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Century of Progress

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Century of Progress ® Western Electric: we make Bell telephones. We also make things for the network that keeps your calls from getting stuck in traffic. The Bell System telephone network has plenty millions of routes open throughout the Bell of traffic too. The number of phone calls increased n e t w o r k . I t ' s t h e m o s t a d v a n c e d c o m m u n i c a t i o n s last year to over 300 million a day. But, in case network in the world. And last year alone, we you haven't noticed, your call to almost any added over 2 million more dialing lines. place in the country goes through faster than That's why when you are traveling by phone, ever before. your call almost never hits a stop sign or a At Western Electric we have a hand in keeping red light. up this smooth service. We make and supply cable and call-switching equipment that keeps Western Efectric MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY UNIT OF THE BELL SYSTEM VLJI—. contents It All Started In Cleveland 2 Western Electric: a century of change We're Still on the Late Show 8 'Don Juan' sounds a beginning B u s t l e s t o M i n i - S k i r t s 1 2 Styles change, and so does womanpower Telegraphs and Guidance Systems 16 Since frontier days, a review of defense 1869 20 It was a year to remember Those Were the Days! 23 With modern appliances, housework's a breeze! There Are People Inside Those Buildings 27 The Hawthorne Studies and questions they answered O N C U E C O V E E : A n 1 8 8 2 M a g n e t o Wall set, the first phone built by 2 0 0 Ye a r s o f M e m o r i e s 30 Western Electric, and the modern Trimline® telephone mark 100 years Four men recall 'way back whens' of progress as Western Electric celebrates its centennial year. B r i e f s & S i d e l i g h t s 3 2 FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., 195 RROADWAY, NEW YORK, N. Y. 10007, P. A. GORMAN, PRESIDENT, H. S. CODY, JR., SECRETARY & TREASURER Clifton C. Field—editor Rudy Marzano—managing editor Western Electric Val Flesch—associate editor MANUFACTURING AND SUPPIT UNIT Of THE BEll SYSTEM Dick O'Donnell—associate editor Bertha Shepherd—editorial assistant Henry Hoyer—art editor Tom McQiiillen—design Bernard Aumuller—photography Ernest J. Dougherty—production In a small loft (below) in Cleveland, partners (I to r) Anson Stager, Elisha Gray, and Enos Barton opened a small model shop. That shop became West ern Electric Company, celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. Western Electric: a century of change IT ALL STARTED IN CLEVELAND by Irv Sternberg W e s t e r n E l e c t r i c w i l l h e o n e dozen foot lathes. During the day the was tinkering at his work bench on hundred years old on November lathes were busy fashioning fire and his inventions. After several months, burglar alarm equipment, telegraph Gray bought Shawk's interest and be 18, 1969. Looking back over a came Barton's partner. Soon the century of incredible change, the supplies and some rather odd looking devices invented by a dreamy-eyed shop's workmen were spending even company's history may be sepa professor of physics. Now it was late more time on Gray's inventions. rated into three distinct periods. evening, and the lathes were silent. As Barton scratched notes in the From its inception in 1869 until The young man at the desk, Enos ledger, he thought about the sugges it joined the Bell System in 1882, Barton, had come from upstate New tion he and Gray had made to General it was primarily a small shop York where, as a boy in Lorraine, he Anson Stager, a prominent business engaged in producing electrical had become fascinated with teleg man whose capital, reputation and devices. After joining the Bell raphy. At seventeen he had become a business acumen could be a strong asset to the infant firm of Gray and System, it took the lead in di telegraph operator in nearby Water- Barton. They had offered Stager a versifying and broadening com town and later chief telegraph opera m u n i c a t i o n s i n A m e r i c a b u t tor in Rochester. It was the post-Civil partnership in the new firm. But War period. Dozens of young inven would he accept? continued its activities in the tors were exploring new ways to put Stager, like Barton, had come from electric equipment field. After electricity to use, and seeking reliable New York. Born in Chapinsville, he 1925, it limited its role to that of machine shops where their designs had become an apprentice printer in manufacturing and supply unit could be produced in model form. Rochester and at 21 had taken charge of the Bell System, its chosen Young Barton saw the potential in of a telegraph office in Lancaster, Pa. course for the future. such shops. During the Civil War, he had served B u t o n e h u n d r e d y e a r s a g o , With the help of his widowed moth as Lincoln's chief of U.S. Military this is how it all began . er, who mortgaged the family farm. Telegraphs. Barton raised some $900 and pur A few days later Barton and Gray On an early fall night in 1869 in chased a haif interest in the tiny were summoned to Stager's office. Cleveland, a light shone from three model shop in Cleveland. "My counsel tells me," he said, windows on the top fioor of a four- Barton's partner at the time was "that the only protection I have on story loft at 93 St. Clair Street. George Shawk, a craftsman. Their my investment is my faith in your Beyond the windows, a boyish iook- best customer was a 34-year-old in c h a r a c t e r a n d a b i l i t i e s . " Then he smiled. "I have the faith." ing man of 27 with a thick crop of ventor, Elisha Gray, a tail, genial man hair sat on a stool in front of a slop with long hair. Gray had worked his Not long after, on November 18, ing desk. Carefully, he jotted entries way through Oberlin College to be 1869, the three men signed an agree in a ledger. come a non-resident physics lecturer ment whereby each contributed about The room he worked in was twenty- at his alma mater and at Ripon Col $2,500 to form an equal partnership. five feet wide and crowded with a half lege in Wisconsin. But his first love The firm continued to be known as 3 Gray and Barton, but from that day Called into Barton's office one day, he it was destined to become the Western perched on his boss' desk and began Electric Company. to idly swing his leg. The new partnership soon moved Barton eyed Scribner's informality. to Chicago, where the firm survived "Charles, what are you doing?" the disastrous fire of 1871 and es "Nothing," replied his aide. tablished itself as a dependable, qual Barton, looking upset, pressed on. ity supplier of electrical equipment, "And what is your assistant doing?" replacing and installing much of the "Helping me," said Scribner. equipment lost in the catastrophe. The men were good friends, how With business increasing, the firm re ever, and in the course of business o r g a n i z e d a s t h e W e s t e r n E l e c t r i c traveled together. On one trip to Eu Manufacturing Company in 1872 and rope, they had concluded their work named Stager as its first president. and were speeding to the port to Gray resigned from the company in board ship for home. But they arrived 1874 to devote all his time to elec to see the ship sail out of the harbor. trical research. Although associated Barton stood there, staring and think with the firm for only five years, his ing thoughts he would never utter invention and development of the tele aloud. But the less inhibited Scribner graph printer, the answerback call unleashed a stream of observations box of the American District Tele that suited the occasion. It seemed to graph System, and an electrically satisfy Barton, too. controlled signal board were important "Thank you, Charles," he said. in the company's history. Years later Scribner recalled his By 1876 the company name had boss as the "dynamic and guiding become well established in the elec spirit (who) steered the company so trical equipment field, and at the Cen that it took up the new and discarded tennial Exposition held that year the old at the opportune time." Western Electric won five first-class Although Stager was the first com awards for devices of its own manu pany president, he left the actual facture. m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e n e w fi r m t o B a r Another event occurred that year ton.
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