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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1915. 



when long distance service is called for, and there are connecting 

 switchboards at the receiving end. Not only does each plug have 

 its insulation of india rubber, but there is an intermediate devii i 

 called a "jack" which is also fashioned of this same substance, 

 and there are hundreds of thousands of these doing duty. 



In addition to the use of rubber in wire insulation, a very 

 quantity of friction tape is used for splicing telephone 



wires and making thi n ary joints. Probably most people if 



asked to hazard a guess as to the amount of this tape used for 

 such purpose would name some quite inconsiderable figure, but 

 ;i> a matter of fact the annual consumption of this tape foi 

 telephone uses is probably close to o.t.KIO.000 pounds. At least 

 200,000 pounds of friction tape is made a week, through the year, 

 or. we will say. 10.000.000 pounds for the year; and titl per cent, 

 of this is used "ii telephone \\ ires. 



Then there are certain accessories thai are by no means an 

 unvarying accompaniment to telephone instruments but which 

 are used often enough to make a large aggregate consump- 

 tion of rubber For instance, the soft rubber cushion for placing 

 over the hard rubber receiver. A great many people prefer this 

 soft cushion, as it is more agreeabli to the ear and, in addition, 

 shuts out outside noises and is particularly desirable for use 

 where the operator's hearing is somewhat defective. And, as a 

 counterpart to this cushion receiver, is the muffler, to he placed 

 over tlie composition mouth piece, which is also made of soft 

 rubber and tits closely around the mouth. The advantage of 

 this is the fact that one's conversation is not likely to be heard 

 at any distance from the telephone and also that noises around 

 the speaker are not taken into the receiver together with his 

 voice. In fact, in its exclusion of foreign sounds the muffler 

 serves very well as a substitute for the private booth. 



It is quite impossible to state in figures the total amount 

 of rubber used in the telephone installations leading to the 

 9.000,000 instruments now in service. So, too, we cannot give 

 the statistics covering the number of miles of rubber-insulated 

 wires. The fact is that if we were to include in our estimate 

 all of the rubber-coated telephone conductors in hotels, apart- 

 ment bouses and office buildings, the system would be a great 

 deal longer than the 21.000,000 miles of wires given us by the 

 United States Bureau of Census. Again, we have not con- 

 sidered at all the indispensable part played by rubber in in- 

 stalling and in maintaining the telephone systems of this 

 country. Don't let us forget that the men who do this work 

 have to labor under water, in water and exposed to all kinds 

 of inclement weather. Diving suits, ruhlier boots, and coats 

 and caps of the same materials are required in large numbers. 

 Undoubtedly, the recent consummation of the giant task of 

 opening direct vocal intercourse between the Atlantic and 



the workers during their strenuous and even haz- 

 ardous labors, and now it is helping as nothing else can to 

 carrj the currents to their far-flung stations in the manner 

 ii \ o i efficient sen ice. 



Carrying the Telephone Wires Across the Western Deserts. 



Pacific coasts is a national achievement of the utmost sig- 

 nificance. In this accomplishment rubber has shared in pro- 



Setting Telephone Polls at Humboldt Lake. Nevada. 



But lest there be any misunderstanding about the figures we 

 have just given in relation to the miles of wire and the number 

 of telephones in this country, the data are from the Bureau of 

 Census and, in the language of the special report, "cover all sys- 

 tems whether operated on a commercial, mutual or cooperative 

 basis, and also all farmer or rural lines. They do not include 

 private lines used exclusively for communication between differ- 

 ent rooms or departments of manufacturing or mercantile estab- 

 lishments, hotels, or private residences, unless connected with 

 lines elsewhere through a private or branch exchange. Systems 

 operated by federal, state or municipal governments for com- 

 munication between different bureaus or offices are not included, 

 nor those owned or leased by steam or electric railroads and 

 operated by them for their own exclusive use." 



In substantially all of the exceptions mentioned the bulk of 

 the wiring and the vast number of telephones are indoors and. 

 accordingly, there must be rubber insulation. But even so. we 

 have not exhausted the field of the telephone's usefulness. In 

 every ship of war of the first class the telephone is indispensable 

 and the wires rubber-covered. The biggest of the ocean liners 

 are similarly provided with these instruments, and the latest of 

 the large river boats and coastal steamers have telephones in 

 every stateroom connecting with a floating "central" which, at 

 the dock, can be linked in with the land lines. In these mobile 

 installations rubber plays its vital part. 



The military man also owes his debt to the telephone and to 

 rubber, for every one of our forts has its telephone network for 

 vocal communication that the great guns and the submarine 

 mines may do their work more effectively, and for the field 

 service there is likewise an extensive telephone equipment — all 

 of the wires that are intended to be laid upon the ground are 

 rubber-insulated. The telephone has played a prime part in the 

 war in Europe and has made it possible for the directing genius 

 to lie safelj beyond the reach of the foe's fire and yet in im- 

 mediate vocal touch with every part of the battle lines. In one 

 case, on a front of only twenty miles, there was run quite a 

 hundred and fifty miles of wire connecting a hundred instruments 

 This gives us some idea of the extent of this service in view of 

 tin stretch of the opposing fronts. For fighting of another sort 



I attling with fire — the United States has built, so it is said. 

 fully .3,000 miles of telephone line in the national forests during 

 the past year. 



\gaiu. for reasons of safety, most of the important mines in 

 this countrj are provided with subterranean systems of tele- 

 phones, and, because of the damp atmosphere through which 

 these reach, rubber-covered wires are uniformly employed where 



