The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-06
WHAT NUMBER"
Continued from Page ID

number 100 takes down his receiver,
places ii to his ear, and desires to talk
TO the subscriber of telephone number
| $50. The instant he lifts the receiver
off the hook, little metal disk falls
down in plain view of the operator on
the GA" board, and she instantly in
serts plug in the little orifice in the
vulcanized rubber-board in front of
her which designates the calling sub
subscriber even is asked What !um-
ber?" by Central, half of the line con-
nection has been made. While asking
What number" the operator holds
down spring key, one Of ten in that
row on the horizontal table before her
This key is in direct line with the
calling subscribers telephone number.
and by holding down this key is the
only way in which she can hold com
munication. Upon the subscriber ask
ing for $50, the spring key is allowed
" As OSASN ~ iIo upi JOSIIIOi1. anu
a key in a second row, and directly be-
hind the first described KEY is pulled
down; this opens up telephone COM
munication from the "A" board oper-
ator to 'B" board operator, and the
"B" girl is asked to connect line $50,
and plug is inserted in the board in
front of the B" board operator. This
work, however, has been effected quiet
ly. without any confusion or mistaking
of numbers, and in one-tenth of the
time it has taken to describe the oper-
alton.
The hanging-up of the subscribers
receiver automatically causes a little
slot-like arrangement at the base of
both CAS-" and BIS boards to blink
at the operator directly under the line
in which plug has been inserted, and
she Immediately drops the plug from
the board, the little metal disk flies
upward TO Its original position. and
the line is again ready for a new con-
nection. Should the operator, how
ever, by any means or inattention
TO the signals fail to disconnect,
an incandescent globe set upright ON
the top of the monitors desk lights
up, and, although the monitor may be
pacing up and down the floor behind
the row of operators, yet the flicker
ing of this globe informs her that
is wrong somewhere. In the
vertical portion of her desk is also an
of disks, with the number
stamped entirely through the disk, and
if section five is in a pilikia for any
reason whatsoever, a tiny light shows
through the perforated number, and
Immediately pulling Gown the s'listen-
ing lever" which puts her in connec-
ton with section five, she inquiries
what is wrong, or what signal she has
failed to answer, and the trouble is at
once rectified. Although seemingly a
"detective' to watch the conversation
of the F'hello girls" yet one of her
principal duties is to watch the sec
lions on the switchboard and see to
it that friction, mistakes and poor con-
nections are reduced to q minimum.
THE OPERATORS ROOM.
The operators working room, which
is on the EVA side of the building, will
be arranged with a view to securing
the best ventilation, light and comfort
for the young ladies, so that their ar
duouS and monotonous work will have
as few drawbacks as possible. Just off
this room will be a commodious with
drawing room for the operators, which
will be tastefully furnished and pro-
vided with lockers, so that no confu
sion will arise in laying aside hats and
wraps. Lunch tables will be provided
as we'll as reading tables on which will
be kept files of the latest papers and
Every convenience neces-
sary for their comfort has been
arranged for by the man
ager, and although the hello girls" +,
life is not all bed of roses, yet there |
are many other features of it which, |
while she is on duty, will be made as |
as possible and her voice |
will have cheerier ring in it, as she |
calls for number" all the day long.