The evening world., 1890-06-10
TALKS FOR HER LIVING.
The Invisible Telephone Girl and
Her Hosts of Friends.

Not many Of tho countless persons who
daily use telephone have ever taken n
peep into " central" " but II is safe to say
that there nre not many Of those who
daily use the wires that would not like to
take look at the apparatus there and it's
fair manipulators, says the Minneapolis
Journal
There are few offices in the city sup
piled with telephones whore the name Of
the young woman who handles the wire
is not known. 1t is always Nellie" or
" Lottie," Of course. but II makes no
particular difference whether the name
be right or wrong. Some men are con-
tent to use the unconvention term of
central" but sooner OF later they arc
apt TO inquire for the Christian name.
And what is more natural than TINT n
man who has talked with young woman
daily for several months should want TO
see her face? ? But Jennie IL usually averse
TO anything of this kind and no amount
OF coaIing will induce her to accept any
propositiUn n for closer acquaintance than
can be gained by wire.
There are some very pretty girls in the
Central Telephone Exchange. There are
some who nre not. Most men who talk
WIN thCIh ONbI tho "lEt WY
wrong idea OF appearances from the voice.
Now. woman nny be thirty -tiyo years OF
age and yet talk ms hweetly and in as
softly modulated accents as q miss OF six
teen. Perhaps this Is the reason that the
young women refuse personal inter.
view.
In the Office everything passes of
smoothly. The girls SIT in row before u
large key board. and all day long. answer
the ceaseless calls throughout the city.
They do not say "Hello!" now. That
refrain has changed 10 the more conven-
tional and time-saving response of
Number, please" when a bell Is rung.
Presiding over the operators is q scrt of
captain. known as the chief operator.
She Is one of the youngest and fairest III
the room. She PAGES back and forth
through the room as she oversees the
work
OF course she has to act the tyrant now
and then to prevent the girls from talk
ing too long over any wire where there
may happen TO be peculiar fascination.
The operator is there for business and
not for fun, and. while tho management
encourages anliability and politeuess with
patrons. the line is drawn right there.
aud none understand 1t better than the
operator herself.
Between tho telephone operator and
the ewspaper man there is a sort OF mu-
tual lrlenushlp. Inc reporter KNOWS luhl
the wires are his best friend and they save
him many a long jaunt in the mud and
rain. A reporter was one day talking
about the blessings of our civilization
and he waxed somewhat eloquent as he
touched upon the telephone girl. The
burden OF his argument was something
like this:
but when It comes to talking Of the
blessings OF our civilization, the tele-
phone girl is q factor not TO be over
looked. Who possesses Mt once SO much
temper aud patience as sheI Who
meekly listens TO your curses and flies
mad at the least proVoCAtion Who
knows the score of the base bail game aud
can tell you the middle initial Of every
man in distant wardy Who knows the
location of every FIRE and can with IA
touch of her finger bring you into con-
nection with whoever you wishy There
can be but one reply; The telephone
ntKl -