The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1908-08-28
GETTING A PHONE,
Better Begin the Year Before il
You Live In Australia.

man Patience and Subtle Diplomacy
Will Finally Accomplish 1t.
Numbers Of householders who are de-
srous Of installing telephone are de-
TERED by ignorance of the department
tai regulations and the fear of red tape.
The procedure is really so simple tina t
few notes, forestalling the efforts OF
the proposed postofice publicity depart
mcnt, may prove Of interest to intend
ing subscribers.
The first step Is to write to the dep
uty +. NJ. c., stating the position OF
the premises ami asking particulars OF
the fees payable. by return post you
will receive printed card Q'orm 10,
0S2) stating that your letter has been
duly received and is having attention
| This card Is sent by the Office boy aud
| has no real bearing on the subsequent
| proceedings
After this effort the department takes
| a brief rest to recover its strength and
| then plunges into n series Of abstruse
| calculations over q period of some
weeks. The result of this mountain In
labor is an absurdly inadequate mouse
in the shape of circular Uorm CB,
ca Informing you that your telephone
will cost you fJ per annum for Il max.
imum OF 1000 originating calls. II
this startling example of departmental
omniscicnce does not overpower you
you may write to the ID. =. NJ. G. ac
ceptng his offer and instructng him tC
proceed with the work.
Within ten days or therea bout you
will receive another circular Uorm G
15iG). requesting you to sign the at
tachcd agreement and pay twelve
months rent in advance. Having done
this, you may safely take holiday.
After an interval of, say, month /
Is as well to write to the ID. L. NJ. G..
pointing out that you have only Ieas,
of the premises and are therefore anX
ious to have the telephone rs soon rs il
convenient. You will receive no rcpl.
to this Torm NY, 1913. being out o
print. but few weeks later yer,
civil spoken young man will present
half gallon BILLY" at your back doc
and request a little hot water 70
breakfast. If you direct attention {
the size of the billy the man will poin
out two of his mates who are sittin
on your roof and two others standln
in an eXpectant attitude In your bac
, garden. and II sixth man will be foun
standing ut the head of a linesman'
handcart out I'm the right Of way
The men ON the roof are discussin
} where they will fix your telephon
wire, while the men in the garden ar
waiting to catch them in case they ro
} off. This tends to show the perfectio
. OF the organization which exists in n
! great government departments.
If the weather keeps fine the nece'
5 sary wires will soon be connected. an
, nothing then remains but to obtain III
telephone instrument. After waitin;
say, two or three weeks without reSu
e you should write to the daily paper
Y directing attention to the facts an
signing yourself "Disgusted Taxpayer
= On the day following the insertion {
, your letter the official explanation
t Form 40, 73) will appear in a prom
D inent position in the news column
The explanation will set out that IL
postal department is not TO blam
since il ordered seven telephone instr
ments I'm 1904. but the demand h'
been 80 great that these have alread
been used 1t will further explain tn;
. tenders are being called for ten add
. tional instruments and arrangement
o are being made for prompt deliver
{ Again, 1t will state that all apple
\ tions are dealt with strictly in order
- priority, and rs soon as the 1856 bat
u orders are completed "Disgusted Tia
payers" application will receive imm