Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1913-04-04

ADA4
gets and, given provocation, We are
going to shoot-and keep ON shooting.
TELEPHONE HAB1.s.
A great deai has been said ale writ
ter on the subject Of telephone habits.
telephone manners, and the use Of
stock words and phrases over the wire.
/ The use of the word "hello" has been
quite frequently condemned, and ef-
forts have been made to eliminate 1t
On the ground that it is unnecessary
and consumes time, or to substitute
for it something else which would be
less blunt and abrupt. We desire to
utter something in defense Of this
much maligned word. As to the time
that 1t takes to utter 1t, the word con-
sumes no more time than any other
short and familiar word, and we take
1t that there is necessary some wo.d
or sentence or sound of some kind to
indicate that the connection ia com.
| plete before two persons enter into
conversation. Without something
Of the kind one would often inter
several words Of his message to find
that the other person had not hear j
him, and it would be necessary to be.
gin all over again. A "hello" from
each end Of the wire sets matters
right, and indicate that there is a clea.
deh for the business that is to follow,
One practice, however, which ought
TO be sat down On, squelched, smother
ed, dragged out and buried is the i'm
pertinent and annoying one Of ealline
number and then. asking .who ia
this'" And it h: practice that is
astonishngly.. common, Everyone ID
familiar With this sort. -,of thing.
Subscriber, Wishing. to talk to Smith j:
"9ive mo ISL" Faint "hello,,, from
the other end Of the wire. subscraber:
"Heho who 70 thisi" unfamiH.r
voice indistinctly pronounees uatanil.
lar name. Subscriber, agsnessiyely:
""hof" Voice: Jones" >. subserib-
er: Whist Jonesi", Voice: :sJean P
Jones' Of Ninth. street" Subscriber:
ansrily: "Dh got Of the; line, / don t
want you.'' And Jones would cheer.
fully commit homicide II he could
reach the other fellow, and it would
be justidable homicide at that.
The person who. makes. a call
whether by telephone or otherwise. Is
the person from whom all the over.
! lures should naturally come. No per-
sons with the ordinary instincts Of
courtesy, in looking for person In an
unfamiliar neighborhood, goes to a
mouse which he supposee to be the one
ne seeks, rings the bell, and demands:
WHO lives heref" and If it is the
wrong place makes face at the per.
son who answers the bell and kick.
the cat as he goes of. The person
who acted in that manner, would verv
properly be thrown into the ditch. Yet
tne same sort Of incivility is perperat.
ed. as matter Of course by thousands
OF people over the telephone. We cub
NIT the following as correct .cour-
teous and convenient form.
"Give me $751;"
"hello" from the other end.
"Hello. Is this Mr.. Smith at 251,u
emo. You have the wrong mum.
her,"
beg your pardon. A mistake. ~.
In that case the subscriber has oh.
tanned all the information he Is an.
titled to, namely that mistake ha.
been made in his connection. Il /.
none Of his business who Is ct the 9th.
or end Of the wire % long a. It l. not
the person he seeks. It makes no dif.
ference to him whether tho person
who answers Is Jones or Jones' wife .
aunt. And, contrary to what one
might infer from the telephone hab.
ite Of many people, person who
is called by mistake, and who il there.
fore interrupted, Is not required to
give to the chance stranger at the
other end Of the wire any information
concerning himself, his family, his
habits, the size OF his bank account
or the number Of his telephone. The
person who calls should ask for the
person with whom he wishes to talk.
then reveal his own identity and 20
ahead =. .G ~