Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-29
ALL ABOUT THE TELEPHONE.

ALL ABOUT THE TELEPHONE.
AN BoUR AT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS scRSBS
AND INClDkNTs-How THE BUSINESS is MAN.
AakD-ChoTCHETY CUSTOMERS AND ODD qUss-
TIONs.
The telephone has always been an object OF
interest as well as of convenience ana fmport.
ance. About this time In the calendar it Is
particularly prominent in washington. Many
people use the telephone but have no idea oi
it beyond the fact that they can call up th 3
central of1ice" and have a chat with anybofi '
who subscrlbes to the Instrument TIE STAR
reporter went TO the Office on q street under
ole taikinS instrument than his then lmIte 4
extent of knowledge. He went in aud saw A
ros oa people at work but no telephones. Upon
RUas.In RR.sMen.iHng ~ nlMse1 he was referred TO M.
george Z. Maynard for Information. Mr. Nav.
naIu requested the reporter to wait few min
uteS IN a little 6Xl0 compartment There Wa
aoa,nst S1ntay ny o1 si1epnone hanging fnnocentl,
lhe RgeIs 10 cents TO non subscribers ror
using Shortly Mr.. Maynard came In ana
ssio, Let us go around where the work is done.
inns Is cDly the general business Office A
Walk around 10 the John o. Evans building on
new York avenue, between 1ath and l5tS
streets, followed. An elevator took the two
way Up pretty near the roof. A door wa =
opened by Mr. Maynard ana instead or one ar
Two telephones only being disclosed there were
plenty OF them. The room was full OF them,
THE VOICES ON THE WIRE.
LOW voices said: Central Office" "The line
is engaged" ''Star office.n "Whiue House. :,
"Navy-yard.' 30. X" Are you through?
Yes" cant get them;" and all the terms
that the folks at the central Office use in talk
ing with people who "call them up." The
voices giving these expressions were those OF
the operators as the manipulators OF the instrli-
ments. like telegraphers are called. The room
was not large one. There were In it prob
ABLY thirty five people at the time. Mr.. Warren
thoate had Charge OF tie room. There was an
incessant buzz Of conversation I'm low tones.
Inc takers were nearly all young ladies',
seated at small desks, upon each OF which
there was telephone raised to a height 10
accommodate the conversational orifice.
THE SWITCH BUSINESS.
They were answering calls, ringing up those
who were wanted and closing the verbal wire
correspondence when over. IL was the busiest
sort of scene. On the wall opposite the oper-
the net work OF wires. Each subscriber has
number and when he rings 1t through his tele-
phone corresponding number drops on the
board. Boys In prompt attendance connect the
subscribers by means OF a "loop" or wire ex-
tending nom the board TO the instrument man
ipGlatel by one OF tie operators. The circuit
being then complete central Office" answers
and calls up the other party wanted. AS soon
as the connection Is complete the circuit is
broken as far as the operator Is concerned. so
that nothing practically is heard OF the CONVEX
The telephone enables the operator to tell when
the conversation is over and that particular
wire is ready for use by somebody else
The experience OF the operator is a
varied one. There is hardly q minute. except
In the early hours OF the morning, that two or
three lines OF the wires are net at work at the
same time. During the business part OF the
day they are all at work almost inceSsantIy,
subscriber Is seized with the desire TO talk TO
somebody. The operator takes the situation
calmly. and with business like air that puts
the telephone management upon the sam.
OASIS as any other occupation. IL the Oper-
ator hears anything funny there is no laugh
Ii cues words come TO the ear as they fire.
quehtiy do, there is no expression OF Suspf1se
Hhether the operator be male or female.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
No operator speaks OF anything that is heard
Ii is all sealed book as far as he or she is con
cerned. They talk and listen, answer and shut
on, and then talk some more answer and shut
on. and walt for the next call AS talking and
listening are the essential virtues OF the opera
tor, 1t is but natural that there should be about
an equal number OF male and female operators
The males are all boys or incipient young men
and the females budding damsels Altogether
they number about thirty -f1ve. They 60 of and On
duty upon schedule. mathematicalIy arranged.
During business hours full force is on. Then
there is a dwindiing down, according to Yhar
experience has shown to be the demand. Ate.
twelve O'Clock the force diminiSheS most mate
TALLY. In the small hours there are only foni
or FIVE at work, but never at any hour less q
course they have conversations with all sorts oi
who do not understand the use dthe telephone
or, understanding, err through carelessneSs. To
these they have TO reply clyilly, and do the
best they can.
wIRE-woRKING PEAcE-NAKERs
ore OF their principal duties is IN the nature
of the avocation OF the peace maker. Very fire.
quently two individuals tackle the telephone an /
oil at ha host
at some blundef or the one or the other. Then
the operator steps in and explains matters so
as TO avoid curs1ng at long range. There is
often difficulty In adjusting affairs peaceably.
tut success generally attends the amcable
intervention. TIE STAR reporter talked with
several OF the operators and learned something
OF the inside interchange OF words that goes on.
one young lady with big brown eyes and chest
nut hair told him OF several amusing incidents.
or course she suppressed names
THE MAN WHO WAS BOUND TO GET BIS PICKLES.
Not long ago man who pays the telephone
company for the privilege OF using its wires
wanted bottle OF a certain kind OF pickles for
dinner. He called 81 ocer after grocer, but was
unable TO obtain what he wanted. He had run
the gamut or grocery men who subscribe TO the
telephone TO the number OF four, when he con
1ided 10 the air OF the br0wn-eyed maiden that
he was determined 10 burst the telephone com
pany or have them pickles Upon the sixth
deal he succeeded and presumably ate his dir.
ner VIII h additional ZeSt after having earned it
by free use OF his chin. The chestnut ha aired
maiden also told OF the man who wanted a
doctor al the bewitching hour of am. He
got her TO call every ply Sician In the district,
but none answered. The man finally giving he
thing up. stated that either the telephone sys-
TEN was an Internal fraud or all the doctor
wlo subscribed toll were Internal quacks Au-
Other Individual asked one day for firm that
did not use the telephone. lie was informed OF
that fact, bur answered IL he could not get who
ever he wanted Ia the city he did not want the
thing, and the company could come up and re-
move II as early as they wanted to.
OEAD-HEAD IN TIGHT PLACE.
An evidently much-excted man one day
called through the B. & o. depot telephone for
a certain member OF Congress. The member
could not be aroused by the telephone to his
boarding house. The man under excitement
said he had not received the pass the member
had promised to send him by his servant. who
was 10 meet him at the depot and he could not
consequently, get on that day. The telephone
user places the utmost confidence In the ope-
rator. IL ne cannot get what he wants he tells
the operator at the central Office what he
wanted and how the disappointment affects
him.
ALL SORTS OF ORDERS
go over the company'S wires. Orders for ice
cream for tiour and for groceries OF al, kinds
even asismall as half pound OF sugar, silly
travel from customer TO merchant Carriages
are orCered by telephone, and couple OF boxt
or matches directed to be sent up. Ia the
houses where there are children and telephon S
too there is considerable fun. The children