The Washington times., 1902-12-21
LT TELLO. Centrali"
RI Number, please?'

NolAH WIN an intimate lTlcuQs tt may
forerun a hurried summons for a doctor.
or be the precursor Of tine sad news Of
death; il may mean party at the theatcr.
a pleasant night at reception or dance.
or perchance, whisper Of love. But
whatever the import of the message.
whether # be OF Joy or gloom. business
or pleasure. it ever begins with the Oft
repeated Hello. Central"
And Central. what Of her? What Of
the busy little operator who sits at her
board. whose nimble fingers and quick
brain weave with a web and woof Of
flexible. INTERVIEWING wires. like some
emissary Of Fate. variegated pattern.
many-toned with the lights and shad-
ows OF human life? Who is she. what
is her work, and how is it done?
Indeed. her occupation is almost as
a sealed book. Everybody uses the
telephone in these days Everybody is
familiar with her ready reply. Number.
plesse?' And everybody. too. knows
her sometimes vexatious Busy" and
holds her TO blame
But beyond this, the average mans
acquaintance with the interior Of a
Telephone central does not go. II he
has thought about it al all. the man in
the street regards il as a place where
all wires end and all calls center:
where centai9 pleasant voiced young
women answer his summons and secure
for him the number he desires. Just
how it IS done he doesn't know; he
IS satisfied with the knowledge that.
IN some way or other it is done.
A visit to the operating room OF the
main oaice in Washington OF the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company
reveals a wonderful busy little world.
On the fifth floor Of the company's
building at Fourteenth and C Streets
northwest. the wires leading into the
central known as Main" converge. and
here at the switchboards nearly two
score young women are occupied every
moment Of the day. and all the night
as we'll Naturally. the daytime calls
are greatest in number. and the day
force exceeds that working in the
hours OF darkness. The telephone girls
work is real work; there is no play
about f.. From the moment she "iacks
in az hor position" until the time she
IS relieved. she has all her dexterous
hands can accomplish. Idleness is not
for her,
The telephone operator. as she is
known officially. although the outside
world styles her Hello Girl" sits with
receiver elasped by headpiece to her
ear. in a high-backed revolving chair at
a switchboard that resembles something
between desk and an upright piano
Where the keys Of the piano would be
are q set or switches and double row
Of "iacks"-electricalIy speaking.
''plugs"-at each end Of a wire. incased
in a flexible rubber tubing. Immediately
in front OF her axe thousands Of tiny
holes honeycomb IKE. marking the
termination Of subscribers wire. and
arranged in sets OF one hundred each
Above are a cluster Of little shutters.
one hundred IN number. Each board is
divided. as was Gaul OF old. into three
parts. each part being termed a posi-
tion." and having an operator. In front
Of each young woman, even with her face.
hangs large mouthpiece.
These operators work in sets OF threes.
and each board is an exact counterpart
Of all the others in the room. with the
exception that the subscribers who "call
up on that board are different one
hundred subscribers 10 position IS the
maximum number. although it usually
averages less AS each board represents
the entire service OF the Office. and each
Of It's three divisions. or positions. is
IN reach Of all three operators. It viii
be seen that each operator has at her
finger tips, for her one hundred calls
every subscriber whose line terminates
in that exchange
Between each section Of the board is
a uttle incandescent bulb. called pilot
lamp" Should a subscriber wish 10 call
Up number he rings Up central and
takes the receiver of the hook. This
action causes the pilot lamp to light,
and one OF the little shutters az the top
Of the board lifts up. showing the num-
Der OF the phone on which the call was
made. AZ once the operator thrusts one
of tho jacks into the hole marking
the termination Of the subscribers wire.