then again, to relieve the tension, the wires may suddenly be freed from this heavy burden, allowing them to spring up with great force, thus pulling off the cross-arm or breaking the wires, or crossing the lines through vibration. Very often huge limbs. from some giant of the forest, weighted by snow, break and fall on the lead, tearing down the entire lead at times for a distance of several poles; then again an avalanche of snow may carry the lead entirely away. The pictures show typical winter scenes in the mountains. Repairman Henderson, on returning from a trip, found his home completely buried in snow, except where an opening had been made by shoveling. The camera caught Henderson in front of his home, while Mrs. Henderson stands before the Cisco Hotel, a two-story building, the roof alone appearing above the snow. The pole shown in the second picture, almost buried in snow, was submerged under a bank which extended eight feet above the top of the pole. meetings by the Division Superintendent, Mr. John Kearns, by Mr. Dunphy, Division Wire Chief, and Mr. McGuire J. W. Newell Explaining Trans-Bay System to Operating Executives Much Interest in Trans-Bay Plans. Operating employées in San Francisco and the cities across the bay are much interested in the new system for long-distance trans-bay talk by the two-number method, Meetings of Chief Operators and Supervisors were held in Oakland on January 16 and 17, and these meetings were attended by Mr. O. Cole, Jr., Superintendent of Traffic; Mr. J. P. Downs of the Traffic Department, and Mr. J. W. Newell of the General Superintendent's force. Mr. Newell gave practical demonstrations and explained in detail how the new plan was expected to work. The Oakland Division was represented at the The Paper in this magazine ZELLERBACH SAN FRANCISCO COLLECTION RATING. Percentage of money outstanding at the end of December, 1908, to the total amount of the bills rendered subscribers for the month, and percentage of number of unpaid accounts at the end of December to the number of accounts. Note The percentage of unpaid accounts is figured on the basis of number of accounts rather than number of stations, which was formerly the basis. 1 Fomeroy 53 19 2 Port Townsend 18 10 Southern Division. 4 Oregon Division. Ritzville 5 Albany 90 30 Seattle 15 10 Colton 27 25 22 Ashland 20 9 Tacoma 23 8 Fullerton 18 12 Sacramento Division. 1 Eugene 38 5 Auburn 2 San Mateo.. 20 11 Long Beach. 7 8 132 Grants Pass. 3 I os Angeles. 31 10 24 Colusa 14 10 Ontario 32 22 Inland Division. 23 Grass Valley.. 19 11 Orange 19 13 6 4 Pasadena 4 3 2 Redlands 4 2 2 Riverside 10 8 Colfax 24 10 San Bernardino. 17 11 Dayton, Wash. 15 9. Oregon City. 15 San Diego.. 19 10 La Grande. 0 0 Pendleton 9 San Pedro.. 30 14 Walla Walla.. 1 6 Salem 25 9 San Francisco Division. 7 Fresno 15 Eureka 4 Summary by Divisions. 10 San Joaquin......12.6 5.8 Ferndale 2 1 Anacortes 0 Coast 1 Bellingham 6 Puget Oakland Petaluma 19 9, Centralia Richmond 21 17 Ellensburg 12 Everett 0 Hoquiam 13 North Yakima. 95169a 9 Inland 5 Oakland 6 Southern 2 Oregon 6 Sacramento 5 San Francisco....55.0 .14.2 6.8 .16.9 8.6 .21.0 8.4 19.3 11.8 .24.5 9.4 26.6 11.5 34.7 8.2 THE PACIFIC TELEPHONE MAGAZINE Volume 1 MARCH, 1908 THE PACIFIC TELEPHONE MAGAZINE Published monthly at San Francisco for the benefit of its employées by The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. Address communications, queries, etc., to WILLIS BRINDLEY In this Number EDITOR Mr. J. P. Downs, Traffic Engineer-Frontispiece Whence Unpopularity 9 10 . Page Mr. J. P. Downs, Traffic Engineer.... 4 All Hail Trans-Bay!.... 4 Some Very Real Charity.. 4 San Francisco Library Notes... San Joaquin Chief Operators' Convention... Notes from Exchanges.. 12-17 Whence Number 9 The republican form of government, first effectively adopted by the United States of America, presupposes that all men are created free and equal. The first President of the United States, although an ardent advocate of this sort of government, was an aristocrat in the strictest sense of the term. Following Washington, the presidential chair was held. for several administrations by men of aristocratic tastes and temperament. Then came Andrew Jackson, the man who propagated the doctrine, "To the victor belongs the spoils." The spoils system, by which a new administration was enabled to make a clean sweep of employées of the preceding administration, has been given severe setbacks by the civil service law, and yet the underlying principle is constantly exploited in the actions of men in public life. The politician depends for election to office on the votes of the citizens. Likewise the newspaper depends for its sustenance on advertising patronage, which is in turn dependent upon circulation. Necessarily, therefore, it is to the advantage of the politician and in many cases to the advantage of the newspaper to pander to the foibles and even to the prejudices of the general public. The result of this state of affairs is an unpopularity from which all corporations both good and bad must suffer. The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company has endeavored to win the approbation of the general public by giving its 23 patrons services worth the money asked for |