The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-16

In the first place. they must think We
have nothing whatever to do.
In the second place. their inanities are
likely to cause some unfortunate girl who
needs her place TO lese II.
They keep on until some of the girls do
talk to them. which is positively forbid
den.
The chief operator. or manager, can over
hear At an time anything that any girl
says.
There Is what is called a sneak wire
leading direct to his Office.
IF ~anythIng's wrong. She offender re-
ceives notice at the end of the day, and no
| explanations are asked or allowed"
The experience of telephone managers has
! resulted in establishing one general propo-
sition which seems a contradiction to hui
man nature a. it appears In other walks Of
life-that the feminine is the more patient
and long-sufering of the SKIES.
! The managers say that it takes n patient
) and iong-suffering individual 10 be an op-
orator.
, The girls are a hundred per cent better
than men.
/ The men cannot control their teInpers.
| They are inclined to adopt the "retort
courteous" In answering an irascible Gus
TONER, and TO proceed from the retort
! courteous 20 the retort decidedly discourte-
Gus and mixed with swear words
Girls overcome this desire and they say:
So efrls are operators in all big cities,
night and day.
The user OF the telephone expects TO hear
a feminine voice at central"
II he does not. he feels a trife d~isgruntled.
Instincttyely exists in the public mind a
4 vrannScaSSiO1 In faNpr az girls for auArl-
tors.
This seems TO promise girls viii continue
in the ascendant in this work.
FEMININE WORKERS LIZ
THIS OCCUPATION.
The occupation is one well thought of
among the feminine workers in the bust
ness world.
Many girls of education who desire to
earn a livelihood find IL here.
They earn enough to make a living. be-
tween the time that they come OF age and
their marriage. as the latter is in Amos;
every case the fate OF an operator. es-
pecially a good one
This is the chief difficulty with which the
managers have to contend.
Just about the time an operator becomes
AL she marries. bidding final good-by TO
her seat before the intricate board with its
multitudinous holes and multitudinous plugs.
Nearly all the large companies have made
arrangements to make the work Of the girls
as pleasant as the exigencies of the busi-
ness will allow.
In the Kinloch and Bel Offices the girls
are held at their posts about nine hours
daily.
The times Of going on and off vary. in
order that the service be maintained
l rhraiCh0rrt tho tuaptv.faur bo,-ra
They are allowed a ffteen-minute relief
in the Kinlocn office and a twenty-minuts
relief in the Bell, morning and afternoon
and forty minutes at noon in both Offices
A retiring-room Is in both offices. where
the girls may rest or indulge in amuse-
ments.
This Is In charge Of a matron, who en-
ploys new hands or discharges old ones II
occasion arises.
At the Bell Office a lunch club has beer
organized at the instance of the matron
Mrs. Me.hop.
Through this the girls can get a good
meal for 10 cents.
The company has provided the utensil.
and employed two assistants to a chef who
] is paid by the matron.
Mrs. Melhop looks after the bushes.
management and makes the order for the
noon meal every day.
1t pays expenses and offers the girls g
chance to get their noon meal much cheaper
than at a restaurant.
At night this r~etiring-room and the cook.
Ing utensils are at the disposal OF the nigh,
force.
The latter prepare their own coffee OF
even get q more pretentious meal II they
have the ingredients at hand.
WHEN NIGHT FORCE
GOES ON DUTY.
The night force is required to be at the
office about the same time as the day force
going on at 3 o'clock at nisht and being
relieved at 2 o'clock In the morning.
OF this time, however. they have two
hours and a half free from duty. In which
they sleep IL they choose or find other
form Of amusement in the ~retiring-room, IN
which is a piano.
They may sing or dance II they so desire
In fact, they are almost unrestricted out
side Of the time they must spend before the
exchange boards.