The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-02

There 10 perhaps DO PlSSs III 'OH
city where good nature and patience
need TO be exercised more than In the
telephone exchange at the corner Of
Alakea and Merchant streets. Homo
lulu should be proud Of the boys who
do the work there.
There are eleven operators at pres
emit aud ell are men OF experience
They are q fine set Of fellows VINO
always have a pleasant word even II
spokeu To IN the gruffest Language
when some irritatei woman goes I'd
the telephone and sends a rapid,
.roaSinr message over the line, the
operator listens patiently and
eBsgsas the person is only a littIe
EXISTED, replies In polite tone, "Ses."
Some OF the questions that pass over
the wires are certainly worth quiet
thought aud study. Although the
boys have never "giveD away" the
persons who have asked any Of the
questions that are to foil w, 1t is GER
TAIN that they will recognize their re-
spective property.
Atty is concerned, was asked sumo
time aVo. "Centrsl, has the steamer
been sighted YETI" asked q very timId
female voice. ayes, mAdsm; she 10
ten miles OFF - was the answer. "WrlI
do YOU know II Mr.. --is RbOardG
It 10 said by the boys that that was
the Only time Al operator ever smiled
while on duty. Another questIou
was asked some few days ago aud -
nearly equal to the first: "Central,
will you please tell me how much
postage wilt need to put on an uu
sealesi letter which bnve?" Another
one WAS asked, when the Oceanic came
on her last trip TO this port, ''HOw
far OFF 10 the steamer, centraI2" "Oh,
about ten miles, madam, "WhAt
time will she go, please y
Some OF the commOn iuterrogations
are, "Whal are those gum hIiug fOr2''
or, sis IL raining I'm town." or, "What
time dOes q certain car pas 3 certain
cOrDer?' or, 'Is the ADvRRTIsER out
yeti"
The question that IL asked most
during the shortest Interval OF time
- "Whsre's the fire 2" The operators
were asked who Usually bothered
them mot with that question. "Well
the truth is" said one, we never hear
o mans vote over the telephone
when q hr- alarm rings and We need
only I'd answer the question at Inter
v1is, for nearly every telephone Is In
g.~ AZ once. SOMETIMES the porous
aaageF Que another and OF course that
sap-s - the trouble. But we dO not
care BhaG q test iohs are asked. Every
oa< !. answered in the same tone and
Is - soly after we have finished our
dsfy thai We have time to think over
and pick out the very peculiar ques-
tons that are sometimes asked U.S."
In order that the public may know
whom they have to thank for all the
questions that have been answered
over the telephone wires, list of the
names OF tue eleven operators has
been secured.
The oldest operator now In the SER
vice Is Louis Whiting who served
four years with the Bell Company
and ten with the Mutual. Charlie
Crane Gerved twelve years with the
Bell; James Spencer, eight years
with the Bell; Charles Spencer, seven
years with the Bel /; Henry Crane,
seven years with the Bell; Edmund
Hart, five years with the Bell; George
Macy, four years with the old Ma
tuai; Charlie Reeves, q year aud a
half with the old Mutual; James
Kalei Aons, one year with the Bell
Company. john CrOwder is the ouly
new operator.
Eight hours Of duty are required Of
every operator. There are tlIree
watches which are as follows: First
watch, from q. m. to q. M; second
watch, frIm 8 p. m. TO l y. NJ; third
watch, from IL p. m. To g. m.