The two-number system for handling long-distance business, first introduced successfully in the Pacific territory between San Francisco and the cities across San Francisco bay, has been adopted also for handling calls between Seattle and Tacoma and between Los Angeles and Pasadena.

The two-number method was introduced in the north in record time, during a visit of J. P. Downs, traffic engineer, and A. C. Stannard of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. It was definitely decided on February 27 to introduce the two-number method, and five days later the new system was in operation. The rate, which had been twenty-five cents for one minute and five cents for each additional thirty seconds, was reduced to 25 cents. for two minutes and five cents for each additional thirty seconds.

Although only a few days were given to the matter of explaining and illustrating the method of operating, by the time the service was installed everyone concerned was thoroughly conversant with the details, and no trouble of any sort was experienced. Several hundred Tacoma directories were distributed in Seattle and several hundred Seattle directories were delivered to heavy toll users in Tacoma.

The Los Angeles-Pasadena toll business was placed upon a two-number basis on March 20., The method of operation is similar to the San Francisco-Oakland system, but is less complicated owing to the fact that Pasadena has but one central office.

All Los Angeles offices call Pasadena. direct over two groups of order-wire trunks, multiplied in such a manner throughout the "A" positions as to distribute the business satisfactorily. South, West, Main and Sub-Main offices are connected to one first group, East and Boyle offices on the second group,

and Main office on both groups.

Time is obtained by the means of the time order circuit which is multiplied throughout the "A" positions of all offices and terminates on the head telephone of the time Operator in the Main Exchange.

Calls from Pasadena to Los Angeles are handled through a tandem "B" position in the Main Exchange, the calls to branch offices being switched through by the Inter-urban Operator, and the Pasadena "A" Operators obtain the connection by means of order circuit to the Inter-urban position.

The rate has been reduced from 15 cents for three minutes and 5 cents each additional minute, to 10 cents for the first three minutes and 5 cents for each additional minute.

The traffic end of the work has been creditably accomplished by Mr. O. Cole, Jr., representing Mr. Downs; and the engineering feature supervised by Mr. Hess of the Engineering Department.

Market Office Library Grows Market office, San Francisco, which has the largest operating room in the city and expects shortly to have the largest number of subscribers, is ambitious also to have the largest library.

The movement for a library was started in November. The first books were donated on November 24th by members of the local force and in five weeks the library contained 67 volumes. Miss Mary Lennon, a supervisor, was appointed librarian, Miss M. McAfee was elected treasurer, and monthly dues were fixed at ten cents. The dues provided money for stationery and for a few volumes. Miss Jessie Gardner, switchboard clerk, suggested the raffling of a burnt leather pillow. Tickets were sold for 10 cents apiece and in three days 480 had been disposed of. Miss. Gertrude Mehrtens, assistant chief operator, made the handsome pillow.

Formal opening of the Market Library with a total of 159 volumes on hand was held on February 18th and the number is now about 180.

Sewing Circle at Franklin Office. The Franklin office, San Francisco, sewing circle submits the following:

Whatever the future of the girls connected with the Franklin office may be they are determined to be equipped to meet it.

a

Old, grumpy Dr. Johnson said a man preferred to see a good dinner on his table than to hear his wife speaking Latin and Greek, while thousands of bachelors have lamented the loss of woman who could stitch and sew. If housewives who are religiously inclined would but study human nature, man's nature, what profanity would be spared and what souls would be saved by attention to these little details.

"A stitch in time saves nine," is a very old adage and as we do not all intend to remain with the telephone company forever or single always, we took it into our

minds to mutually improve ourselves by an interchange of knowledge. The girl who can knit teaches the rest-the dressmaker leads us into the intricacies of cutting, fitting and pleating-the fancy worker and the milliner all expound their fund of knowledge. Our circle is not wholly composed of dressmakers and milliners; we also have some very fine cooks who serve refreshments to all the needle workers every Friday evening.

If we do not improve ourselves in one way we do in another, viz: we learn to know and to understand each other. Many of us who were unacquainted with needlework have taken it up and we turn out some creditable samples.

The young ladies meet in the retiring room every Friday evening and it affords us great pleasure to notice the interest they take in their work. Each member pays ten cents a week and this money is spent for the refreshments.

A Youthful Wire Chief.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Parker are the proud parents of a son, born on Thursday, January 16. The boy on his arrival weighed twelve pounds and the father is rather of the opinion that with such a start as this the youngster will soon be master of the situation (if he is not so already.) Whether or not Master Parker will be a politician remains yet to be seen, but he has assuredly evidenced capabilities as a wire puller, for his father, the efficient wire chief of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, has found it necessary, ever since the arrival of the young heir, to spend most of his time adjusting the wires of his own phone. The phone receiver at Mr. Parker's home is kept down continously and when the boy calls “trouble,” as such youths do semi-occasionally, the wire chief immediately leaves the exchange office for the scene of trouble (which in each case turns out to be a blessing in disguise, a source of joy.)— Vancouver (Wash.) Columbian.

New Rural Co-partnership.

The following Rural Co-Partnerships have been organized since January 1st, 1908, and have signed contracts for exchange service with the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company:

The Marcola Telephone Company, Macola, Ore.

Red Bluff Telephone Company, Grants Pass, Ore.

The Mohawk Telephone Company, Eugene, Ore.

Springfield Short Line Company, Springfield, Ore.

