Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-08-15
new PHONE
SYSTEM IN USE
"Cranking" No Longer Neces-
sary i'm Calling Central OPP
orator i'm Ladysmith
CUT-OVER TO NEW SWITCH
BOARD AT NOON TUESDAY
New Directories Issued.-AbOut $50
Phones i'm Ladysgnith Exchange;
523 In City

523 In City
On Tuesday, August y, at 1901 p.
m. all subscribers lines in LadySmith
were transferred from the old magnetic
switchboard III the Page building to the
new and modern common battery
switchboard in the same building and
"cranking the phone TO get central be-
came an obsolete pleasure in Lady
smith.
The transfer or "cut over" as it is
known to telephone people was com
pleted without any unusual difficulty
and after the ''cut over" there was but
one case Of trouble, that was at the
telephone instrument in the residence
of one Of the subscribers who was out
of the city.
Those in attendance at the "cut-Over"
were w A. Blackburn, Ladysmith,
President; Z. J. Sllolsky, Secretary
and General Manager, of Eau Claire;
L. Killam, Plant Superintendent, f. NJ.
McEmiry. Commercial Superintendent,
of the Wisconsin Telephone Company,
of Milwaukee j. e. Bonnell, Traffic
Supervisor and l.. Zarbock, Plant
Chief Eau Claire.
The 'cut over was in charge of A.
Siegl. Equipment Engineer, of Mil
Waukee
"Cut Over" Occurs at Noon
= II. w. Allen, manager of the com
pany, had new directories delivered to
all subscribers before the "cut over,
with information on each directory that
the "cut over" would occur at l. 100
noon: that all subscribers would have
the new telephone numbers of such
subscribers where it was necessary to
assign new telephone numbers
The Workmen started Immediately
after noon to remove the subscribers
old magnetic Instruments, that the new
common battery instruments would
have an opportunity to give proper SER
vice. The work Of discOnnecting and
removing the old instruments will re-
quire or ; days.
The new switchboard is of the latest
Western Electric Company common
battery design and is the same as is
used in cities of the size of Ladysmith.
and is as good and up to date as has
been developed in the art of telephony.
The instruments at the subscribers S
places of business and residences are
of the same manufacture and design as
those furnished in the most up to date
equipment any place in the world, The
cost of the new switchboard and instrll-
ments will be about $4,000. There
was added to the plant about $4,000
worth of now cable to make the service
better
Better Foil Service
The switchboard has two toll posi-
tons which provides a place for two
toll operators. enc position for one
operator to operate rural lines and two
positions for two operators to take
care of subscribers in the city. The
equipment is arranged so that the
work Of each operator is made more
efficient. During rush of calls on any
particular position other operators
may assist, thereby making possible
The expeditions answering and com
plcting Of calls
The room designated as the operating
room, wherein is located the switch
board and where the young lady opera
tors are assigned to the operation of
the switchboard is most pleasant, well
ventilated, wcll lighted and convenient
~ arranged.
Rest Room For Operators
Immediately adjacent to the opera
ting room is the room assigned for OPP
orators rest room, which WILL when
the old switchboard is removed, serve
as locker room in which the opera
tors may go for their rest periods when
off duty
The terminal and wire chiefs room
is complete in all the latest equipment
OF terminals. cross connecting racks,
testing apparatus necessary to the bus
mess.
The commercial office. which Man
ager Allen has had for some time for
meeting the public and where the pa
irons come to pay their bills, is first
class and up to date.
Personnel Of Local Office
Mr. Allen has lived in Ladysmith for
several years and is we'll known to all
in this section He has charge of all
the property of the Chippewa Valley
Co. which includes the exchanges in
Ladysmith. Prentice, Ingram, Bruce
and Cameron.
The chief operator at the Ladysmith
exchange in immediate charge of the
force of eight operators is Miss Geor-
gia Wise and the operators who are in
direct contact with the public in
answering calls are: Agnes M. Zim-