Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-12-19
4 CENTRAL HAS
A TRYING R ] \ { TINE \ /:

~ IN AAe ~ 4 AiaAAz /
ODD THINGS WHICH HAPPEN TO
PHONE USERS AND SOME or
THE QUEER QUESTIONS ASKED
THE HELLO GIRL"
& People calling others on the phone
should announce the first thing who
they are and the party called should /
say who they are.
The other day the reporter had a
,fiveminute talk with man over
the phone before he could find out I
who was at the other end Of the line
and then discovered he had the wrong
party. h. IA .$
"a great many people seem actually
opposed to telling the inquirer ait the
phone who they are and a great deal
of time is wasted, when, instead Of
answering hello, the party would
give their name, great deal of use
less talk and time would be saved. a.
Some odd Implications arise from
this habit of not answering the phone
properly. Not long ago the Tribune
heard that a baby had arrived at a
certain home. The Office called lip
the house and lady answered, 'hel-
10! !.
This is the Tribune. We heard a
brand new baby came to your home
today; can you give us the particu-
lars. r.
a silvery laugh came over the phone,
then: " ..zs
Nothing doing here; you got the
wrong number" and the phone was
hung up. 81 ME-
Inquiry developed the fact that the
party having the baby had moved
from the house and bride and groom
had just moved in. $s5 f,
| But the trouble of the caller and
callee$ are as nothing in comparison
| with those of the operators at cen
trail. q II t3y$ 5g3 IA
/ Z want to talk to certain woman.
/ don't know her name or address, but
she lives On Sixth street and ia well
enough off to have telephone I.
The above, was one Of the requests
/ which for moment paralyzed central
/ the other day., and it was hard to
make the caIlsr@believe the young wo-
man at central was onto her. job when
she failed to find the party wanted
tt takes a superb disposition to be
i a hello GIRL and few realize the
Il nonsensical questions she is required
4 TO answer and be pleasant withal.
When there is a fire, as a rule, 200
ii people want to know at once the To-
cation and the extent OF the blaze.
Baseball and football results are de
1 manded in season. Central is asked
81 for the time of day, what is on. al
81 the theaters, and to, decide bets. Al
4 this takes time, and detraets from the
4 regular business of the system.
@EsI don't know the number, said a
Il. woman's voice the other day. There
is a red house On the corner and a
brown house next to it. I want the
house baekeof that
What color of ribbon is most styl-
4 ish, and what color have you got on q
came sWeetly over the phone one ev.
ening. Central thought the question
u er was fooling and it made the wo.
man at the other end Of the line mad.
h Are they wearing thin dresses
q down town today2' was one Of the
u remembered inquiries that came. one
. day last summer Another woman
called up to ask, How do you clean
gloves ?''
How do you spell Mediterranean? p
d What is the population of st.
4 Louis ~
How far is it to Michigan ~
: These are some Of the questions
Il asked by people who would make 6
q school teacher out of the phone girl
4 Do you know said she, one gets
wise at the work. fer if we don't know
4 we find out, and are ready in case
q the question is put again 5
!. But what Central believes is the
l limit Of all queries that have come
J over the wires during her career, was
4 asked by a woman Of go, who called
y up last Monday and wanted to know
4 # it would he legal for her to marry /
!. young man of 10. The license has
been secured, said she, land coult
) YOU tell US how long it will be valid r
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