Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-12-18
THE MEDDLER.



The Reformer had an item in its last
weeks issue 1t didn't seem very I'M
portant to the man who wrote 1t nor
did 1t impress the linotype operator
greatly, and when 1t came to be printed
along with "A lot of other items 1t did
not seem to stand out to any startling
extent. Probably as many as several
hundred people read 1t without feeling
any accelerated heart action. Yet the
item was important, almighty import
ant In fact. 1t had to do with a man
who says that he and his family do not
belong to the vulgar throng who like
to see their names in print" The man
was very wroth to think that his name
should have been taken i'm vain without
his permission and has given The Re-
| former staff to understand that such
n thing must not occur again. The
Meddler had not been aware that 1t
was the custom of his paper to devote
its news columns solely to 1.-The vulgar
throng who like to see their names in
print" He remembers of reading now
and then news about people who have
no great reputation for vulgarity and
yet are not averse to reading about
themselves occasionally. The Med
dler is almost willing to advance the
theory that there are a good many
people who like to see their names in
print yet are not classed with the vul-
gar throng. What a pity 1t Is anyway
that Brattleboro has such a thing as
vulgar throng. It's naughty to be vulgar
so the Sunday school teacher tells us,
and naughty people will go somewhere
besides heaven. What relief it will
se to our friend the man when they are
all gone. Perhaps some of them are
so very vulgar that they will enjoy
reading their own obituaries.
The local correspondent of the
Springfield Republican expressed the
wish of many Brattleboro people when
he argued in his last Sundays letter
for improvements In the local telephone
service. Much annoyance is caused
patrons hereabouts by overcrowded
circuits. When 10 or a dozen people
are on the same line the confusion
which results is not only annoying to
the subscribers themselves but TO the
operators as we'll. The man who has
one long and three short rings for his
call is kept on the alert every time the
bell sounds, and when his neighbor
who happens to be a doctor has for his
ring one long and two short or worse
still, one long and four short there is
a great deal of room for misunderstand-
ing. This could be entirely obviated
II the telephone company would es-
tablish here the 'selective ringing"
system whereby only the bell OF the
party wanted Is rung. Another good
feature is that by which the central Of
flee Is notified whenever a receiver is (
taken down and the Subscriber is not
obliged to do any ringing Brattleboro
is certainly a profitable town for the
telephone company In the number of
II supports, and a COM |
plant or two now and then ought to be |
given consideration at least
Speaking OF. telephones makes The |
Meddler think of the story about the /
man who, in an attack of temper. told I
a telephone operator to "go to hell" I
The insult was reported to headquar-
ters and the man was requested to APP I
which he did by ringing up
the operator and saying. I've changed I
my mind; you needn't go. Goodbye
No doubt many Brattleboro business
men. whose time is worth money will
appreciate the feelings of the above
mentioned man when he made his i'm
polite remark. but it should be remem-
oered that the telephone operator has
almost as much to put up with as the
subscriber. There are plenty of oc-
,asions when one is justified in losing
his temper at the central office, but at
lines the temper is lost at something
which is not in the least the fault of the
operator. To be pleasant and court
.ous is a part of the telephone opera
or's job, although II is frequently for
rotten; but the same obligations rest
With the subscriber.
The Meddler.