El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-26
FL PASOANS USE
$4,000 PHONES
Tri-State Company EN-
ploys goo Operators in
City; 1850 Calls Daily.

The daily use OF 1900 telephones
IN FL PasO. with an average Of $4,000
calls per day. bespeaks the city's
business activity. Thirty-eight thou
sand one hundred and four miles Of
copper wire overhead and an under
ground conduit Is miles in length and
containing 21.00o miles OF copper wire
ere required by the Tri-State Tele-
phone company 70 care for FL Paso's
five tons Of copper are stretched out
over the city in q network Of wires
and IN the thousands Of feet beneath
the surface are 10 more tons Of the
red metal It requires 2O6 manholes
70 give access to the subway system.
Repairs and new cables keep a force
az men continually working beneath
the city Nothing IS more expressive
Of the tremendous extent Of FL Paso's
lie IN every phase than the daily
Eumber Of phone calls, both local and
long distance, and the mammoth sys-
TEN required to accommodate patrons.
Employs 200 Operators.
At present the Tri-State IN FL Paso
employs 200 operators, has 6S posi-
lions Of switchboards and six posi-
eions Of tOllboards.
A school Of instruction IS main
tanned and a mechanical device for
shocking off the service Of the op-
orators. Working models Of the big
switchboard are installed in the school
ef instruction, where girls taking up
the work receive training for q
month before taking up rapid work,
which requires great efficiency to
give service such as Is required by
the Tri-State Of its operators. The
device for keeping tab on speed Of
operators is so arranged that an ex-
pert watching the machine is able to
check off 80 girls at time and tell
whether they are operating at the
minimum speed required by the com
pauy In the work OF connecting
Patrons Long distance operators
have an automatic time printer which
counts accurately the time for which
tolls are charged.
Has Telegraph Department
One of the most interesting and
economical features Of the Tri-State's
plant here is the telegraphic depart
ment 1t is not commonly known
that kilograms may be sent over tele-
phone wires at the same time the
wires are being used for telephone
messages, yet this is DONE, and the
transmission Of the two kinds OF
same time, neither interfering in the
least with the other.
This company began operations IN
this city in 1888 with 81 subscribers
Long distance lines were not con-
rtructed until 1910. Complete long
distance lines now make it possible
20 talk to friends or relatives in Chi
csEo, New York or San Francisco
with as little trouble as calling some
number in FL Paso.
Looks After Comfort OF Employee
Operators Of the Tri-State receive
errslIent care at the hands Of the
company. insuring gooS health 70 the
employees and the best service to II
Pasoans. Realizing that the Work
requires the best senses OF percep-
ton and the nervous system gener-
Ally the company has furnished a
rscrestfon room. also q parlor, with
books and magazines Tor their use
There Is a dining room where luncn
f. served and q vel furnished room 4
At their disposal In case OF Illness.
1fztrOns care for the rooms winch IN /
summertime, are cooled by process
that also fnsures perfect ventilation /!
The average Workday IS not over |
reveu and one-half hours and the 1
girls are allowed rest periods Wnlle 1
cn duty. War service has not lesseneu
the company's care for It's operators
and service by the force has N /
crezsed in efficiency, although prece-
Serce Of 81 messages by the teoerai
government has in some instances
been nisinterpreted By commercial
concerns to mean less effective ser
-ice. Uncle sam Is entitled TO use 4
me phone first these days.
Naturally the rest Of US must Walt
-ru1efIrnes. Consider telephone actlV-
lfies at Fort Bliss and Camp Cooy' I
Yen in mind that the same activity /
exists IN ali army cantonments, posts
nd camps; remember that IN TINS
wy Uncle Sam has suddenly useo
s. 900 feet Of copper wire; l5OO mics
ii steei wire and $50 miles OF pole
sane. 40 to this the mammoth amount
81 labor necessary to accomplish the
work. and It will not seem strange Il /
4elephone activity in the commercial
world r. not quite so brisk as one
year ago.
e Paso Handles Cody Phones.
Al Camp Cody, Deming, n. NJ there
IS z two position switchboard In ser
vice with I27 telephones, requiring
four operators to give service. This
imp Is a city in itself and the tele-
phone system has been built and Is
icing operated as in any city for COM