The Keota news., 1912-03-15
The Telephone In Emergencies.

:nent representative of The Mountain
States Telephone and Telegraph Com.
pany the other day, that while the
telephone enters so largely into the
commercial and social life Of the peo-
pie. its real value Is rarely recognized
until some emergency arises. But once
having played its part in an emer-
gency, the little instrument Is imme-
diately given high place In the re-
gard OF the people interested.
Let me give you some illustra-
tions." continued the speaker. "One
| morning travelling salesman left his
home in the Middle West for trip on
the road. Several hours afterward his
wife discovered to her horror. that he
had taken bottle OF poison from a
cabinet by mistake, leaving behind his
| bottle OF medicine, of similar size and
| shape. She was unable to say where
her husband might be found. not
knowing even the state he was in, but
| asked the telephone company to find
him at all costs. The telephone oper-
ator called his employer. got a list Of
| twenty towns in which he might be To-
Gated. and began calling these one aft
| er another. asking for the salesman.
In short time he was run down, and
talked directly to his wife, saying that
he had discovered the error and had
| written to have his medicine sent on.
1t had not occurred to him that his
wife would be alarmed.
"a wife left home to visit friends in
town fifteen miles away. After she
| had gone. some guests came unexpect-
edly. Her husband telephoned to
town midway between their home and
the house his wife was bound for,
stating that she would change cars
there and giving her description.
| telephone messenger waited at the
junction point, intercepted the woman,
brought her to the nearest telephone,
| and started her back home.
"A physician was called In the night
| to the home of a patient twenty miles
away. After he had departed, news
came that visit was unnecessary, ss
the patient was better. The Doctors
| wife csked the toll operator at the
| telephone exchange to intercept her
| husband, giving the direction in which
| he had gone. Within fifteen minutes
| he was found and turned back home,
| saving long. useless journey.
"A serious emergency arose in
| country home several miles from the
railroad. The head Of the family was
| off on an automobile trip, and his
| wife. with her sister, had gone to visit
| a friend. The latter's name was not
known. nor anything except that she
| lived N a certain Indefinite locality. 1t
was most important to find one or
both parties Immediately. The tele-
| phone operators went to work on the
clues Railroad stations along the line
most likely to be taken by the two. wo-
men were called up. and the agents
given their description. Presently
station agent was found who had seen
them get off the last train and take
carriage. Livery stables in that town
were then called and within ten min
utes the women were found and con-
nected by telephone. Simultaneously,
hotels along the route taken by the
| father In his automobile were called.
| Finally it was learned that he had just
| left a certain town, taking the road
| leading to a neighboring place. The
| telephone exchange at the latter point
was notified, messenger stationed In
the road. and the father stopped when
he came along. Both parties were To-
Gated in less than two hours.
'In a case of serious illness at night
trained nurse was wanted at
country home. Arrangements had been
made for the services Of nurse near
by, but she could not be found. In
this dilemma the telephone located an
other Eurse in neighboring town and
send her to the subscribers home in a
little more than an hour. These Incl
dents are TYPICAL
these people have learned that the
| teienhnne Ia far more than a cQnYeu.