The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18
The Chinese Telephone Exchange Is
situated in the Heart OF that
City's Chinatown.
A GOD RESTS ON AN ALTAR
EXCHANGE HAS BEEN IN OPERATION
FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
The Operators Use the Same Cry as
Americans-A Kitchen i'm the Rear
of the Telephone Room.

lone of the most interesting sights l saw
during my recent stay in San Francisco was
the Chinese telephone exchange" said Ed
gar III. Flagler, indianapolis man whose
position as general travelling representative
of a big music-publishing firm in Cincin-
natl has required him to make two trips to
the Pacific coast within the last six months
THE exchange. which is situated in the
heart of Chinatown. differs from any other
in that city, or, for that matter. in the
world. i'm that it is gorgeous with Oriental
beauty and a marvel of luxurious splendor.
The telephone company has taken great
pains to make its exchange one of the show
places in Chinatown, and has spared no ex-
pense to obtain that result.
1T is three-story building. the first floor
of which is occupied by a store whose own
ers have refitted and decorated it so as to
make it in accord with the rest of the struc-
ture. The entrance to the exchange Is up q
narrow flight of stairs. at the head of which
is a gayly decorated sign in Chinese letters
announcing the presence of the telephone.
which, strange it may seem, is among
the most popular of the American inven-
tons among the Chinese. When a visitor
enters the anteroom he is met by smil-
ing and bowling young Chinaman, whose
sole duty it is to make all callers welcome.
Near the doorway Is a richly carved table.
on which are kept tobacco and cigarette
bowls. while in a silk-covered caddy stands
a large teapot, which is always kept filled
with tea of the very best quality. Tea and
o;er olxx iCyt
compliment of hospitality without which no
Chinese transaction is considered complete.
A GOD IN THE ROOM.
"At the furthest end of the room opposite
the entrance rests a JOSS, or god, on an
altar of considerable size and great rich
ness. The image is ornamented with costly
jewelry and the everlasting punk-stcks,
without which no Chinese house place of
business would be complete, are burning at
his feet. He is the god of the telephone.
and as such must be honored with all of the
reverence that is due him. To many Of the
Chinese the telephone still holds to a GER
tain degree, its qualities of the super
natural, and the presence of the joss is not
so much a luxury it is an actual neces-
sity. The telephone room, in which the
switchboard is placed. Is sayly decorated
with paper dragons and serpents of bril-
liant hue, and there are some beautiful lam
terms, such as only the Chinese know how
to manufacture. hanging from the ceiling.
The walls are hung with banners of red,
yellow and gold. Along one side of the
room is row of teakwood chairs with
cushions OF silk on them, while near the
switchboard are a row Of small black stools,
such as, one sees in every shop in China
town. The switchboard itself is almost ex-
actly like that of the Indianapolis exchange,
except that it is much smaller.
"Of course, all of the operators are Chi
nese-male Chinese. 1t had been the orig
inal intention to have girl operators when
the exchange was first fitted up, and the
Chinese managers still hope to be able some
time to employ young women. But when
| the company found that the dainty little
Acknowledged maids would be unobtain-
able unless purchased outright from their
parents or guardians, and that 1t would be
almost necessary to keep a number of
| armed men on hand to guard them. to, say
nothing of an official chaperon to look after
the proprietes, the idea of girl operators
was abandoned.
place an indianapolis operator In that
exchange in the morning, and she would
probably be taken away to an insane asy-
lum before nightfall. In addition to the
| $50 numbers on the exchange, there are
nearly $50 telephones which are either in
| Chinese lodging houses in clubrooms.
/ The Chinese, you know, are great people
for clubs, and there are any amount of
| these clubs in Chinatown. The operators
have nearly 1900 names to remember, to-
/ gether with the place Of residence OF the
| owners of the names. For instance, Chong
Sing rings his telephone and says he wishes
| to converse over the wire with Hi Kong
! Loo He gives no number, for Hi Kong Loo
| lives in some big lodging house and has no
telephone number. 1t is the duty of the
operator to scare up Hi Kong Loo. and in
some mysterious manner he manages to dc
his duty. The memory of the employees OF
| the exchange is marvellous.
FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
1.-THE Chinese telephone exchange has
| been in existence in San Francisco for near
ly fifteen years, but it is only recently that
it has been remodeled and made such a
luxurious establishment. / understand that
| before il was refitted it was miserably
dirty and otherwise disagreeable place fol
| an American to visit. The manager of the
| exchange speaks good English, and is g
man of much intelligence. He says that the
telephone is an important factor of life in
| Chinatown, and that his countrymen Otter
transact very important business over the
wires. For that reason there are no party
wires, but each number has its own wire
If such were not the case, the company
could not get any of their countrymen Il
use the phones under any circumstances.
THE operators use the same cry in an
swer to a call that all American operator:
employ, saying hello in a CHEEKY, good
humored sort of way, but with the queer
sing-songy tone that is characteristic of tn,
language of the race. The manager toll,
me that the first Chinese telephone ex
change in San Francisco was situated IL
the Office of a native newspaper called
Nun Kee, and that since that time ever,
operator is known by the nickname of Mul
Kee. Only those that understand Englisl
pretty well appreciate the joke when
Chinaman at the other end of the wire ask
in his native language, is this Munkee
running the two words together in thei
customary way.
"In the rear of the telephone room is
kitchen. small. but neat and complete