Evening journal., 1898-04-06

PER THEY WILL AID YOUR d. |
GTsTTON, BUT THERE IS MOTH
ING PUT IN THEM TO LULL YOU
TO sLERP.
THE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
The Wayfarer spent yesterday after
noon with the telephone girls. Most
persons entertain the idea that a tele-
phone girl is a hello sort OF person
age, which Il is everyone's duty and
province TO abuse over the wire, and
that she has neither sensibility nor re-
sentiment in her makeup But such is
not the case. She is just the ordinary,
everyday sort OF a girl with the same
susceptibility to either kind treatment
or abuse that other girls possess. She
is human being who is working for a
living at q respectable calling, just as
thousands of her sisters are working in
other vocatlons, the only difference be-
ing that many have fallen into bread
winning channels which are infinitely
less particular and trying.
Through the courtesy OF Manager
Mehaffey and that mystical parsonage
known to the world as $780," the Way
farer spent three hours in the operat-
ing room OF the Delaware and Atlantic
Telegraph and Telephone Company,
which is situated at the northeast cor
ner OF Fourth and Market streets. Im-
agine yourself in a lofty room pr0ba-
bly, forty feet long and eighteen feet
wide, with two bay windows In II, one
at either extremity OF the apartment,
and you have the hello storm-cenltre or
the city OF Wilmin ngton Rehind the
glass partition which runs the length
OF this apartment are the switchboards,
and seated near the boards are the
operators, Just as close to one another
as it Is possible for them to get, the
space at command being inadequate,
and with no more room available.
There are those who believe that
the telephone girls have an easy time
on t. That they put in many hours
reading the fascinating pieces OF light
literature which are being put on the
market every day. and that the resi-
due OF the time is consumed in light
lunch and gossip IL is a mistaken no
tion. Reading matter Of all kinds is
strictly tabOoed, and the conversation
Is confined strictly to the affairs OF the
office. The general impression is that
the telephone exchange is a babel of
sound. That there Is a deafening noise
OF bells and human voices. This is
also mistake. No tinklng of bells is
heard, and the voices are all subdued.
The heaviest noise heard is the buzz
OF the buzzer, and science has reduced
that to a minimum. The irate sub
scriber may ring the bell OF his tele-
phone until the tongue breaks of and
the exchange knows nothing about II.
It is lost on everyone else, for the bell
he rings Is heard by no one but him
self. II simply serves to set in motion
certain pieces OF intricate mechanism
which nOiselessly inform the eye and
not the ear, of the operator, that he
wants a number or Is through with IL
To better explain this to the sub
ScIiber the Wayfarer will go into de.
tail, and follow the several steps o
the work OF connecting two sub.
scribers. You give the handle of YOU
telephone a half-turn. That drops tn,
Indicator In front OF the operator ana
exposes your number. You may turI
the handle around four or FIVE time.
and IL can do nothing more for the in
dicator is down. The indicator ii
nothing more or less than little bras
shutter, about an inch and half lonj
by an inch wide. 10 is hinged at tn
bottom and covers up your number
The half turn Of the handle OF you
telephone releases the top catch, an,
this shutter falls down with a click
which is almost unnoticeable to an,
but a trained ear. In falling IL strike
against a sensitive little spring whic'
opens connection with the head 'phon
which each operator wears on her head
and which covers the left ear. The1
q
you hold the trumpet to your ear an
ascertain whether or not anyone /
talking 10 the operator. If you fin
the wire clear You give your numbe
and the number which you desire; bu
If You hear someone else talking yo
should wait until the conversatio
ceases. for it stands to reason that tn
girl cannot take two or three nun
hers at one and the same time. "A
soon as she gets your number sh
takes what are known as cords, havin
at the ends of them brass plugs. 81
meath the indicators there are hole
each numbered to correspond with
number above. IN 500 asks for 502. 81
takes one plug and places IL in the no
bearing the number 500 and the 9TH
plug she places in the hole number,
502. That complies the circuit. 81
then pushes a little button which RIM
the bell to summon the other per&
TO the phone. and gives a short riI
TO show the caller that he is connect,
with the other number None Of tn
ringing is heard in the exchange. A
Ter the parties are through conveT
ing, one or the other, and sOmetim
both, give what is generally known
the "ring-off." They hear it, but d
operator does not Beneath the int
Gators and the series of holes there a
what are known as the clearing-off 4
dicators. When a person rings OF