DEVELOPMENT IN TELEPHONE SERVICE 



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entire telephone equipment supplied to subscribers by the early tele- 

 phone exchanges. For as rapidly as other operating companies came 

 into existence, they copied or adopted Mr. Coy's equipment, modified 

 more or less according to the mechanical or artistic views of the local 

 manager or his manufacturer. A modification used in Richmond, Va., 

 is shown in Fig. 9. 



In one sense these magneto systems might be properly termed 

 central-energy exchanges. For though no batteries were required to 

 operate these pioneer hand telephones, all the current required to 

 signal ' central ' or ' subscriber ' was supplied from a ' common-battery ' 



Fig. 8. 



Fig. y. 



set of gravity cells maintained in the exchange and operating on a 

 closed circuit. 



When a subscriber desired ' Central,' he touched the metal push 

 button, shown in Fig. 8, which actuated a single-stroke bell in the 

 exchange and released a drop in the ordinary house-annunciator at- 

 tached to the switchboard, thus indicating the respective party-line. On 

 hearing the bell, the boy-operator would leave whatever other work he 

 was engaged upon, walk leisurely over to the board, glance at the an- 

 nunciator, turn the single switch to the metallic strip to bring his 

 telephone in circuit with the calling subscriber, and loudly enquire: 

 ' What do you want ? ' then place his telephone to his ear just too late to 

 catch the full reply. Louder explanations on both sides would follow, 

 and sometimes the subscriber's remarks were not of a character suitable 



