Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-22

and tagged that 1t can, SO to speak,
be made to step right out of the
ranks and be inspected at any mo-
| ment and in a moment. Before they
reach the switchboard upstairs they
pass through the dashboard" and to
this board every trouble" comes.
The plans and cards, thoroughly and
accurately systematized. for quick
examination, supply really fac SIM
lie of every wire so that 1t can almost
be visualized. Ingenious appliances
to locate trouble are here in plenty.
And above all. men selected by careful
Examination and of thorough exper-
ience, can diagnose very speedily and
accurately the cause. Experience
makes quick and accurate guess
AS one man in charge of this board
said, I'VE can almost see very move
ment that a man using or working
on the wire makes" Every provision
for emergency is provided a Wild
eyed current from a thunder storm
or power line may come whooping
along but it is met right at the en-
trance, shunted off into the ground.
and any damage done to the APP
pliance soon repaired.
Now let us follow the wires up into
the operating room" where that
marvel of ingenuity is located. the
modern switchboard. The telephone
is wonderful invention but 1t was
the switchboard and its gradual per-
lection which has made the telephone
the practical, general. Indispensable
member Of almost every household.
The operating room is in charge OF
Miss Beatrice C. Ouellette as chief
operator and manager.
The signals were formerly made by
sound now they are made by light.
The operator can accomplish so much
more and with greater speed and ac-
euracy when the sense of sight is
used for such larger part OF the
operators work than formerly and
the sense Of sound is kept for the
spoken word and is not confused by
the bells and buzzing of mechanical
sounds.
Miss Ouellette and two OF the
supervisors demonstrated putting
long distance calls and Just how
they are handled from beginning to
completion. together with their
records The visitors saw them go
through without a "hitch" and then
with all those bitches which sub
sy.bers have sometimes experienced
and which they are so quick to
charge up to the fault of the opera
tor Here is the great value Of a
visit to the exchange You can see
what may happen to your call and
why The company will frankly
show you where a mistake may be
made by the operator and the means
to prevent, and you will also see
where the mistake may be yours.
You will see how many times impa-
thence makes things worse. SHOW
me what happens" said one of the
party. when the operator doesn't
respond quickly enough to suit me
and / get mad and rattle the holder
of the receiver up and down." When
he saw that, If the holder was moved
steadily and slowly with defined
pause, all of which would tend to
calm temper, he made. a signal which
! would surely attract attention. while
under the quick motion the light did
not perceptibly change and the sig
nal effect was lost, Looks to me as
if my temper stood in my own way"
said the visitor I think I will Gull
, tivate calmness.Y Visit the switch
board, Me. Subscriber You will find
| the most interesting, ingenious me-
chanism conceivable. You will see
just how it works, and where you
can help and hinder. You will then
be of great assistance to yourself
and your neighbor and you will in
cidentally save some day in tho
future wasted heat and mispent
energy.
r. F. Gray, the manager of the Au-
gusta exchange, was recently severe
ly injured and is consequently kept
from his duties The visitors would
have been glad to see him.
As the party was leaving. Norman
L. Bassett, who was with them, told
this incident: Gov. w. T. Cobb and
the late F. A. Houston, treasurer of
the company, were conversing one
evening about telephone service. GOV.
Cobb said that in 1877 he was in
Berlin. He room mate was studying
physics in the university there and
suggested to Gov. Cobb attending
the next day a lecture on the, tele
phone by the professor in physics.
Gov. Cobb was just graduated from
BoWdoin and at the Centennial in
Philadelphia had seen the new in
vention of Alexander Graham Bell.
So the governor was glad to attend
tho lecture A rude telephone bell
had been set up between one of the
rooms, out around the square and
back to another room. First the
students tried it, to see that it would
work, and then went in to the lee
ture. The professor closed his lee
ture on the scientific aspects of the
invention with these words. This is
n remarkable invention and shows
the inventive genious of the Ameri-
can people. Of course commercially
it amounts to no<hing.". And Mr..
Houston said that if the next morn
! ing some fiend wanted to as com
pletely wreck as he could the bust
! ness and commerce of Boston, the
surest way would be to smash or
| blow up in some way at about 10
o'clock in the forenoon, the switch
board of the telephone, exchange in
that city. so the professor seems
TO have been right"
With a deeper appreciation of the
! place Of this invention in cur modern
7 I.