Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-26

now easy II Is TO Talk across 1,OUU mics.
THE other day the papers printed story
| of how bank president in Minneapolis pre-
sided over meeting of directors in Lowell,
Mass" he went on. That was correct
enough, but it wasn't such an unusual
| thing as one might infer from reading the
accounts of it. 1t has become quite the
regular thing for railroad and bank direct
ors who can't get to the regular place of
meeting to be connected with the meeting
place by wire. By the use of arge trans
| mtter he is able to hear everything that
goes on, and to take part in the proceedings
almost as well as though he were On the
spot. L know, too, that the distance 'rhone
has been used to close some Of the largest
commercial transactions that have taken
place in this country during the past five
years.
The use of the long-range telephone for
great business affairs seems natural enough,
for the high charges are trivial compared
with the interests involved. But anybody
who hasn't had a chance to earn from
being in the business would be aStoniShed
at some of the messages that go over the
wires and for which the senders bay good
round sums in the way of tolls. / suppose
the reason for this is that The telephone is
still comparatively new to most people.
They look upon it with something Of Won
der and they like to experiment with it to
see if it will do all that is claimed for it.
A Costly Conversation.
Here, for instance, is a case that We had
last night, and which is one of kind that
We get six days in every week. A Cincin-
natl man had come on to New York on
business He had evidently just left his
| train when he came to the phone and call
ed up his Ohio house. There evidently was
not any particular reason for 1t, except his
desire to talk with his FANNY One after
another the mother and five children came
to the phone and exchanged a few sem
fences with the head of the house. In such
long distance work, where the charges are
high, it is customary for tie operator 20
| notify the user of the wire at the end of
each five minutes of the tims so that there
won't be any confusion about the Crst at
the end. In this case the conversation kept
dragging out, and the night manager, who
had the wire, notified the man every five
minutes. each time being met with> the re-
ply, I'm take five minutes more The Gin
| cinnati man was determined that every one
of his family should hear his voice, and he
didn't care how much it cost. Last of all
the baby was brought to the transmitter,
youngster, who could just lisp He 10,
papa and then the man settled his bill for
Sos without murmur. doubtless feeling
well repaid in having listened to his baby's
coo across that distance.
"Of course, that's an extreme case in
the size of the charge. but in other re-
spects it isn't an unusual thing, especially
with weSternerS. 1t seems to me that
come from Chicago or some little cross
roads town. rush Off to the telephone the
first thing when they strike New York.
and cali up the wife or sweetheart whom
they have left behind at home. To the
outsider their little home gossip or sweet
nothings don't seem TO amount to much
but l dare say it makes life pleasanter for
those who are interested, SO nobody else
can object to it.
TelephOned to His Dog.
'I remember a case more peculiar than
that of the Cincinnati man that happened
while l was manager in the Chicago ex-
change. A man in the city had a fox ter
rer of which he was very proud while
the deg was as completely devoted to him.
He had to go to some place in Michigan
on business which kept him away for sew
cral days. AS soon as he had gone the
dog began to suffer from a severe attack
of loneliness. He wouldn't eat, and lay
about moping until the mans wife was
afraid the terrier would die before his
masters return. One night the man went
into the station of the town where he was
stopping and said that he wanted to talk
to his dog. So connection was made with
his house and the receiver was placed to
the terriers ear. Instantly re recognized
his masters voice and began to frolic
about and bark at great rate. Two or
three times after that the Chicago man
repeated the performance, and he didn't
mind the $40 or So that 1t cost him in the
least.
Won by Telephone.
There have been various fiction stories
written which involved proposals by tele-
phone, but know of at least one instance
in which such a thing actually occurred.
The young man was so pleased that when
it was over he told me all about it. He had
been counting girl in an Ohio town. the
name of which it isn't necessary to give
here, had quarreled with her for some
foolish reason and had come east, intend
n Or n "a IL Ia had hon inly-
ing the matter over on the way, decided
that he had been a fool, and when he
heard that another fellow was after the
girl, smade up his mind to heroic measures.
So ne sent a message to the girl asking her
to come to the telephone, but not giving his
name. When ne came to the Office to keep
the appointment lie was the most nerv-
Gus fellow l ever saw, and I'll bet that no
man was ever more agitated in the actual
presence of his charmer. But he managed
to get through the business some how
and the result was so satisfactory that the
first thing he wanted to know when he
came out Of the booth was how soon he
could get a train Cack to the west
I'VE have good many queer orders to
fill. and they are becoming more numerous
as the telephone comes into more general
use. Last fall an opera singer had negotia-
tons under way with some New York man
ayers. They didn't want to engage her,
however, without first hearing her voice
She was singing in Chicago at the time
end couldn't leave. The difficulty was ad-
justed by telephone. The managers came
to my office, the woman sang before a big
transmitter in Chicago and her tones were
heard with perfect clearness here in New
York. The test was SO satisfactory that
she was engaged on the spot.
The newspapers printed accounts of our
reproduction of Niagaras roar at the cleo
trical exposition, and of the sounds of the
81 eat sound money parade in Chicago last
year, and, as say, such orders are becom-
ing more numerous.
Popular With Politicians.
''One class of men with whom the long,
distance telephone is in high favor are the
politicians. Perhaps 1t Is because they
prefer to trust to spoken words rather than
written ones, even where time is not con-
sideration; perhaps 1t is because of the IA
cilities which the telephone gives for keep
ing in constant touch with events that are
occurring at distant places. but certain 1t
Is that the politicians are among our most
liberal patrons. During the last presiden-
htial campaign Maj. Mckinley kept con-
sfantly in touch with the republican head
quarters, both in New York and Chicago,
by means Of the telephone. When Inn
portant bills are under consideration In
Albany the telephone wires connecting that
rffv vhftl, carfafn ofY1ces in New York