Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-01-31
GREAT MODERN PUBLIC UTILITY
Some Observations, Humorous and
Otherwise, in Connection With
the Telephone Service.

OuUcT the HlSn pressure VI HUI
ern business the telephone is as es-
tential to the advancement and well
fare of the business house as the
books and accounts Of the con-
Germ, says an exchange. 1t applies
equally to the little corner grocery
and the mammoth mercantile estab-
lishment. Over the telephone of the
former the housewife orders a pack
age of coffee, which in proportion to
parties concerned is as important as
the order for $4,000 worth of in
dustrial securities given by phone to
the brokerage house by their wealthy
customers. Inquiry at several of the
grocery stores and butcher shops re-
vealed the fact that more than rs
per cent of the daily orders are re-
ceived over the telephone.
This proportion is far exceeded by
the calls received by doctors when
immediate assistance is required. A
physician or surgeon without a tele-
phone, not only at his Office, but at
his home, would be as much of a
novelty as millinery store without
mirror. But the greatest neces-
sity of the telephone is reached as
an informer of fires. Notwithstand-
ing the installation of efficient fire
alarm systems in every city in the
land, the largest proportion of fire
calls comes over the telephone. So
universal has the use of the tele-
phone become in this particular, that
the first page of every telephone d.
rectory in the land has instructions
in loroo mint stating hnu n Tho
event of fire, to call central, inform
her of the location of the fire and
above all speak slowly and not too
loud.
In the social world, this absolute
annihilator of distance is every bit
as great factor as it is in every 9TH
er walk of life. Where the scented
note once made or broke social en-
gagements, the tinkle of the phone
bell now is the feature. But the
telephone, which, in it's crude state
was an astounding miracle in the
past generation, is now so interviewer
in our every day life, that it is
taken as mere matter of fact.
While volumes have been written
about the universal uses of the tele-
phone, but little has been said about
the central girl or operator. Some
the manual system of exchange. The
latter exchanges require more or less
manual manipulation, especially the
long distance wires.
If any one has any idea that the
central girls pay any attention to
the conversation that transpires be-
tween subscribers, a visit of half an
hour any morning to any of the large
switchboards will quickly dispel it.
The small round announcers in front
of the girls are cropping with the
frequency of hailstones. During the
busy hours of the day one operator
will answer and connect 20 calls
minute.
Number, number, lines busy"
coming from the different operators
in steady tone, minute after minute
and hour after hour, would seem to
get on the nerves of the young ladies.
But they have no time to pay the
slightest attention to the business
conversation of their fellow workers.
OF course humorous things hap
pen at times, which for a moment
relieve the nerve-racking monotony.
Many telephone users instead of
looking for the number they want,
just call for the place intended. After
several months at the switchboard
the girls memoriZe hundreds of num-
bers.
A few weeks ago a call came in for
doctor and new operator made
mistake and plugged in butcher
shop. After the girl had rang the
bell, she noticed her blunder and
informed the vender of meats that
she had made mistake.
"Steak, did you say?" asked the
butcher. What kind of steak"
Mistake in the CALL" answered
the operator. Then the person who
wanted the doctor. broke into the
conversation.
"A bad cut and | would like you
to hurry and" He got no farther
as the operator disconnected the
butcher, who scratched his head over
the queerest order he ever tried to
take.
The long distance operators, how
ever, are the ones who get the hum
orous situations occasionally. Dur
ing the recent three days strike of
the Italian section men on the Paci-
fic railroad, son of Italy walked
into one of the local exchanges and
said to the girl at the window:
How Gamma da man talka to da
Rock?"
1t required the combined services
of the operator, the bookkeeper and
a messenger boy to learn that the
man wanted to talk to another Sec
ton man at Rocker. After the Ital-
ian at Rocker had been located the
nervous man at the window was told
to step into booth, as everything
was ready. Leaving the booth door
ajar, he stepped to the transmitter
and without unlocking the receiver,
he yelled:
'Ah Luggi, dis lisa da Pete" Re-
ceiving no answer he repeated the
statement at the top of his voice.
Again receiving no answer he walked
out of the booth and said:
'iShe is too far to da Rock. Luggi
don't hear a me-"
Eventually all was Strengthened
out and after his conversation he
stepped to the window and asked
how much the charge was. On be-
ing told that he owed % cents he
produced the money and with an ex-
pansive smile he said:
'Taka ia mon and soma time