The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-06-07

The affairs of this territory are under
the direction of its capable and genial
District Manager, Irving w. Pope. who
assumed the position in December and
who is showing capabiIity in its man
agement which is well pleasing TO its
many patrons. In addition to the man
ager, the Morristown Office has Special
Agent in the contract department, a
District Inspectors Wire Chief, Main
tenance Clerk. two Inspectors, two In
strument Settlers, two Trouble Hunters,
aud the Order Gang, composed of
foreman and three linemen. Through
out the Exchange the work and equip
ment will be found to the observer
room with its six switchboards and
operators furnishes the most interesting
scene. In the busy hours of the day,
there are seven operators at the boards
whose work is arranged in relays. The
first relay comes at a. m and is re-
lieved at pm, the second is ON duty
from to 6, the third from 8 to Z. At
6 o'clock an extra force of two come on,
working until nine TO help out the even
ing force. A chief operator and two
operators constitute the night force
which takes care of all business between
fl p. m. and a. IN. During the night
ON 12 to 6 reports are made every
half hour by each operator to the Newark
Office, to show that they are on duty and
awake to it, Every Wednesday night
the entire trunk line system of 30 cir.
cults is tested The night operator
already mentioned goes over the
whole equipment in the central
office every night, testing every
cord. ringing button and cam, and TAX
ing a test of every subscribers line, a
rather big task considering the fact of the
700 subscribers.
About 5000 connections are handled
daily between the hours of a. m and
Z D. IN. and after that time about one
tenth that number A great amount of
long distance telephoning is done during
the evening.
Even though this work seems arduous
and requires the most scrupulous atten-
tion to detail, the operators receive from
the company every consideration Be-
tween and 10 in the morning she is
relieved for fifteen minutes and again
for the same length of stime between 2
and in the afternoon Uniform cour-
tesy to subscribers is one of the rules
most emphasized ia the central Office. To
be both civil and expeditions is the prob
lem that eonfronts each one at the
board and the golden mean is some
tim hard to hit. To the subscriber
there is no more exasperating word than
"husy," and the rapidity with which
that reply is sometimes given arouses the
suspicion that she is busy" listening to
other calls OF gossiping with another of
the girls Neither Of these is possible
with the hundreds of calls occupying
her attention.
The operators equipment consists Of a
transmitter arm and solid back trans
mitter, suspended on two siken cords,
so arranged that the slack in these is
automatically taken up as the transmit
ter is raised or lowered, together with u
head telephone and green cord, with plug
attached, which is located in the front
of the keyshelf
The method of operating is as follows. |
When the bell is rung by the subscriber
and the receiver raised from the hook
the drop on the switchboard in front
of the operator falls, showing your
number. The operator then inserts in
the corresponding jack one of the plugs
OF any pair ~ the II cord circuits with
which She il provided, 1T the same time
cutting in the corresponding listen
ing k and answers number" II pug
IS IN the Jack the line is busy, II not,
Az soon MS the operator gets the numbef /