The indicator., 1897-06-26
TELEPHONE WONDERS
HOW THE INSTRUMENT is USED
Anecdotes by the Manager of tho Chicago
Omce-GreRt Value of tho Long Dis,
tance Wires.
Somebody already had told hunting

Somebody already had told hunting
story.
Last fall l went duck shooting in
Wisconsin, said the Chicago man.
unfortunately just before | went my
retriever raced out into the street and
got mixed up with II dray. When l
left he had one leg In splints, and sew
ernl patches of hairless skin on him are
not grown over now.
But had to go without him, and
you don't know how missed him. He
broke his heart almost when l carried
out my gun ease, and | could hear him
yelping after me for two blocks.
II was worried over leaving him, and
anxious about him, too. and one night
away up in Wisconsin. 300 miles from
Chicago. l whlstlcd and called TO the
dog, just rs l have done Il thousand
times. May he you won't believe me,
hut the next instant | heard that dog
give u yelp of delight, bounding and
barking as naturally as | ever heard
him do in the flesh.'
Twenty-nine seconds of silence fol
lowed, broken at last by II heavy sigh.
Don't you believe it?" insisted the
Chicago man.
swer.
tit N'ii'hEp Sli''ilhSiN
wriukled his nose and admitted that all
of this was by means of II long-dis-
lance telephone; that lie had gone into
Stevens Point and called up his wife
Mt home; that she had suggested put
ting the receiver to the dogs ear. and
that at his first word the dog recognized
his voice, capering about and yelping
till he walked the baby.
Manager Brooks of the central office
of the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company in Chicago vouchcs for
this story as truth. His company
charged the man 81 for the privilege
and he ought to know. AS Mr.. Brooks
has often heard u New York operator
sneeze in the general offices. $50 miles
away, he doesn't take kindly to any
doubt expressed regarding this dog
story.
with 10000 miles of our own wires
connecting with 536.Si5 miles of local
telephone lines, 1t would be odd if we
didn't hook s)me oddities among our
90. 1876 subscribers" said Mr.. Brooks.
reminiscently.
about the funniest thing I've seen.
though continued Mr.. Brooks, "oc-
CURED here one evening last summer.
A big. portly. smiling but excited man
rushed in and asked if he could reach
Evansville, Indiana, by phone. He
was assured that he could and in about
two minutes he disappeared in n booth
to talk to his wife
"Wcll, he talked about fifteen min
utes. Finally bounced out of the box,
slapping his thigh.
They're on me. gentlemen. he said.
I'll be right back
"He darted out, and in two minutes
t,nn 1,y .,F
ms ever smoked.
"Tt's II boy" he exclaimed, and he's
got about as good lungs ny / ever heard
Mt close ranger
'Then he told the story He had to
be absent from home, and II telegram
had just come, notifying him of tlenew
arrival. Tie had rushed into the office.
called up his residence and insisted
that the nurse bring the baby to the
phone and make 1t laugh or cry. 1t
cried. and he had heard it 300 miles
away"
The long.distance telephone between
distant points differs from the dlme-in-
the-slot phone of the corner drug store
In that you don't pay till you get the
person wanted at the other end. Then,
you hear better after you do get him.
And you always get him. 1t doesn't
IlHtter whether ne mas Telephone or
not. If the man is in New York. three
blocks or three miles from the tele-
phone. the company fastens him to II
New York receiver before it begins to
figure costs against the customer mt the
rate of S1.1J per minute.
Business men are the principal CHS
toners, though some courting is done
by telephone" said Mr.. Brooks.
Il few years ago Il Young man i'm
Chicago was counting an indianapolis
young woman, and two or three even
ings week lie would call her up at 81
for five minutes talk. They courted
for long time. and when they were
married the telephone company gave
them present of a beautiful little tel
ephone stand In silver
But to business men the service is
most valuable. Many Il man who once
went thousand miles TO transact n
bit of personal business which could be
done in ten minutes now uses the tele-