The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-16


Not only this, but the person speaking
should stand not less than three and moi
more than eight inches from the trans.
mittor. When one covers up the trans
mittGr andbellows into the opening like
& mad bull. the words at the point
whGye they are received are simply g
mass of sounds with no meaning. TIC
speak TOO low would be an error, but il
is one of which no one is guilty,
Another thing, people appear to be in
y great hurry when talking into a tele-
phone. The words run out as though
issuing from q talking machine, the
crank of which was turned by mental
whose pay depends on the number OF
revolutions. The way to speak into a
telephone is TO talk deliberately, but not
slowly TO an unnecessary degree, and
articulate clearly each word. 1t is just
as easy to employ good plain English,
which everybody can use, as it is to
adopt mannoriSms and infections of
speech. The telephone must be adjusted
10 the voice, AS voices pitched at all
keys ere poured into the transmitter the
only thing chat can be done in ordinary
cases is to ondeavor TO strike q happy
medium.
There is an arm back of the diaphragm
against which the sounds are thrown
a thumb screw enables the arm TO be
pressed down upon the carbon button
which comes in contact with the dia-
phragm or 20 be loosened at will.
Usually Che diaphragm is adjusted to
suit The voice of the inspector, who is
accustomed TO talking through the tele-
phone. and thus is made to serve the
purpose of every one. The telephone is
y delicate instrument, and when set up
for private use is generally adjusted to
The voice of the person using it. If u
PERSONS voice is thin and piping the
diaphragm is left loose so to speak.
The sound waves are light, and ii the
diaphragm were held tightly they would
not move it sufficiently TO produce the
electrical movement On the other
hand. if Che heavy chest tones are to b.
thrown into the transmittcr, the arm
must he screwed up somewhat tightly,
otherwise the diaphragm would be made
10 jingle in its place by the volence of
tho sounds. IL would send out over the
iiue confused noises, and the person
spcakinG would not be able to convey
his words or their meaning. Naturally
enough. an American, as rule, is more
easily understood, at least through the
telephone here. than the foreigner who
has acquired the English ton rue to a
greater or less degree, In the first
place, his pronunciation is more familiar.
But this is not all. His syllablcS and
sentences are clearer, and he takes more
naturally, seemingly, to the telebhone
The German. ordinarily sluggish and
cultural in speech, rossos to action when
his month is before the transmitter. He
talks as If he were talking against time,
and pitches his voice in the key of C.
This is peculiar fact noted by the tele-
ph0ne operators.
The German makes bad work of it,
but when he leaves the telephone he
resumes his wanted calmness and DELHI
crate ways. The greatest trouble with
the French aud Spanish is the rapidity
with which they talk While their pro.
uunciation may not be more correct than
tho Germ ms. it is usually more distinct
Dialects are quite difficult thoroughly to
comprehend. The facial expression and
IA lhpNGhGlbN CtlilluV llt Sttu,
and only The plain words fall upon the
car. with nothing in the range of the
vision TO complete the explanation. The
lrSiman's brogue is so rounded off that
it comes over the wire sharply and
plainly. The negro is hard to under
stand on account of his long drawn syl-
tables and peculiar pronunciation
There are some pe2uliarities about the
telephone service that do not come under
the ordinary observation. The letter
''S' when sent oyer the wires sounds
like "f." An inquiry came from the
upper part OF. the city to one exchange
down town asking if it had u subscriber
named Fever. No such name could be
found on thelist, Byaccidcnt the mana.
ger discovered that the name was Sever.
He paid close attention to the sound Of
tho lcttor rs" afterward, and was sur
prisGd TO find that it invariably came
over the wires "F." In figures. q can
rarely be- told from 81 OF the people
who use the telephone the stammering
man is the most agonizing to the operator
or the person with whom he talks. His
words sound as il some one had him by
tho throat and was choking the breath
out of him. The sYllablcs come by fits
and starts, and as the distorted face of
the speaker cannot be seen the mindcan-
not take the meaning from the poor
wrctchs struggling efforts.
When Che wires arc crossing and half
q dozen instruments are opened there is
trouble all along the line. The people
go talking to one another, under the i'm
preston that they are communicating to
thc operators in the GENITAL Office. Their
ire is excited, war of words ensues.
and only when the receivers are slammed
on the hooks in righteous Indignation
does 1T cease. Time WaS-tO everybody S
vcIicf it is pa1t-when amateur vocaists
used 10 howl themselves hoarse, and
amatcur musicians used TO blow them
selves broathleSs 60 show their accom-
pliShmouts through The telephone to
thcilsfrjekts.a mile'away. People have
learned Coput the telephone to substan-
."@t business purposes, and the receivers
are hung on the hooks when any inspired
genius starts to sing or play into the
trausmittcr.
DI an the drcary monotOnies, that of
tho telephone operators in the central
oiljcosis the worst. II is "hello" day in
aud day out That is the burden of their
life, ThoypuG the receivers mechanically
10 ttGir ears when annunciators drop,
call out the numbers and repeat the
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