The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-19

s!ie nous an answering plug in her
right hand and the left hand rests on
the keyboard with the listening KEY
open, 50 that when the little light
cores in she merely inserts the plug
and as she does so she uses the phrase
Number, please?' The subscriber then
gives her the number called for and she
repeats to him in an authorized manner
the number requested.
When an Operator Cuts in.
Il often wondered how it was that
the operator could tell when a sub
scriber has answered or IL he was still
Z talking TO some one. without coming in
on the line. This is accomplished by a
small liSht on each cord. which I have
already mentioned and which are
called supervisory signals. When the
! operator answers a subscriber the lit
Tie hght on the answering cord does
rot flash, but VIII n she inserts the
calling plug in a jack it lights UP the
| corresponding lamp TO that cord and
as soon as the subscriber answers the
little light goes out, so that while the
subscribers are talking the lamps ava.
in normal condition. AS soon. though,
as one subscriber or both hang up the
receiver these small lights appear in
stantly. If both lights appear. the Op-
orator breaks the connection by TAX
ing down the answering cord first and
! then the calling cord, without going in
Z
on the calling cord appears the opsr-
ator goes in on the connection with
the phrase. Did you get them If the
subscriber wants another number she
completes the connection Immediately.
Eut If signal on the answering cord
comes in she also goes in on the con-
nection with the phrase Did you get
/ them?'
1T is often asked how an operator
can complete connection TO any
, number that is called for. This is ac-
cOmplished by duplicating the num-
bers, or multiplying them. as we call
II. In other words the number is re-
peated on the switchboard every three
positions, so that no matter what
| number you call for. the operator has
access to it, either to the right or to
the left. Then the question comes up.
How can the operator tell whether the
line is busy or not?' This we find out
by touching the tip of our plug twice
to the rim of the jack. If the line is
busy we receive click in our receiver
which to us signifies that we must not
insert our plug in that Jack while the
busy test is on it. To do so is direct
violation of the rules and L am sure
no subscriber will ask an opera tor to
switch on a busy line when her posi-
ton is at stake. If the number you
call for is some number that is inn
portant and that you must he connect
81 with it Immediately ask for the
chief operator and she viii then take
the matter up, and if possible viii ask
the parties using the line to give il
up for a few moments. But this is
only done in extreme cases, as in cases
of sickness or some great emergency
When She Says, Can't Get Them.
In ringing up subscriber for whom
you may have called, we give a ring
of two seconds duration. We then
No ~.
ring. If at the end of the next fifteen
seconds no response is received a third
ring is given. At the end of this fif
teen seconds we go in on the cOnnec-
ton and use the phrase, 1 can't get
them Now. when the operator says.
I can't get them it merely means
THAT the person desired doesn't an
SWer his telephone. 1t may be due to
the fact that he is in some part of the
house and doesn't hear the bell or il
IL is in a store or some place of bust
ness. il may be possible that the sun
scriber cannot answer the telephone at
that moment. Some subscribers are
very persistent in demanding that tn
operator give loud rings, hard rings
as they express il.
For the benefit of some subscribers
I wish TO explain that when yeu call
for a number and you get no response
and the operator reports the fact to
you. the call is then passed to an Op-
orator who looks after cases of just
this character. For example: $50
wants 1909 Z and the operator is I'M
able TO get them. She presses a small
button on the switchboard which con-
meets her Immediately with the don't
answer operator and she says to the
latter: '235 wants 1909 H. The don't
answer operator then makes Il record
Of this. and for "A period Of one-half
hour she endeavors to raise 1909 T. IF
she succeeds she asks the party TO wait
while she calls 235 and informs thsm
that she now has 1909 Il. In case she
Is unable to complete the connection 1t
is then referred to the trouble depart
ment where il is tested to see if there
is trouble on the line.
IF the line tests o. X they en-
Geavor again 10 raise the subscriber
before sending out a trouble man. Fail
ing again. the trouble mar is sent 10
that particular telephone and in a ma
jority OF cases he finds no one at home.
II a subscriber becomes impatient
while the operator is ringing the party
and he works his receiver hook up and
down. the act may attract the opera
tors attention. but so many persons
work the receiver hook up and down
so fast ii does not operate the little
signals on the cord. When you wish
to attract the operators attention work
Your receiver hook up and down slowly
two or three times. This should be
Gone whenever you wish The second
mum Der after you have had a connec-
ton with some other subscriber.
Subscribers often wonder why il is
when they call central and ask her the
correct time that they are directed to
ask the chief operator. This is None
to relieve the operator of all unneces-
Sary talking at the board. and further
mora the clock is so located that the
operators cannot see it. Train reports
new telephones. changes and other
Information that you may desire are
al referred to the chief operator. II
at any time the operator is impudent
to you. don't ask her for her name as
she is not allowed to give it, but ask
for her number, which will be gladly
given at all times.
Sending in Fire Calls.
''When a subscriber calls for the fire
departments numbers at any one of
the three local stations the operator
questions the cali as follows: Is there
fire2' This may seem strange TO the
public in general, but it is done to
shorten the time in giving in alarms
As soon as the subscriber says, There
is fire. the operator press a button
which is located at the switchboard I'm
easy reach of all operators. AS soon
as the button is pressed it releases the
horses at the various stations.
Some subscribers are under the i'm
preston that the operators listen to
their converse ions This however Is