Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-03

a Device by which Girl Operators are
Detected in Flirting.
From the New York Herald

No more will the tight-trousered and dapper
clerk breathe soft condolences to the blue-eyed
and blooming telephone operator. Love-mak-
Ing and idle whisperings over the wires are
things of the crude and unscientific past. Ina
few days every central telephone office in this
city will have a monitor desk in it. and then the
dapper clerk and the blue-eyed maiden with the
moci<ingbrd voice must look out for SQUALLS.
The monitor desk was invented by Mr. z. A.
Eckert Chief operator OF the Metropolitan Tele-
phone company. All the girls say he is real
horrid, and the clerks are pining for his per-
sonai gore.
a reporter has seen the monitor desk which
Is operated in the New Street Exchange In
long. narrow room, fanked by great shining
brass switch boards. sat fourteen or fifteen
pretty girls. Little strips OF brass crossed them
selves on each dainty head and held receiver
To each lett ear. In this manner the left ear
was devoted to the public and the right ear to
the company. 4 confused chattering and MUIR
muring, accompanied by staccato embeilish-
ments on the part of u number of small BOYS
who pulled and pushed in scores Of brass plugs
supplied sound enough to confuse even the
average hotel clerk. And vet there was an
atmosphere of regularity and order that was
surprising. At the head of the room sat Man.
aCer Thompson in front of the monitor desk
with receiver" fastened to his LETT ear, too.
Rising from the desk was little brass switch
HOW IT WORKS.
Now" said the manager "you see I can
watch every girl in the room. The instant /
suspect any girl is flirting with a subscriber. or
carrying on personal conversation with an
operator in another exchange, all 1 have to do
is to place plug in the switch board in the
hole corresponding with her wire, and I am in
stantly connected with tile circuit on which she
n ~ not
L am listening. and yet L can hear all that is
SAID on both sides | can listen to as much Of
1t as care to, and then can say come off, or
take drop, and both parties hear lie. In
this manner no girl will dare to fritter away her
tlnie. Tor she does not know whether she is
talking directly into my ear or not. There Is
another advantage in the monitor desk. If
subscriber complains about bad service or
BuZZinG in the wire, or 4 broken transmitter or
about anything else he chooses the girl simply
switches him or to my instrument. and without
leaving my seat can find out what is the mat
ter from him. eXplaa the trouble and then
order the remedy. You can not imagine what
saving of time and trouble and what n won
derful sentinel this monitor desk is. But the
girls don't like it. Sit down and listen your
self"
The reporter stuck the transmitter to his ear
and sat down.
''Ah here, Central" came a voice
What do you want!" responded another
voice
What's the color of your eyes, Central?"
None of your business. What do you
WANT"
''0h, you giddy little thing, you are just as
cruel as ever"
You men are so rude" murmured the sec
ond voice.
Il really believe your eyes are black I've
made bet with friend of mine that Your first
name is Jennie. Is it,:
Oh my"
Then there was loud laughter. in which the
reporter joined The trained ear OF the opera
tor detected the vibrations caused by the re-
p0rters laughter. and pretty. demure little
dansel, not more than ten feet away, looked
around at him with blushing cheeks
Chief Operator Eckert stood by and laughed
loudly He was unconscious Of what had hap
pened, but evidently had strong suspicious.
TELLTALE ON HIS WIRE.
1--WE can catch them every time" ne said AZ
first worked the monitor system on the regular
telegraph wire. so that | could break in and
listen to what was going on between the oper-
ators at any time. The day after it was intro
dUced heard this conversation:
"'Hello. Charley.
"'Hel!O?'
why didn't you talk to me to-day?'
81 can't; there's teIitae on my wire
'''ls that so! Who got it up:'
LAW! An old tool who belongs to the com
pany'"
Mr.. Eckert said that the mere knowledge that
the monitor las i'll the room would check any
future fooling upon the wires.