Evening star., 1903-12-19
HELLO GIRLS OF PARIS
"CENTRALs" OF THE FASHION
CAPITAL oKaATIzr A UNION.
The Differences Between English and
American ind French Methods
Of Operation.
Paris Corr. London Globe

IL
Paris Corr. London Globe
The Figaro orecentlyiannounced piece OF
| news which ought toagive Parisians ideas.
M. Combes has just received the declara-
ton Of new syndicate. that of the Asso-
citation of the Danes Employees des Postes,
Telegraphes ct Telephones de France ct
des Colonies Ye gods and little fishes!
What is to become of us Il the telephone
ladies find in this new union fresh strength?
They already appear to be in continual
need Of discussing weighty matters among
themselves; what, then, will 1t be in the
future when they have the affairs OF their
association to discuss? They are already
absolutely Indifferent to the needs of the
unfortunate "abonne." who pays 400 francs
year for the privilege of being flouted by
them; what will they be when they feel
themselves sustained one by the other?
l wonder whether these mysterious beings
whom l am beginning to look upon as
mythical, in spite Of repeated assertions to
the contrary, which purport to come from
themselves = the ''surveillantes" - are to
form part of the association in question.
Not that 1t matters very much whether
they do or not for they could hardly be of
less use IN the position which they are sup
posed 10 NIL than they are at present. The
"surveillante,'. 1 should explain, is a mys-
terious lady whom one rings up when one
has asked for number ninety-nine times
IN IN vain: The operator does not like the
surveillante" to be asked for-one can tell
that by the tone Of her vo:ce-but that is
the only satisfaction one gets out of the de-
mand as rule. and there is nothing to
prove that the second female who replies
to you is the .'survellante" at all. don't
know what the telephone arrangements in
London are like. but this is the sort OF
thing that happens here and causes people
who have the telephone continually to
wear a worried look and be liable to at
tacks of nervous prostration.
Getting the Number.
You ring your bell. and at the end of per-
haps five minutes. when your finger is be-
ginning to ache with pressing the button.
comes an answering tinkle-"Allo Allo!'
Give me five hundred and forty-six, twen-
ty-nine." Five hundred and forty-six.
twenty-fve?" mo twenty-nine." "Ah,
yes, twenty-three." NO. twenty-nine, a
four and fve." "Bien." Tick, tick tick.
Wagram, allo! alloi" / cite Wagram,
which is the bureau Of the Etoile quarter.
where the five hundreds are and where the
operators are worse f1ends than any other
In Paris. After some five or ten minutes
waiting Wagram condescends to reply, and
then there Is the same old business Of "a
five and four" all over again. For
whereas in London you ask for flve. four,
six, two, nine" which Is a very simple way
of doing things: In Paris you ask for 1--WE
hundred and forty-six. twenty-nine." and
confusion Is the result To continue my ac-
with somebody across the telephone. the
chances are that you next hear q click and
then nothing more of ''Wagram."
Finally, you become discouraged, and,
back the "receptenrsa-I don't know what
you call them in English. Peace you will
at least have even If you cannot have the
conversation you had wished for. But not
H,lk r. v,,%A lakA H. L. f0
rent with the sound Of a loud and contin-
uous ringing. ''Allo.gs allo. Are you the
Maison Machin for bicycle tires?" mo.
I'm not" ''Mais parbleu!" .C'est une
retire. Persaps you say 'Zut!' A few
minutes after more deafening noise. "C'est
toi. mon cheri. ."Qui est ce qui parle?"
'C'est Mini One prefers to be taken for
Minis "cheeri' to the supposition that one
makes bicycle tires, but Mini soon discov-
ers the mistake. and she is not always nice
about it, and meanwhile the telephone lady,
who has forgotten to ring one off the line.
is doubtless, busy reading her morning
'feuilleton" and wondering what she will
do with the 9,O00f. when she has discovered
ing daily paper hides in the public parks
and gardens for the benefit of Its readers.
Flattery for Central.
know some people who pretend that they
have tanned telephone ladies. and every one
VINO mas lnS teltpNOfS tteib SohC ~ 'ASAAA W
which they fancy they obtain good results.
There are, for instance. the youthful
"abonnees' who are in the habit Of ringing
the changes in the hope that the operator
may be of a friendly disposition. Then
there is the compliment trick. "Mademoi-
selle, / know you are pretty. You have the
voice of pretty woman; Are you blonde
or brunette?" Stamp collectors are able to
soften the hearts Of some telephone op-
orators, and other people try the bribing
system. friend Of mine who lives in the
Etoile Quarter and consequently has that
delightful Bureau Wagram to deal with,
conceived the idea Of propitiating the lady
whose lot it was to minister to his wants
In the telephone line by means Of louis.
to be administered on the New Year day.
He is a grave man, the father of a family,
and he did not tell the lady she must be
pretty, but merely asked her to call. She
was pretty, though, and she did call, and
Jealous wife met her at the stairs, and
there were ructions.
Talking, by the way. Of telephones, l
should be SO grateful for any suggestion
for teaching people the difference between
one bell and another My life is made q
burden to me by servants and other persons
who can never be made to distinguish pe-
tween a bell which has a low, grating
sound and one that has shrill tinkle and
who pass their life running to the wrong
telephones, and opening the wrong doors
ana making things generally uncomfortable
People of this description are, notice, ad-
dicted to humming, and, needless to say,
they hum out OF tune. They also will per-
sist in talking foreign languages, which is
something that nobody who is without an
ear should ever attempt. have friend
who would be perfect but for this defect
AMI whom call "ventre affame," because
Of tie absence of ear. It IL only homes, to
say that I did not originate this farccal
alluston to the French proverb, "ventre
affame ma pas doreilles." as this is the
soubriquet by which Cleo de Merode, whose
ears are completely hidden by her ban
dc,ix," is known to Parisians
The Cabs Of Paris.
Vance Thompson in Outing.