The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-09-13
Unsuspevteu Iau-es OF "Troub. e. q

Apart from the inevitable trouble"
in the intricate and sensitive equip
ment of central Offices and in the ex-
tensive system of outside lines, over
/ head and underground. the telephone
! service occasionally suffers from dis.
turbance of the circuits or instru-
ments on the subscribers premises.
! This kind OF "trouble" is difficult 70
I locate, and SO is specially annoying;
| but almost always il is perfectly
avoidahle, being caused by uncon-
/ scious carelesSness.
In one case when a subscriber re-
ported that he was unable 10 talk
through his telephone at all IL was
: found that a member OF the family
! OF the bell box of the instrument so
: that the steel bows touched against
! the binding posts 10 which the outside
/ wires are fastened, thus cutting out
both transmitter and receiver by clos
/ ing the circuit before il reached them.
Another subscriber declared that peo,
| pie who called him had been told
They don't answer" when he knew
| positively that the bell had not rung
a, all. His difficulty turned ont 10 be
/ due not To any failure of Central 10
| perform her work properly, but 10 the
/ fact that his wife had mufiied the tel
ephone bells while the baby took his
nap and had forgotten 10 remove the
muiiler
Inside telephone wiring is insulated
With the greatest care 10 protect II
against dampness and 10 keep the
wires separated from each other. II
cannot be made proof against every
thing. though. Every now and then
subscribers station fails 10 work
properly because some one stands n
dripping umbrella where IL saturates
the telephone cord and spoils the insu-
lation. or a careless Office boy does
similar damage in polishing desk set
with liquid instead OF with chamois
leather. Leaky plumbing raises hav'
oc with interior circuits every now
and then. Here and there is ner-
vous person who has habit OF jah-
bing with a pen the green silk cord OF
his desk set while he is telephoning,
with the result. Of course, that he
eventually spoils the insulation,
| which brings the wires Of the circuit
into contact and puts them out Of
commission. And many subscribers
"fidget' with the green cord when
talking. twisting and bending il be-
tween their fingers tin one Of these
| days the copper strands inside break
completely off.
Considerable unsatisfactory ser
| vice is caused by subscribers attach
ing To the telephone instrument de.
vices of one sort or another that in.
terfere with its proper working. Moth.
ing should be fastened to the trans
mitter by screwing the mouthpiece
through IL, for instance; that disar
| ranges the adjustment For obvious
reasons nothing should be stretched
over the opening Of the mouthpiece
that puts an obstacle between the
voice and the diaphragm The mouth
piece can be kept perfectly clean by
wiping IL out with dry cloth; nc
liquid should be used.
Carpenters, paper hangers, paint
ers, plumbers, and other workmeI
who, with the best intentions in the
world, move the wires temporarily
that they may better do their work
frequently either break the circuit IL
doing so, or injure il in their attempts
10 replace things as they found them
When il is necessary 10 disturb tele
phone wiring for any purpose, tn,
4 company should be asked 10 send it'
own expert men; and it will save thu
subscriber loss Of time and interrup
tiOn Of service If he will notify hii
manager al once OF any kind o
trouble" so that IL may be traco'
anu remedied rs quickly as possible
There IL no charge for calling the tx
change Office for this purpose, whoth
Ct the call is made from a subscrb
ers station" or from a public pa!
station.