The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-21
INTRUSION mt! BY WIRE.
111vENTED BIZ HAVING az
CRET TE1EPHoHE RUNNERS.


Eyes, they cali me sapphira," cheer
fully admitted the operator Of the tele-
phone switchboard in q large business
house, repeNts the New York Sun. "It's
because I'm such an accomplished liar,
you know.
But, then. that is one of the things
I'm paid for; so it really isn't my fault
and / don't let 1t worry me. Perhaps the
most frequent lie have to tell is when
am asked about q dozen times day
~ the president has a private telephone
call-one not n the regular telephone
directory, you know.
OF course he has, he'd be in the/in-
sane asylum II he hadn't: but he doesn't
want everybody to know 1t. The tel
ephone was getting such nuisance to
business men that q lot Of them have
had to do this.
Now. when mans private tele-
phone rings he knows 1t really is per-
sonal call. as only few people have
his number. It Is direct call from Cen
traP and does not come over the regular
once switchboard at all.
Every operator Of a private switch
board. and Of course. every central 10
charged with keeping these private tel
ephene numbers strictly confidential.
People try lots Of different ways to
worm this information out Of US, but
they don't succeed" \
II saves my time wondertully-this
having a private cal" said q lawyer. Il
really think this plan saved me from q
nervous breakdown last yeer.
Ny private secretary has charge OF
the telephone supposed by the unini-
tiated to be the only one by which can
DO reached personally. Nine times out
Of ten the questions can be settled with
out referring to me. Occasionally, of
course. I have to speak to the person my
self.
But there was time few years ago
when could not dictate 80 much as q
note to my stenographer without being
interrupted half dozen times. That ex-
asperatfng little ting-a-ling has been
the death knell to many finely phrased
letter. As for important documents,
when debating anything that required
serious thought was obliged to have
an entirely separate room where I was
% absolutely out as though in my home
Uptown.
While, of course, I did not pretend
to speak to every person who called for
mo on the telephone, still was called
very often. 1t Il very different now.
only dozen or 80 persons know my pri-
vate call, and sometimes my telephone
does not ring more than once or twice
. day.
The telephone Is mighty good serv.
ant, but with ones name in the public
telephone directory it soon becomes q
hard MASTER"
Yes, our house number 10 private -
said q woman who has many social du-
ties, "and we guard 1t as We do the fam
lily Jewels. Only our own direct circle
Of friends are able to reach us by tel
ephone.
"As some one said to me the other day,
quite the height of modern intimacy Ia
reached in the interchange of private
telephone numbers. And 1t is true.
"You would be surprised to know the
lengths some people would 60 to discov-
er the number of q private wire. Why,
would you believe 1t, our stable is often
called up, and whoever happens to an.
swer is asked for our house number.
Yes, our telephone is now Just what II
originally was and Just what it should
be-a convenience and not nuisance 81