Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-09
THE TELEPHONE.

What Is Learned From Half
 Hours Visit In The TeIephonic
 Sanctum.
 What is more aggravating or a greater ruffler of ones temper2 And yet how use full The subscriber is annoyed in various ways, but in his or her opinion the fault all lies with the operator at the central office she don't know her business and she is con
 stantly told by her patrons, which, of
 course, adds to her peace of mind, her happi-
 ness and her interest in their service Now,
 let us see if there is fault elsewhere than with these young ladies who engage in this monotonous and nerve-trying employment Do not expect impossibilities of your instru- ment or your operator and do not wound her by some unkind or ungentleman1y remark simply because your call is not answered inn mediately, or because the wire is in use or because the party for whom you call does not answer. None of these things are the fault of the operator, and any remarks about them should be made to MT. Fairchi1d, the manager.
 The ringing of bell by subscriber does not, as many suppose, ring similar bell at the central station, but simply recloses and lets fall the drop of an annunciator, disclos- ing the number of the wire on which such call is made. As soon as the operator can answer the drop is replaced. Sometimes three or four calls are made sim ultaneously on a single section of the switch board, in which case the operator answers one after another as rapidly as possible, but is often asked by some one of the subscribers if she is dead or if she is asleep, or perhaps they will make some more disagreeable re- mark, often accompanied by an oath. It is never necessary to ring but once, as turning one's bell crank half around will operate the annunciator and all the ringing after that only disturbs one's neighbors on the same line If the line is in order 8 response will be obtained promptly, although not al- ways instantly, as some expect Many subscribers are indignant if an opera tor asks when a call is made who it is calling and are often told that it is none of their business. No such question is ever asked by an operator unless the wire has just been used be some one and a connection with some other line remains in. The question is not, as many suppose one of idle curiosity, and the operator does
 not wish to know what individual is using
 the instrument, but whose instrument it is in
 order that she may know upon which of the
 two wires connected the call is made.,
 In case of an alarm of fire almost every
 subscriber (and they number about HOO
 wishes to know it's locality, as a consequence the entire force of operators is inadequate for immediate answers.
 Base ball games, boat races, the result of which people are so impatient to obtain, swell the number of calls almost equal to an alarm of fire. Many people are of opinion that because the operator does not succeed in getting the party called for she has not called them properly, whereas the line may be grounded or crossed so that the bell fails to ring. During the season of thunder show CTS much trouble is caused by people placing the ''eut-of pin'' in the bell and forgetting to remove it. Calls are never answered dur ing thunder storm.
 Subscribers should not converse with an operator as her time is fully occupied attend ing to her duties.
 The parties who are dissatisfied with our telephone service should try the same in New York, Boston and other places, as our ser vice here is immeasurably more prompt than any in any of these places, as abundant testi- mony shows.