The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-01-26
MISSOURI BIDS
LAST TELEPHONE
MULE FAREWELL
Faithful Animals Put Up
Losing Fight Against
Motor Vehicles

A bit of telephone history was recorded
The other day when the superintendent Of
buildings and supplies OF HE Southwestern
Bell Telephone Company attached his sigma
ture 10 an order for the sale OF team Of
mules.
Fine was when the st. LOFTS stables OF
the company were the home of 1875 of these
proverbially cantankcrous but highly cf-
Aeent animals The two mules in question
were The last of the lot Missouri tradi-
tionul domain of the mule and connected
with It's history as an economic factor by
lies that are far more intimate than that
of mere ALTERATION hns seen its last tee-
phone mule team
A telephone system operated efficiently
and economically implies the efficient and
economical construction and maintenance
of its widely distributed plant. The pass
ing of MsSouri's last telephone mule team
affords striking illustration Of the prog
ress which is being made throughout the
Rel Telephone System in constantly i'm
proving lis service standards
Before the march of moiorization the
telephone mule has given ground, even MS
The redskin and the buffalo have receded
before the steady advance OF the white
settler, Missouri and many other western
states, as well rs practically the entire
east, are 10 large extent motorized, rs
far as the Rel system is concerned.
Seven thousand eight hundred cars Of
vnrious descriptions enough to provide
transport division for u very fair array
expcditionary force--are in use throughout
the associated companies OF the system.
Some a,eoo of these belong to the Ford
family with notifications as to type tn
adapt each variety To the specific use to
which u IS to be put The maio part Of
This fleet * classified under the heading
u commercial cars being mainly made up
of cars OF the light delivery type, used in
construction or rcpnir work, Even the
mnabouts used by plant department super.
Nisors in covering their territory are
equipped with box in the rear OF the
scat for carrying tools aud light materials
used IN repair work, As u matter of fact
there are ouly few hundred cars in the
entire system which are used exclusively
for passenger work. these being assigned
Ia supervisory forces for use in inspection
or other work necessitating covering large
let,eury.
From this mosquito fleet" OF light cars
The motor equipment OF the system runs
up through trucks of varions grades. many
Of which are equipped with tie most
modern construction or repair apparatus.
The $500 trucks owned by the system range
from three quarter ton machines to flfteen-
ton giants used in hanling heavy loids OF
cable and other materials,
The metoiization OF the telephone sys-
TEN began in earnest only about six or
eight years ago, after q few automobiles
and trucks had been introduced expert.
mentally as supplement to vehicles
drawn by horses or mules The motor
vehicle has concmStyely proved its value
not only from the standpoint az economy
but from that OF enabling construction
and maintenance gangs TO do their WORK
more quickly and with leSs individual Ct
fort This has hcen particularly true ~ the
larger trucks carrying winchos, derricks ard
associated equipment, with power supplied
by The engine Of the machine itself which
have literally revomtionized the work of
handling poles, cables and other heavy ma.
teriat In fact, the trtck engine Is being
made TO do practically all types Of heavy
work which were formerly done by the
workmen themselves