The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-22

| Der wanted, and by pressing a key the
! bell on their phone is made to ring.
When anyone calls up" no bell rings
/ at central only the slight click OF the
falling drop is heard. One might ring
for a week, but no noise would be made
| there. A fourth of a revolution of the
handle is necessary TO make the little
drop fall. One thing great many peo-
pie do that is very unpleasant to the
young ladies who are the opera tors
When some impatient person rings once.
and when they are not answered inme-
diately, ring second time II at the
time the second ring is made one OF the
young ladies has the chord in her hands,
she receives a severe shock from l..
caused by the second attempt 10 ring IL
the first ring does not let the drop fall.
a hundred will not, and after the drop
falls il remains down until closed spe-
cially. This is quite severe upon the
operators. and everyone who uses .
phone should remember this and never
ring but once.
When two persons have finished their
conversation, the ringing of either ball
causes another drop 10 fail, which indi-
Gates to the operator at central that
the conversation is finished; and there
upon the chord is removed and the drop
closed Any time after connection is
made with another phone the ringing
Of either bell will cause the ''ring-of
drop" to fall
The transmitters used at central"
hang from above by chords. The receiv-
ers are not like those upon ordinary
phones, but are smaller, and are about
the size and shape OF the half of a small
apple. They are suspended from above
also. and have spring attached, which
holds them to the ear of the operator,
thus giving them the use Of both hands.
During the busy part or the DAY X takes
the constant attention of one young lady
to every hundred numbers. Never is
the central of1icevacant. winter or sum
mer, rain or shine. through heat or cold,
some one is always there. 1t requires
the closest attention to attend 10 the dU-
ties of an operator, and it sometimes ia
very taxing, most particularly between
midnight and day breaking, when only
the best and most faithful operators
have charge. Hours nay perhaps go by
without a call, but nevertheless con-
slant, unceasing. ever alert watch mus.
be kept The responsibility of the task
IS NJ light one. To allow attention TO be
mean the cost OF life in failing TO call
a doctor at the critical moment; or it
may mean a disastrous fire which may
have been averted had the department
known of it in time.
A long distance line is in operation
also, and connections can be made with
number of outside towns. Occasion
ally concerts are listened 10 In this city
which are going on in Hutchinson or
Arkansas City. The long distance lines
dc not work well when local lines are
also involved, on account of the grea.
induction. After the electric lights and
the other powerful currents are shut off,
the line is quite clear. however, and con-
versation may be carried on from any
local phone with great clearness.
In closing this brief account. the mar
ration of an incident may not be amiss.
Hutchinson called up the Office in this
city some time ago, and a concert at the
former place was listened to here. When
they ceased, South Haven went on with
a brief entertainment by a mandolin
club and when they ceased playing some
one along tn line broke in with a quartet.
all of which was listened to all along the
line. 1t was never ascertained definite
ly where the quartet were. They may
have been in Winfield or they may have
been in Burton. The advent of the tel
ephone was one Of the greatest things
and commercially. of this
age, and now that the patent on the
bell telephone-which little instrument in
Its entirety hangs upon the switchhook
Of every commercial instrument-has ex
PRED, and the case involving the Ber-
liner patents upon the transHliter COM
monty known as the microphone, is be-
fore the supreme court of the United
States, with a chance of its being can |
celled, it is expected that this little in |
strument will become much cheaper in |
the near future and consequently much I
more in use than it ever has been here |
tofore.