St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-01-14
N. w. Bell Spent
% Million For
Expansion In 50

IN 1904 Northwestern Ben Iele-
phone Company spent approxi-
mately S23, 600, 900 for expansion
and Improvement of telephone SER
vice and equipment replacement
in Minnesota. Carl o. Lindeman,
Vice President and general mana
ger, said this was the heaviest
construction program in the his
tory of the company's operations
in the state. and the outlook for
1855 is construction program of
equal size.
by coincidence" Mr., Lindeman
said, taxes on telephone service
in Minnesota during the year also
amounted to approximately $2S,-
600, 900. This is about S2,S2 per
month for each telephone in ser
vice"
In 1854. approximately $4,000
telephones were installed to bring
the total number in service to 1872
500. This is substantially more
than the number added in 1858,
this year the company expects to
gain even more-about $4,000. I'm
Minneapolis, approximately 1880
telephones were added during the
year to bring the total number in
service to about 100000. This re-
CURED placing extra telephone
cable in practically every part of
the exchange, and making equip
ment additions in most central
offices.)
The volume of long distance
calling in 1854, exceeded 1858,
Last year, Minnesotans made APP
proximately $4,000 long distance
calls per day, on the average, as
compared with 12o.500 calls per
day during the previous year.
Mr.. Lindeman listed the follow
ing among the companys import
ant projects during the year:
l. Filling backed-up and new
orders for service. At the begin
ming Of the year, the company was
holding approximately $500 orders
for service. BY years end, this
figure was reducted to less than a
dozen.
2. Bringing dial telephone ser
vice TO more customers.
3. Combining the Minneapolis
and st. Paul exchanges into one
telephone service area, thereby
eliminating charges on and provid-
ing for direct-dialing of all but
few inter-city calls.
T. Extending microwave routes
to make it possible for many more
people to have network television
service. Radio relay system routes
were built between Minneapolis
and Duluth and Minneapolis and
Fargo, and a branch of the Mime
apolis-Chicago route was extended
to Austin.
5. Improving rural telephone
service. Approximately $500 rural
telephones were added and on
many rural lines the number of
parties were reduced TO eight or
less.
g. Changing telephone numbers
to two letters and five figures in
accordance with nationwide plan
of standardizing telephone num-
bers to further speed the handling
of long distance calls. Coincident |
with the issue of the Minneapolis !
telephone directory in December,
$4,000 telephone numbers were
changed from Drexel TO Parkway
4, Dupont TO Parkway 9, Hopkins
to West 8. Mohawk 9 to West 8,
Walnut TO Walnut 2, and Whittier
to Walnut s.
In 1865. Mr.. Lindeman said, the
company expects to be able TO fill
practically all orders for tele-
phone service.
Expanding and improving long
distance dacilities also will con-
tinue in 1865. This will include
construction Of a nicrowave route
between Duluth and Virginia
which will be the first such system
to be used exclusively for long dis
present Minneapolis-Fargo micro
wave route. presently carrying
only television programs, will be
equipped for long distance mes
sages.
Additional telephone numbers
will be changed two letters and
five figures in 1855. In June. APP
proximately $4,000 numbers in the
st. Paul Midway area will be
charged. and in December about
Sc. 900 downtown Minneapolis
numbers will be changed.