Hollister Rural Telephone Company, Hollister, Cal.

Cold Springs Rural Telephone Company, Helix, Ore.

Bear Creek Rural Telephone Company, Creswell, Ore.

Goshen Rural Telephone Company, Springfield, Ore.

Wilderville Grange Rural Telephone Company, Grants Pass, Ore.

Eugene & Southeastern Company, Eugene, Oregon.

Mt. Vernon Rural Telephone Company, Springfield, Ore.

Olive Rural Telephone Company, Junction City, Ore.

Sherwood Mutual Telephone Company, Sherwood, Ore.

Ft. Romie Rural Telephone Company, Soledad, Cal.

Sprague & Rock Lake Telephone Company, Sprague, Wash.

Baileys Burg Rural Telephone Company, Dayton, Wash.

Construction Notes.

The construction department recently laid a new 28-pan armored submarine cable between San Francisco and Goat Island. A construction force is now engaged in taking up all of the old Okonite cables.

Mr. C. E. Fleager, district superintendent of construction of the Seattle district, was a San Francisco visitor recently.

Preparations are being made to lay a new submarine cable across, the Willamette River at Portland to provide additional trunking facilities between main and east offices.

The underground cable for San Mateo arrived March 16, and is now being hauled and spliced. The construction department expects to have all work completed and ready for the cut over to the new office by April 15.

Gangs are now at work restringing and transposing toll lines between San Jose and Santa Cruz in accordance with traffic plans for phantom circuits between these points.

The new No. 8 switchboard for Palo Alto was recently shipped from the Western Electric Company and the work of installing is now under way. •

Rapid progress is being made on the San Francisco-Douglas switchboard. It is expected that this will be completed about April 15, giving as additional facilities, 18 sections of "A" board and six sections of "B" board.

Gallant Mr. Putzker.

Manager R. W. Putzker of the Pacific Telephone Company is nothing i not gallant and deferential to the air sex. His position necessitates that, for none but a diplomat of the highest skill could successfully cope with the problens of a telephone exchange.

Mr. Putzker received a letter from Miss Maud Hollenback, secretary of the Boulder Creek Improvement Society, asking him to paint four poles belonging to the company on the main street of Boulder. Mr. Putzker wrote back that he would not only paint the four poles on Main Street but would paint every one of the twenty-four poles of his company in the mountain city.

Now won't some nice women ask the owners to paint some of the unsightly business buildings on Pacific avenue, and cite to them the example of Putzker? Santa Cruz News.

G. P. HAMMEL.

The Telephone So

ciety of the Southern Division is the name of a new organization which has succeeded the Chief Operators' Association of Los Angeles.

At a meeting on February IIth

Miss Mable Noel gave an address on "Instruction of Students and their Employment," after which a talk on "The Future of the Operators" was given by Mr. W. D. Wilde.

At this meeting the subject of reorganization was discussed and it was finally moved by Mr. Wilde that the old Chief Operators' Association of Los Angeles be disbanded and an organization of more scope be instituted, which would include in its membership all employés of the Telephone Company in the Southern Division; the main object being, of course, the maintenance of perfect service. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. Glass and carried.

Mr. Wilde then took the chair and an organization was instituted under the name of The Telephone Society of the Southern Division, with a President, Chairman and Secretary, and an Executive Board of Managers to consist of a chairman, two male members and two female members, elected by common vote. The new officers are: Harris, City Chief Operator, president; Miss Sarah Joyce, Chief Operator, South Office, chairman; Miss M. Noel, Principal of the Operating School, secretary; Executive Committee, Mr. C. M. Seeley, Division Superintendent, chairman; Mr.

Miss L.

W. D. Wilde, Division Chief Operator; Mr. H. J. Byshe, Manager at Hollywood; Miss M. Langmead, Long Distance Chief Operator, and Miss A. Lynch, Main Office Chief Operator.

On March 11th the Society gave an entertainment and dance at Blanchard Hall for the benefit of Main Office Library. More than one thousand tickets were sold, and with the sale of candy, manufactured by Miss Allen of Main Office, and punch, the net profits of the benefit were $245. Those in charge were: Misses Harris, Langmead, Dugan, Tanner, Lund; Messrs. Smith, Swift, Hammel and Wilde. The program included a song and dance by Miss Bradley; Hebrew impersonation by Mr. J. F. Seymour; dialogue from the "Chimes of Normandy" by Mr. G. P. Hammel of the contract department; soprano solo by Miss Ruth Dickey, instructress in the school; song by Mr. P. Brown; recitation by Miss Schienle; selections by quartet composed of Messrs. Smith, Ainsworth, Steadman and Clark; songs by Mr. Grimand and Mr. Quackenbush: piano solo by Miss Street; violin solo by Mr. B. C. Smith, and song and dance specialties by Messrs. Harmon and Kel

sey.

At 10:30 o'clock the hall was cleared and dancing was enjoyed until midnight. Mr. Hammel, who had contributed one of the most agreeable numbers on the program, provided the orchestra, which gave splendid dance music. Mr. O. Cole. Jr., and wife of San Francisco, and Mr. Miller of the engineering department were visitors. Among others present were: C. M. Seeley, E. H. Long, Fred Spoeri, F. E. Franklyn and Roy Moore

head.

Victory for Bell at Hood River.

There has been a great deal of telephone talk at Hood River, Oregon, during the last six weeks. The local Home