Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-15
THE TEL EPHONE Girl .

coming rotten again Most telephone
girls. not all of them. are like Il husk
mattress, they require frequent
shaking up to make them any good.
There are a few girls in the Offices
who are oblising and intelligent and
there are evidently some more of
them who have natural aversion
to being polite, coupled with a mis-
cradle memory and little obvious in
telligeuce. That they can give good
service is proved by the occasional
squirt Of prompt answers and accur-
ate calls. Why can't they be good all
the time"-Shenandoah World.
department in the Shenandoah
paper Is devoted to the decelictions Of
individuals and the neighborhood gen.
orally. 1t is an Interesting column of
doubtful utility and dubious taste.
The above is clipped from it.
1t shows when one seeks occasion for
fault finding how easy it is to find a
peg upon which to hang complaint. The
telephone girls in Shenandoah may be
careless and need shaking up to make
them any good" but general experience
Of those who use telephones much ana
over long and short distance will re-
Quire further evidence of a corroborat-
i've character before they believe II.
The facts are that nowhere, in any
public utility is such constant and sue
cessful effort to serve put forth, less
heedlessness, less carelessness, more
forbearance under nervous strain or
more desire to please shown than by the
girls at the switchboards. And 1t IS
equally true that in no other public
utility does the crank take greater ao-
vantage of his opportunity to scold and
annoy.
If those who use telephones much
Will rever, - the ten thousand occa-
sions whereupon they have had every
assistance from hard work to helpful
information and suggestion from the
telephone girl they will be SLOW IN
sharp criticism. The telephone girl mas
been imposed upon ever since the first
one put on helmet and said hello to
the FIRST call Let's refrain from abuse
and false witness.
She has willingly called tens Of
thousands from their beds to take night
trains: she has minded babies over
the phone" She has told ten million
times the exact time" She has "runs
them again as many times as you
wished She has worked and watched
and quarreled with other operators TO
get your long distance call thru on I'M
lucrative occasions She has let others
walt while she secured town and coun-
try seeking the whereabouts OF the
doctor whose presence was so anxious
w desired to Your home. She has heard
your conversation which from business
or other reasons YOU desired TO keep
secret and has been as silent as the
grave. She knows more family secrets
that half the doctors. She could tell
tales that would disrupt families and
destroy regulations She is burdened
with work and loaded with responsible
ity. Under the rules her voice is ex-
pected to be clear, sweet and low as
Annie Laurie's and her temper even as
a angels.
The telephone girl does her work
She's a good girl generally, an at
tentive girl always. It's hard, nervous
work. Maybe she knows what it is to
be sick and tired and obliged to work
Perhaps the Worlds kick editor has
had experiences of a similar kind.
Mayhap he has been shaken up by
short tempered people who are quest
ing for opportunity to nag and bully
those whom it is safe to rub it in on
If so recollection should make him
kind to the degree that will send the
kick copy out short a stickful rather
than seek cause Of complaint against
class Of workers the most accommo-
dating and cheerful under difficulties
Of any he works with.
There may be telephone girls who
need scolding There are white black
birds. But not many.