The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-19

Sometimes operators on the local board
learn of amusing telephone situations.
Generally they come to their notice when
one of the parties that figured in the
situation calls up the second time to COM
plain, as the operators have not time 20
listen in" during calls. except in cases of
lire. when they are required to by the
rules to listen to correct mistakes that
might result from excitement of the sub
scr1Der. Almost invariably the trouble,
When a wrong number is secured, is the
result of the failure on the part of the
subscriber TO give the number clearly.
which causes the operator to mistake it
for another similar number. There was
one case recently where a woman sub
scriber was connected with the county
jail and inquired whether her husband
answer. What is his name?'' She gave
the name and waited. Presently the jailer
called I'D and said. 81 don't find his name
or the book What was he sent up for?'
This is the county jail replied the
iailer. Soon afterward. this case was
brought forcibly to the attention of the
exchange manager. Probably in this in
stance the subscriber when calling the
number the second time, was not an
swered by the same operator. as a call
from telephone NAV be answered by any
one of the thirty-eight girls at the board,
and II is seldom that one girl answers two
calls in succession from the same sub
scriber.
When Work Is Over.
Another housewife in the belief that she
was talking with her butcher asked a
Well-known Salt Lake undertaken if ne
had anS nice soup bones. He told her he
had several bones. but he could not rec
ommend them for the purpose she indi-
Gated.
A man called a local hospital, believing
he had the electric light company. He
asked for the operating department. and
was told that there was moody there
Don't you keep somebody there all the
time?' he asked. mo we don't was the
answer. We'll. that is funny way to
do business It's the way We do bust
end of the line when the doctors get
through with their operations they go
home"
An Honorable Profession.
What becomes of the telephone operat-
oTs? Like other girls many of them
marry, after a short period Some of the
most prominent and wealthy women of
the state do not hesitate to tell their
| friends that they have been operators for
the Bell Telephone company. Many of
| the girls are students of the high school,
and other institutions. Some of them are
compelled by circumstances to drop their
studies for time and they return to COM
plete the school courses after working
for a time. During 1906 one hundred and
| fifteen operators left the service of the
Bell company. Thirteen gave as reasons
/ that they had other positions; seven did
not like night work; fourteen assigned
poor health as their reason; four left and
returned to school; eleven left the city;
| two were transferred to other depart
ments; seventeen gave no reason; twenty
five were discharged, and twenty resigned
to be married
Undoubtedly the telephone operator suf-
| fers beyond her deserts the result of
| irritating influences working on the sub
scriber and for which the operator is not
responsible, and over which she has no
control She always tries to assist the
subscriber in getting the connection de-
sired as speedily as possible. 1t is much
easier for her to complete connection
than to explain that the line is busy, and
it is not her fault that a line is busy.
One woman called the central office
several mornings in succession and asked
| TO have her bell rung hard The opera
tors complied with her request each day
for about week and then one of them in
quired the nature of the trouble on the
line. Doesn't your bell ring clearly?"
asked the operator "Oh, yes. the bell is
all right but | have been getting you to
ring it because the baby likes to hear it, y
was the reply.
wrote a set of resolutions not long ago
which were lovingly and approximately in
corporated in little souvenir book pre-
pared by the exchanges of the Chicago
Telephone company. The verses follow;
And Then the Muse.
The telephone subscriber, at the ending of
the year,
Took down his phone receiver and put it
to his ear.
Hello" he said. 80 Central girl, con-
nections do not break;
1 have some resolutions l am just about
to make
thereafter, when 1 am calling for num-
Der, 1 shall not
Fly into bitter tantrums if the number
can't be got
Hereafter, when you signal, Line is
busy, call again,
L shall not be so foolish as to blame it
on you then.
Hereafter when the telephone begins to
ring full strong,
shall answer in hurry lest keep you
waiting long.
Hereafter when 1 make call and am de-
layed bit
shall not flash like fury, or act as in a
fit.
Hereafter. when I'm angry when the
talking is not clear,
shall not yelp profanely till / blister up
your ear.
Hereafter, when another on my party
line is called
shall not rubber, either, till the line of
talk is stalled.
"Hereafter-O, hereafter, Central girl, I'll
try to be
Just as mild and calm and pleasant as
you always are with me-"
The operators and that portion of the
public who understand the inside cOndi-
lions that govern the operation of a tel
ephone exchange unite in commencing the
beautiful sentiments expressed above to
all telephone users with the firm con-
viction that they will lead to better I'M
Outstanding all round. to better service
and will add greatly to human happiness
and material prosperity.
THE FIRST BRAINSTORM.
New York Sum-