Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-15

After a lapse of 10 years Butte is
going to return to the automatic tele-
phone, which at one time comprised
the majority of the phones in use by
two companies then operating here.
According to an announcement made
by Alex Remneas, manager for the Noun
tain States Telephone and Telegraph
company, plans are being laid to replace
the present manual" type with the
dial" type Of telephone system In Butte
late in 1929. This is but a part of the
company's program of improvements in
Montana next year. which call for an
expenditure of approximately So, 900, 900.
The company's engineers have been en-
gagged for some time in making studies
of the type of telephone system best
suited to the needs Of its Butte custom
ers and the result of these studies vas
a recommendation to the officials Of the
company that dial system equipment be
installed. This recommendation has
been approved and the engineers nave
been authorized to proceed with the
necessary arrangements.
Automatic Dial
According to Mr.. Remneas, the opera
ton of the dial system will be very SIM
Pile SO far as the public is concerned.
Each telephone will be equipped with a
movable circular dial about three inches
in diameter having 10 finger holes, num-
bered from l to 8, with zero in the tenth
hole. To call the subscriber, say No.
3248, the receiver will first be taken from
the hook, the foreinger placed in the
hole through which the figure 3 is seen,
and the dial pulled around to the right
until the finger strikes a metal stop,
The finger will then be removed and the
dial will return to its normal position.
The same operation will be repeated for
the figures 2, 4 and 8, after which the
calling subscriber will either get No. 3248
or will hear the busy signal. After talk
ing, the mere hanging up of the receiver
releases the connection and after q Sec
ono's interval another call may be made.
1900 Telephones
The installation which the D
proposes to make in Butte will incor-
porate all Of the latest developments In
the dial telephone system. Mr.. Remneas
says that the new system will provide
equipment for approximately 1900
working telephones at the time the
change is made. He went on to say, In
answer to the question, that While it was
true that with the dial system the same
number OF operators would not be re-
quired to give service as under the pres
ent, or manual, system, still this does
not mean that the change to the dial
system will dispense with operators en-
tirely. Certain features Of the service,
such as long distance, information, spe-
cial service, etc, will have to be handled
by operators.
Entire Replacement
Changing to the dial system, according
to Mr.. Remneas, will necessitate replac-
ing all Of the telephones now In service
In Butte, except certain private branch
exchange stations, with telephones
equipped with dials. This work will be
done some time prior to the date upon
which the change will be effective. All
of the company's customers in Butte will
be instructed in the proper use OF the
dial telephones by employees who will
visit them at their residences and places
of business shortly in advance of the
change to dial service.
Additional information will be given by
the company from time to time relative
to the progress of this projects.
When the Mountain States Telephone
company occupied control OF the It. s.
Lane Telephone companies, about 5000
automatic phones in Butte were replaced
by manual instruments.