Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-09-25
THE USUAL METHOD

changes on small scale, but no, 10 was
Jus.
THE USUAL METHOD
@, business, and the reporter soon
caught on" not with the girls, but TO
the m0dus operandi Of this mysterious
working with the occult fUid-knOwn
as Ile telephone business.
The Telephone Exchange was opened
so this city tn May OF 1850, and at that
time hal but one operator. People at
tlattime thought 10 would never amount
90 any,hing, as they could not see 20
what use tie business could be
put Now, with greatly in
creased facilities the Exchange
IS 0a.y equal % the demand. There are
now thirteen girls employed as day OPP
orators, and at night there are three.
Three stay on until o'clock, two until
l10c.0ck and one all night. There are
200 su0scribers in Wheeling alone, so in
Martins Ferry, go DO Bridgeport, 100 in
Be.are. and 50 iu Moundsville. During
tls last six days in July there was an
average of 1900 calls a day.
" every person who says unkind
things about his telephone and whispers
remarks not loud but deep over the
wire when service is not prompt, could
look through the blocks of brick which
separate him from Central be would
GO most cases undergo q complete change
o. 1eme2nOr-wOuld
LOWER HIS VOICE,
take OF his hat aud perhaps choose more
elegant adject.yes in yentiIsting his
opinions on telephones IN general and
operators IN particular.
But Central is not in reality so
awful It is usually represented at the
ether end OF the wire by a pretty girl
with a shining metal harness about her
head, sitting IN a high chair before a
table where wires cross and recrOSs and
"c2uS' come 10 all day from here, there
and everywhere and Hurry" is the
order Of the hour. The telephone
operator has no time 70 talk over last
evenings frOlic or tO-mOrrew's event
ia dry goods SaiesWOman or the pretty
typewriter She has all she .can do 20
keep matters straight upon the num-
eered board before her, and put plugs
10 their proper places and remove them
Win q dexterity appalling 70 the uuini-
Hated observer.
There is a general idea among many
thar the telephone girl is a frivolous,
Aue1lSh creature, and many OF the
Youths who hold clerical positions con
Sler that 10 fills the heart Of the tele-
poole cir. with JOY 20 address her as
Aa1de' and 70 inquire personally
s-ier we.I-6eing. This is mistaken
N.a, however, and the operator is
called upon
DURING TEE DAY
% naaPbor.cally sit down upon many
% ,-ese w0u.d-be humOristS and their
mummy jokes frequently ale "cut or
u i-s.r prime. The nature Of the tele-
g---e operators business is not con-
.--.Ia % ir.v0lity. There is entirely
~ much responsibility attached 20 IL.
--e average subscriber is not slow ia
--.-s complaints IL service is not sat
y- .'Y, And ye, the girls In the
-,e--g exchange look remarkably
e-s-, fresh and active, considering
O.. ,--y 60 through.
--rfa A.AE1 III AAG kCAN NAAA4~
--alse are between the hours Of 10
10 tie morning and 1 and In
AFTERNOON. There is perhaps no
49, l-ce To- the city where the state
1--e Tor each day can BE- better
.-e1- II business is lively orders
-. p and telephone calls come in
~ ~ --- wee versa. The telephone eX-
acts as sort Of trade barome-
h. Al average OF about eight persons
go ---- telephone. and although q good
Ei persons use 10 who shouldn't, this
,.'.- --il matter 20 regulate. There
r. u--s l.l telephones in residences
-ee.lls, bat the greatest
NUMBER OF CALLS
~. 49, non The business houses. There
n. some iorty-fye persons talking all
.-s At The telephone exchange. I
49, s.l. Sis az desk upon which are
~, "lles' each one OF the wires repre-
e,r. subscriber, and II q subscriber /
IN, ana wants 70 talk to someone
49, ~ ner board che has 10 cali ont the
- .o ana other Information neces-
c. u -loi1er operator in order to get
f1-..on. and in this WAY he air Il /
al W. =. words nearly an day. Each |
isoBr 80 IN enty wears a metal band |
ilg 49, 80 nsaa which holds ne receiV-
AZ. s-s.o Aer ear Her hearing.
= i''eness Of fingers are re-