The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-02-10
COBB COUNTY'S.,
TELEPHONES

lGlGDIO0oS :,
in proportion TO population, than any
other county in the State and also a
greater number of exchanges. There
are exchanges i'm Marietta, Acworth.
smyrna, Austel, Roswell and Powder
Springs, and farmers exchanges at
Lost Mountain, Blackweu's, Camp
Ground, Terry's store, and one, just
installed, at Macland From each of
these exchanges lines extend to
houses near by
The city has 500 telephones, there
are thirteen farmers lines, two lines
to Smyrna, on which citizens of Mari
eta do not pay, and four lines to At
lanta, over which the charges are very
moderate and the service fine. Long
distance operators here are the busiest
workers imaginable. They not only
have to talk necessarily, changing the
subject often, but use both hands with
wonderful rapidity in filling out cards
with pencils, making wire connections
and manipulating the two levers of
the calculagraph.
Did you ever see one?
1t is a running clock with its face
upon the ledge of the exchange near
the long distance operator. AS a con
versation begins, a slip of paper is
placed under the face of this clock and
the right hand lever is pulled forward,
thus marking the exact time AS the
conversation ends the left hand lever
is pulled forward to mark the time so
a record is accurately kept. Names
are filled in with a pencil.
During the cotton season there are
two long distance operators constantly
busy as bees, but they do not buzz
nor hum. They speak distinctly, rapid
ly and with an intonation showing
they are sitting up and taking no
tice" and expect you to do likewise if
you are at the other end of the line
Talking to Atlanta from Marietta is as
easy as talking across a dinner table
Mr.. Homer McClatchey is the man
ager of the telephone system in which
Marietta is included, and Mr.. H. f.
Kile is the wire chief The Marietta
Exchange is in the Reynolds building,
on the second floor, and is a comfort
able, quiet place.
Mr.. Kile and Miss Dora Sroufe
chief operator, are in charge of the
exchange. There is a room, next to
the operating room, in which the
young ladies rest and refresh them
selves. They also go to the front bal
cony, overlooking the park, for
breath of fresh air, or down to one of
the drug stores for a cool drink dur
ing their fifteen minutes of rest from
volleys of 'helloes"
Each girl can attend to 200 phones,
but Mr.. McClatchey is arranging the
exchange now so two more operators
can be added, thus relieving the others
to a greater extent
Misses Lillian Webb and Jennie
Feagin are the long distance opera
tors, Miss Flora Reed and Miss Rosa
mOnd Beshers are the night operators
and relieve each other. Miss Mary
Harrison and Misses Ellie and Lizzie
Kincaid are the day operators Dur
ing the busy morning hours these
faithful girls often sit constantly at
their wearing work If one does not
seem attentive enough in replying to
your calls, just remember they are not
mechanical dolls nor angels sojourn-
ing on earth, but human beings, more
or less like yourself, and the surest
way to get the best service from them
is to set an example of rectitude in
speaking yourself.
The telephone girls do not often
have time to say, Speak up, Ike, and
'spress yourself" but they have at
times replied to my call for certain
numbers by saying, She's gone to At
lanta"
Miss Sroufe had four years expe-
rience before taking charge of the
Marietta Exchange. She keeps rec
ords by system of cards, relieves
operators who are indisposed or alb
sent, and attends TO the cOmpany's
correspondence
Mr.. McClatchey's office is on the
first floor of the Anderson building,
and he has Miss Scott and Miss Nell
to assist him. At this time the Tele-
phone Company has Mr.. Rivers, from
Atlanta, preparing very greatly i'm
proved directory of subscribers
1t is wonderful to think of the i'm
provements in telephOning, but to go
into an exchange and see the miracu.
lous contrivances to perfect the work
ing of metallic vocal chords, that must
never rest nor become hoarse, strikes |
even woman dumb and deaf to the
explanations of her scientific com.
panions. For instance, there are du-
plicate pole changers, two complicated
and delicate machines under big glass
covers-but what is the use Of listening
to talk about positive and negative |
poles, volunteers, instruments by
which an electrician can locate trou-
bic on the wires? A sight OF those
wires, cables, meters and the never
ceasing electric motor that keeps the
corrent alive, like the breath Of life in