The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1952-05-29
Dial Conversion
Made Without Any
Visible Difficulty
New Telephone System Put Into
Effect Saturday Just Be-
fore Midnight

The dial telephone service for Oak
land and vicinity went into effect
officially shortly before II o'clock
Saturday night. The cut-over from
the old manually operated system was
made at that time in a series of steps
by officials and employees of the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
company, and was made without I'M
usual incident.
Shortly after the cut-over Mayor
Joseph limbaugh, of Oakland, called
Randall O'Brien, Of SWanton, whose
telephone had been No. 1000 in the
new set-up, to officially mark the be-
ginning of the dial system in this
area. Dial has been in operation in
Friendsville and Accident areas for
about two years.
A loudspeaker system between the
old office in the K of P. building, and
the new office, in the recently con-
structed telephone building on Oak
street, at 9th, enabled the 40 OF more
telephone company officials, and a
number Of local citizens, to hear the
orders to cut the old cables, pull the
fuses in the old office and connect the
new equipment. The loud speaker also
enabled the persons at the telephone
building to hear the conversation be-
tween Mayor limbaugh and Mr.. o.
Brien.
1t was necessary that the old
switch board be clear of any calls at
the time of cut-over, which delayed
the actual change upon several oc-
casions When the information was
reIayed by II. c. Mckenzie, former
manager here, now traffic manager
at Hagerstown, that the lines were
clear, he was ordered by r. S. Jones,
district traffic manager, to remove
the old office from service.
This was effected by removing
heat coils from the old unit. W. A..
SCHUYLER, district plant manager, then
ordered R. c. Lord, plant wire chief,
and G. Norris, wire chief, to cut the
new dial office into service.
Prior to the cut-over dcadline, local
citizens present were taken on a tour
of the new building by William Kel-
Ter, local manager, and w. Russell
Pancake, engineering assistant, gave
a brief history of the growth of the
telephone company in Garrett county,
from 172 subscribers in 1906 with an
investment of $25,8OO, to 1000 sub
scribers with a plant investment of
100000, at the present time. The
new system alone meant an eXpcndi-
ture or investment of 100000.
Mr.. Keller said there had been some
minor trouble in few cases, but that
in the main, all telephones We're
working properly. Operators are on
hand in the new building to take care
of long distance calls, information,
emergency and other items, and the
telephone operators formerly en-
ployed IN the old office will continue
to render service.
Present for the cut-ovcr were MGR
Ger Smith, general commercial man
ager; Robert Alexander, general
plant manager; j. V. Dyer, general
sales and servicing manager, all of
Baltimore, and lesser telephone of
ficials from Baltimore, Hagerstown
and Cumberland. Following the cut
over buffet supper was held at the
Oakland Country club.
Plan Open House
The telephone company has planned
an open house on Wednesday, June
Is, and Thursday, June 10, at the new
building, for persons interested in
viewing the equipment.