 miles of poles, and $50 miles
of circuit wire. The business of the
company has almost doubled within
the past five or six years.
New Ulm can be proud of her teIe.
phone building.