A chief operators' meeting was called to order at 3 p. m. on Thursday, October 31, at Stockton. Notes were compared which were of interest to the service, and much good derived therefrom.

Mr. H. E. Patterson is still manager of the telephone company's interests at Tulare exchange. At his own home, however, things are different, the management passing into the hands of a ten-pound boy, on October 24. Service report has received unanimous approval.

Miss Lela Clark, agent of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company at Tipton, met with a serious automobile accident on October 30 while en route from Tipton to Tulare. While it was running at a high rate of speed, the chauffeur lost control of his machine, which ran off a bridge, turning over and pinning Miss Clark beneath the machine. She was rescued from this perilous position by the crew of a Southern Pacific freight train, which chanced to be passing, and was taken on the engine to Tulare, where she received medical treatment. though Miss Clark has not entirely recovered she has resumed work.

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On November 15 Miss Jessie Treese assumed the chief operatorship at Visalia exchange. Miss Treese is one of the company's most experienced chief operators, having presided with great success at Bakersfield exchange from November, 1900, to September, 1907, when she was obliged to leave on account of her parents moving to Pasadena.

A social event of interest in the San Joaquin division during the month past was a surprise party given in honor of Miss Lola Brown of Lemoore. At midnight, the party took on the nature of a celebration of the marriage anniversary of Manager Bond and his wife.

Joaquin County.

By M. Power, Division Contract Agent.

For several months past, in fact for almost a year, we have given close attention to our Farmer Line subscribers. Upon making a tour throughout our territory farmer lines were noticed generally to be in a deplorable condition, and we sent our canvassers to a few points in the division where the condition was worst. The farmers were gathered together and were shown, after many long arguments, the advantages of a metallic circuit over a grounded circuit. They were then given an estimate of what it would cost to rebuild, or rather to replace, their dilapidated lines.

If the proposition seemed favorable we proceeded to have the farmers form associations, electing a president, secretary and treasurer, which individuals were to order material, collect assessments and, in fact, attend to all the business for the Farmers' Association. We then assisted them to construct a standard metallic circuit line.

The points in this Division which have developed greatly within the last year are Modesto, Turlock, Newman, Tulare, Hanford and Lodi, and the smaller exchanges in their vicinities. During the months of April, May, June and July of this year, we received almost 250 contracts from farmer line subscribers in and around Modesto; from Turlock about 160.

Solicitor J. M. Swearingen has during the last few months been spending part of his time in and around Tulare and has all but two lines now reconstructed.

Solicitor R. E. Reid has spent a part of the last few months at Hanford. The latest report from Hanford is to the effect that $1325.00 has been collected by a Farmer Line Association to defray the expense of building six lines with eight subscribers on each line. The money has been placed in a bank to be drawn upon as needed.

New switchboard equipment, a Number 1, common battery board with eight "A" sections and four "B" sections, has been ordered for Piedmont Exchange, Oakland. A large order has been placed for underground cable for East Oakland and four sections are being added to the East Oakland switchboard.

Work has been begun on the reconstruction of the Sacramento-Reno toll line between Colfax and Towles.

D. P. Fullerton, general superintendent of construction, is now in the East on an extended trip which will include Chicago, New York, Kansas City and other points.

Blue Bell Club in Los Angeles On the evening of October 19 the employees of the operating and maintenance departments of South Office, Los Angeles, met and perfected the organization of the Blue Bell Club.

The following officers were elected: President, J. A. Sherman, vice-president, Miss Anna Siegel; secretary, Miss Caroline Hyland; treasurer, Miss Clara Mulholland; ground manager and press agent, Mr. W. R. Ainsworth.

The club was launched with a membership of thirty and this number is being steadily increased.

One of the first official actions of the club was the purchase of a tennis equipment. The ground adjoining South office was converted into a tennis court and the first game was played on October 22.

A club emblem has been decided upon in the form of a badge consisting of a combination of the "Bell" emblem and a tennis racket with the letters "B. B. C." across the face. The club colors are blue and white.

Several interesting meetings have been held and it is the intention of the club to intersperse, at intervals, social sessions. The first of these was held at the home of F. G. Carlisle, South office wire chief, on the evening of November 14.

Eliminating Four-Party Lines Division Superintendent John Kearns and his men have made such splendid progress with the canvas to do away with four-party lines in the Oakland division that success is not only in sight, but assured. The canvas in Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Eureka and Santa Rosa began about July 1.

At the time this issue of the magazine went to press it was certain that the fourparty line subscribers in all of these exchanges, and in Richmond as well, where the canvas was not started until October 28, would be changed to individual or two-party service by December 1. The Alameda canvas was finished a month ago, and Eureka and Santa Rosa tied for second place, finishing on November 9.

The largest day's business secured by Eureka was 124 transfer contracts and Santa Rosa, not to be beaten, made it 129 for one day. There has been considerable good-natured rivalry between the various offices, to see who could finish first or secure the largest day's business and so intense was the desire to get there first, that at Eureka and Santa Rosa, not only have the regular canvassers, and managers been after the business, but they pressed into service their wire chiefs, collectors, adjusters and every one else available for the work, with the result that the business was secured, and the canvass completed long before some of these officers had anticipated.

Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the managers for the energetic manner in which they have handled the canvass in their respective offices, and particularly at Eureka, Manager McLaren is deserving of great credit. Now that the canvass has practically been completed in the larger exchanges, the smaller offices such as Napa, Vallejo, Petaluma, San Rafael, Ferndale, Arcata, Fortuna, and others which still have four-party lines, will receive attention, and it is hoped that it will be possible to clear them up by the end of this year.

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A wedding of unusual interest to telephone people of the San Joaquin division was that of James Ernest Cook and Miss Effie Greig Mackersie of Dinuba. The bride is native daughter of the Golden West, of Scotch parentage, her birthplace geing Easton, Fresno County. Mr. Cook is also a native, having been born in Willows, Glenn County, Cal. He was appointed manager of Dinuba office a year ago and the service at that exchange has shown him to be most capable and efficient.

The Fresno Republican has this to say regarding the wedding of Charles I. Aynesworth and Miss Eva Wristen, for eight months an efficient long distance operator in Fresno: "A very interesting home wedding was solemnized last night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lee M. Jack on south J. Street.

when Mrs. Jack's sister, Miss Eva Wristen, became the bride of Charles I. Aynesworth of Berkeley. The bride has hosts of friends nn Fresno, where she has spent most of her girlhood. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Wristen, pioneer settlers in the county, and is a girl of much charm and beauty. She is of rather an unusual brunnette type with clear cut features, soft dark hair and expressive dark eyes, and is clever as well as pretty."

Miss Florence Carlton, formerly chief operator at Tulare, was married on October 6 to Mr. Walter Cochran of Bakersfield. Mr. Cochran is connected with the Southern Pacific railroad at Bakersfield, where he and his bride are making their home after their honeymoon in San Francisco and Los Angeles. They were detained at Kern City a