The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-16
WOMEN TELEGRAPH OPERATORS.
They Are Bright, Reliable, and Good
Many of Them as Able as Men.

They Are Bright, Reliable, and a Good
Many of Them as Able as Men.
NEW York. Sept. 15.-There isn't a
buster spot in all New York than the oper-
ating room of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. happened in there
few days ago to inquire about press mes
sage that had gone astray. Manager
Dealy called up" distant city to make
the inquiry for me, and while waiting for
the reply we fell to talking of the 500 oper
ators in the big room. One third were
women. There wasn't a rush OF business,
and so the operators had little to do Some
of the women were handsome. All were
tasUily dressed. The majority looked rosy
and healthy. They all wore jaunty air,
as we'll as fashionably cut gowns. Some
were busy sending or receiving messages.
Those who hadn't any messages to send
were reading books or papers. Some were
engage in fancy work or knitting 1t was
a great big happy family, and an occasional
ring of woman's musical voice was heard
above the Niagara Of clicks.
''Is the telegraph business good one for
women to engage in?' ] asked him.
YES" was Mr.. Dealys reply. "a
woman who is smart and quick and wants
to earn her own living can do so very com
1ortably if she be good operator.
Does tho supply equal the demandT
Eyes, dozen times over, but good mart
women are always wanted. We receive a
great many applications from women who
want work They come from all parts of the
country and are carefully filed away. AS
soon as vacancy occurs we take the first
application on file and give whoever hap
pens to be that lucky heroine the iii st
chance. Wehave applications ON ILL., now
from women received fully one year and
half ago."
"Wnat time is necessary to prepare
young woman for telegraph operatorW
That depends. A naturally smart
woman will learn much faster than a
woman who isn't quick and ambitious.
Much depends upon their previous educa-
ton. Women we'll versed IN variety OF
subjects who can read difficult manuscript,
who can spell correctly, VINO can supply de-
ficiencies in messages, IN word, women
who are smart Gun become gooI operators
in a year. Others require from one t. three
years TO become first class operators.
Women are oftener more reliable than men,
and we have some who are quite "a expert
as their brothers of the key. How are
women paid! Beginners are paid Sl5 a
month. When they can operate fairly we'll
their PAYS increased 10 s2j per month.
Then a. Trey improve thoy are still further
advanced until trey reach the average Pay
from $50 $75 y T month, according to
experience and ability. Women operators
work nino hours a day, usually from 9
o'clock 4. IN. to 3 30 O'Clock p. m, with a
hall hour at midday for lunch. ihey are
shown 10 more favor than the mon. They
are required to keep their wires clear OF
messages Nhea they are not engaged
they IN V either read or sew, paint, do
fancy work or whatever else they choose.
Yes, we have a good deul Of talent here.
Any number OF our operators earn money
after their regular labor is hlishel. Two
write for the newspapers, Others sing in
church choirs. A few give lessons in music,
and one teaches a dancing class in the even
ing. One OF our best operators is Mrs. w.
Il. Randolph. Sue is widow and siugs in
Plymouth church choir. She is also worry
clever verse writer, and poem she wrote
at the time of Henry Ward Beecher's death