Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-17
Station Agents and Telephones.

must be footed over again, If you can
before another clock must be set All
these calls ought to go to Central
Another gang down town has bet the
cigars for the crowd that my watch
is correct" and will leave it to the sta
ton agent. So there it goes again
The agent is just copying another
train order for some freights to meet
or pass and the phone might not have
been answered at first call but some
one ought to pay for those cigars for
the crowd, so they ring again.
Two-thirds of all the calls at the
ordinary stations are of the nature indi-
usual stations are of the nature indi-
Gated. Then perhaps when some one
who is entitled to an answer don't get
it, the agent is reported again for not
answering the phone. The public and
telephone companies in particular
should remember the railroad compan-
les do not hire men and pay them $50
to $50 per month to set your clocks
for you or to run around the station
at any time hunting up your mother
OR best girl for you to talk to over
the depot phones till the train leaves.
A man getting the salary usually has
to earn it, without answering such
calls.
You will remember that every one
in the town and country has some
business to do at the depot some time
or other and only questions relative
to rates and cars for shipments or
inquiries for goods due to arrive should
go to the depot. If train is late the
agent will gladly tell central how
many minutes late any train is and set
his clock for him once a day, and
these questions should be asked of CEN
trail or your neighbor or not at all.
At Mt. Vernon there is also large
college and at times I will venture
there are days at the closing terms
Of school when every student there
wants to know something about train
connections or the rates, and the task
gets too great for one man and he
hangs up" I would suggest that you
keep out all useless calls as much as
possible and have central answer ev-
erything relative to leaving time of
trains and setting your clocks for you
and the work for the station agent
would be such that he could answer
both you and the train dispatcher.
Besides this the railroads have their
time tables printed in every newspa-
per, posted in every hotel and waiting
room SO if you can read and UNDER
stand what you read it will not be
necessary to ask either central or the
depot for the leaving time of trains.
Then you should also carry watch
that you can depend upon and not a
gold case with a 81 movement in it
I think every station agent in Iowa
will afford the public all the Informal
ton as to rates, cars, time of trains,
and the like, and do it gladly if you
will give him to understand that it is
appreciated, and if you will appreciate
this you will show it by keeping out
all foolish calls, and if you will only
place yourself in his place for a min
ute before you ring up and think as
to whether he has just got train or
two or three to take care of before
you ring. you will find that all your
calls will be promptly answered.
In this connection it would be in
teresting to hear from every station
agent in Iowa what he thinks of a
phone in the depot. Write the editor.