Indianapolis Times, Volume 33, Number 201, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 December 1920 — Page 9

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When Horses Were Telephones A CENTURY AND A HALF AGO PAUL REVERE MEASURED IN HOURS THE TIME NEEDED TO INFORM THE VILLAGES NEAR BOSTON OF AN EVENT OF STARTLING IMPORTANCE. TOD AY, IN A S MANY MINUTES, MESSAGES CAN BE DELIVERED BY TELEPHONE 70 INDIVIDUALS OR COMMUNITIES,NO MATTER HOW WIDELY SEPARATED. INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS STATE AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, THE INDIANA BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY IS STRIVING DAILY TO MAKE ITS SER VICE TO HOOSIERDOMMORE WORTHY OF APPRECIATION.

THOUSANDS of fingers are busy this very minute in the stupendous activity of joining the two Indianapolis telephone systems —the MANUAL (old) and the AUTOMATIC. They are busy in the personal interests of the men, women and children of this city, for no public service comes in quite such intimate contact with the lives of us all. Proceeding with the utmost caution, we hope to create this vast unity without the slightest hindrance in service to any individual. When the work is completed, Automatic and Manual telephone subscribers can interchange calls, the parties on either line using their own telephone instruments. Full information will be given through the newspapers and other means of publicity regarding every step in this improvement. Without an idle working'day IT WILL BE UNTIL NEXT SUMMER BEFORE THE COMBINED SYSTEMS CAN BE THROWN OPEN TO USE, and the work of joining the two has been going on for many, many weeks. Since the first steps in making this change have already been taken, there are several points affecting the present service that every telephone user should bear in mind.

To MANUAL <0ld) Telephone Subscribers Your revised directory will be given you early in January. A great many telephone numbers have been changed, through absolute mechanical necessity. If yours should be among the numbers changed, kindly bear the inconvenience with the thought that it is for the common good. In making each change we have kept as closely as possible a semblance of the former number. For a successful union of the two systems each number must have four figures. Therefore, all numbers having less than three figures have been replaced by four-figure numbers, and a cipher (0) lias been placed before three-figure numbers. To meet requirements equally unavoidable, we have had to find new names for three central offices. Thus, “North” becomes “Randolph,” “Prospect” becomes “Drexel,” “Woodruff” becomes “Webster.” It will be impossible for you to call Automatic subscribers over your telephone until some time next summer, when you will bo notified. If, for any reason, you have trouble in using your telephone, kindly call Main 9800 and (ask for Complaint Department.

INDIANA DAILY TIMES, FKIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1920.

To AUTOMATIC Telephone Subscribers Our telephone installers are beginning to place new dials oil all Automatic telephones in Indianapolis. It will be flic first step in joining your telephone system with the other, BUT IT WELL HAVE NO EFFECT UPON YOUR USE OF THE TELEPHONE AT PRESENT. Spin flic dial as usual in calling your party. Pay no attention to the letters of the alphabet which appear with the numbers in all but the first and last holes. These letters will not come into use until about a month before the Automatic and Manual lines are connected, and you will be given complete instructions at that f ime. Do not try to call subscribers on the Manual (Old) line over your own telephone until the combined directory is issued some time next summer. You will then be notified that the two systems are joined. Any difficulty at present—although our careful preparations make trouble unlikely—should be reported promptly to the Service Department, Dial 1606.

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