The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-01-30
TELLTALE TELEPHONES
A DEVICE BY WHICH OPERATORS ARE
DETECTED IN FLIRTING.
Every New York Central" Once To He
Provided with q Monitor Desk
How 1t Works and the Grat-
flying Results.
New York Herald

New York Herald.l
In few days every central telephone Of
flee In this city will have monitor desk In
it, and then the dapper clerk and tho blue
eyed maiden With the mocking- bird voice
mus. look out for squalls. The monitor desk
was invented by Mr.. e. A. Eckert, chief
operator Of the Metropolitan Telephone COM
pany. All the girls say he is real horrid,
and the clerks are pining for his personal
gore.
A reporter has seen the monitor desk which
Is operated in the New Street exchange. In
long, narrow room, fanked by great shin
ing brass switch-boards, sat fourteen or if
teen pretty girls Little strips Of brass
crossed themselves on each dainty mead and
held a receiver" to each left ear.
In this manner the left ear was devoted to
the public and the right ear to the company.
A confused chattering and murmuring, ac-
eompanied by staccato Embellishments on
the part OF number Of small boys who
pulled and pushed In scores Of bruss plugs,
supplied sound enough to confuse even the
average hotel clerk. And yet there was an
atmosphere Of regularity and order that was
surprising. At the head Of the room sat
Manager Thompson in front Of the monitor
desk, with receiver" fastened to his left
ear, too. Rising from the desk was little
brass switch board and a series Of annuncia-
tor flaps.
"Now," said the manager, "you SEQ can
watch every girl in the room. The instant I
suspect any girl is flirting with O subscriber,
or carrying on personal conversation with
an operator in another exchange, all I have
to do is to place plug in the switchboard,
In the hole corresponding with her wire,
and am instantly connected with the cir
cult on which she Is talking. She has no
means Of knowing that am listening, and
yet can hear all that is said on both Sides
can listen to as much Of it as l care to, and
then can say Come off, or Take DROP
and both parties hear me. In this manner
no girl will dare to fritter away her time, for
she does not know whether she is talking di-
rectly into my ear or not There Is another
advantage in the monitor desk. II q sub
scriber complains about bad service, or q
buzzing in the wire, or a broken trans
mitter, or about anything else he chooses,
the girl simply switches him on to my in
strument, and without leaving my seat can
find out what Is the matter from him, ex-
plain the trouble, and then order the remedy.
You can not imagine what saving of time
and trouble and what q wonderful sentinel
this monitor desk Is. Sit down and listen
yourself"
The reporter stuck the transmitter to his
ear and sat down.
/. "Ah there, Central, came voice.
"What do you wanti" responded another
voice. ... -
whats the color Of your eyes, Centralg'
"None Of your business What do you
wantf
"Oh, you giddy little thing, you are just as
cruel as ever"
"You mon are SO rude" murmured the
second voice.
Il really believe your eyes arc black. I've
made bet with friend of mine that your
first name is Jennie. Is itr
"Oh, my"
Then there was loud laughter in which tho
reporter joined. The trained ear of the op-
orator detected the vibrations caused by the
reporters laughter, and a pretty, demure
little damsel not more than ten feet away,
looked around at him with blushing checks.
Chief Operator Eckert stood by and
laughed loudly. He was unconscious of
what had happened, but evidently had strong
suspicious
I'VE can catch them every time," he said.
Il first worked the monitor system on the
regular telegraph wire, SO that could break
in and listen to what was going on between
the operators at any time The mere
knowledge that the monitor Is in the room
will check any future fooling upon the
wires