The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-17
ARE ABUSED GIRLS.
The Telephone Oper-
ators in Worces-
ter's Exchange.
SNAPPED AND SNARLED At.
But They Retain Their
Beauty and Good
Nature.
SNAPPED AND SNARLED AT.

Comparatively few users of the tele-
phone give any particular consideration
to the sweet-voiced young women who
lTeside over the switching apparatus
in the central office.
They know that one is employed to
look after the interests of subscribers
and that she is invariably known as
Central" and her general conversation
WITH the subscriber is 1imited 10. what
number, Worcester tline connected, .
and did You set them?@ or a+'I.il ring
them again. ~
OF course there are individuals who
nave personal acquaintance with the
young women who venture to call them
by other than the conventional title
and who, in giving. their calls embrace
the opportunity for a few words of con-
Eersation. They may be 4bEQthers or
some one else's brothers, but this has
nothing to do with the question.
VI course there are men, both young
and old, who seem possessed of an
idea that the girl in the central office
is sort. of automaton utterly devoid
OF feeling and entirely insensible to
some of the remarks that are hurled in
her direction when a connection is not
satisfactorily arranged. Nor do kicks
" more or less considerate nature
enumerate from the men alone A tele-
pfene girl said recently: Talk about
eFanks, or to say the least unreasonable
persons, women are many times worse
than men. | had rather handle doz-
en- male subscribers than one woman,
that is, in majority of cases."
Taken altogether the lot of the tele-
D0One nf / oil
policeman, is often not a happy one.
she is made the target of a great ma
Jority of the complaints that are made
by subscribers, whether the protest be
in regard to service or condition of the
instrument. In time the operator be-
comes Injured to this sort of thing, al
though the feeling of a person new in
the business is to have the matter out
over the wire The older employee,
however, is accustomed to this thing
and before the complainant has time
TO get nicely started on a tale of woe
he is switched onto the chief operators
table, where his protest may be regis
tered in due form. Meanwhile the OPP
orator is attending to the wants of 200
or more subscribers that may be under
her immediate charge
Nearly gevery one who, uses a. tele-
phone is in hurry. They take down
the receiver and expect to be answered
the next instant. A few seconds delay
seems minutes, and when the number
IS hnally given 1t comes in a tone in
dlcative of the users feelings. The
line may be busy, or after repeated
ringing, the party desired can not be
raised. All these things are conducive
to III humor in the man who is in a hur-
ry andSas gRsult the telephone COM
pany and its attaches are mentally CON
signed at6< the lower regions
II is safe to say that more trouble is
experienced with people who do not
pay telephone rental than with the
regular subscribers. The man who
PUSHES into the corner drug store and
wants connection, and if he don't
get 1t proceeds to call central down in
the most approved fashion is an eyery-
day occurrence. Then there are the
girls who come in and timidly ask if
they may use the phone In a maiori-
W OF cases they want to call Char
ley on some more or less important
8 nlatteF,-and If they don Il get the right
number there IS a protest Tight away.
!, Even IT they do get the. connection they
7 seem TO think the operator is listening
TO their conversation, and do not hest
tate to convey-the information sand
Wlched between a series of historical
tglggles and attempts TO say good bye.
But as matter of fact the average
operator has trouble enough of her
own without taking interest in those
of other people
A visit to the local teic-
phone office during the busy hours OF
the day. will convince the uninitiated
that telephone operators. have plenty
to take up their time During the day
15@young women are seated in front Of
the local switch board, with, barely
enough room ON either side to allow
Tree use of her arms without interfer-
ing with her neighbour, aa- 'RC srT
The switch board rises two or y1ree
feet above. her head, while directly
above her are the line lamps and. lacks.
Z ever which she watches during business
hours. head telephone is fastened to
heE ear, so as to allow free use of both
hands, and as general thing the OBJ
orator has plenty of need for both
hands during her time on DUTY. Each
line running into the office is provided
with small electric lamp, which is set
flush with the face of the board Under
each of these is a hole or jack. With
the number of the line beBideFftg When
the subscriber takes his telephone off
the hook this lamp lights, and the opef-
ator does the rest ar
Each table is provided with a. dozen
or more sets of cords, with plugs at
tached to either end, with which-con-
,nections are made Most of these cords
are ia use during the busy hours. and
a gtence down the board, with its SEEM
!, ing " confused tangle of connections. is
enough to Convince person that an
operator has something to attend to
aside from listening to complaints
@2It is the new girl who suffers most
The first few days of her apprentice
snip IS passed in wearing a telephone
!, connected with another operators ia
2 Die and getting used to the work After
fnis term Of probation she is allowed
.sa; seat at the board, and the next few
hours are trying ones for the new girl.
Inc many little lamps seem like the
eyes or so many demons ready to de-
YOUR her She can almost see the SER
son at the end of the wire, and IN case
unpieasantness arises. the chances are
even that the new girl will shed a few
tears and want to be excused for the
remainder of the day. But the new
ness wears off in time, and the opera
ltor gradually assumes the coolness and
speed so essential for success in this
2 line.
.e True happiness consists in making
others happy If the people who use
. telephones would remember this. and
not get angry with the telephone cir;
when she is doing her best, and a slight
delay In answering is not really her
fault the burden of this worthy intelli
gent class of workers would be CON
siderably lightened.
Z. There has been a large number Of
persons who have taken their vacations
the past summer in short trips fits
: ting wind-up for this season win be TO
take the excursion announced by the
ST o. Al