The Washington herald., 1915-10-11
The Philosophy Of the Telephone.
By JOHN ID. BARRY.

The Philosophy Of the Telephone.
! BY JOHN d. BARRY.
| When the telephone invented the world
gasped with amazement and delight 1t was thrill
ing to be able to sit in and talk with people
miles away And the convenience, the saving of
labor and of time!
In this country the telephone was quick to find
popular acceptance. In Europe it was much slow
er: Even now, in some of the continental cor,-
tries, IT is comparatively little used 1t has intro
1 dueed Hello in modified forms all over the world.
But in England one is more likely to hear: Are
you there: OF this usage George Ade once re-
marked: II you were to say No. further conver-
sation would be impossible"
| 1t is only lately that we have begun to realize
| that the telephone has not been an unmtigated
blessing. Now there few bold spirits who
have the courage to call it a nuisance. 1t has un-
vacy that the world knows Its shrill cries de-
mand and actually secure precedence over every
thing else. No situation is too sacred to be in
terrupted The telephone calls its victims away
from the dining table, from intimate conversations
from important consultations from the bath, even
out of bed When you perfectly decorous
people scramble in undress through house you
may know they answering the telephone
The peremptoriness of the telephone is another
serious factor 1t noisy commands and it actu-
ally secures precedence over everything else With
in few minutes it often obtain an audience
with busy man or with great parsonage who
by any other means, would be inaccessible. Its
| authoritative cry breaks into scenes of Sickness
even OF death. 1t is easy, of course to have it
! cut off for time; but such relief may be accom-
panied by serious inconvenience both to ones self
and to ones friends.
The trouble is, OF course, that we have not
yet learned to protect ourselves. That is, Of
us have not. 1t is only the person who has
the courage and the foresight, we'll the ia
cilities required for protection Moreover by ap-
| alInp to Sir, ole haS
hold on the imagination. Out OF the mystery may
come messages that we should hate to miss.
To people OF importance, with influence that is
widely sought for, the telephone has added heavy
burden. 1t has broken down their last privacy
Once they could escape for rest and refreshment
into the sanctity OF home and find there protection
from intrusion. Now the very brevity OF the tcc-
phone appeal dsarms them This friend or that
acquaintance or the friend of acquaintance
friend begs for just moment.
The telephone cannot be kept waiting. 1t con-
veys the nervous feeling that is being
held in suspense Often the interruption comes at
trying time and 1t may come again and again
in quick succession The victim, freed from the
for his damaged feelings in scowing. or groaning
or making resentful remarks with his hand over
the mouthpece, sometimes by holding the receiver
far from his to mitigate the sound.
In many public and in most private houses
has not been taken to isolate the telephone 1t is
often found where the conversations virtually
as public as If they were heard in the street. Such
publicity may be anoying and serious. Members
who keep their affairs to themselves arc cXasper-
ated at having OF their private affairs ex-
posed. In small communities grave danger often
done by the gossip CLEANED from party lines. There
ought to be word coined TO express this new kind
OF eavesdropplng.
Even on people who have the facilities to pro-
ect themselves the telephone still has grip. To
shake II of requires initiative and courage. In
social life some sensitive women feel hurt unless
their telephone calls personally answered For
most business men there Is no escape. Many men
spend d large part OF the day the telephone, at
cost Of great nervous tension. For the tele-
phone talk even apart from the fatigue caused
bv the position Of tho body and hv holding the
receiver. requires intens" physical and mental
certraton. Nervous people mud the telephone talk
extremely exhausting. There people who
would willingly make A trip extending over con
siderable distance rather than have telephone talk
OF five minutes. The reason i that they could
make trip quietly and comfortably; but i'll the
telephone talk tyrannical conditions imposed.
Here. indeed. is OF the most important
suits of the use of the telephone: in business and
in social relations s influence has been to elimi-
nate personal contact, which, rule, gives
variety and interest and pleasure. The value OF
such contact in its effects upon business many
men of affairs fully realize. As result. these
are apt to make it rule to try transact
important piece OF business over the wire. In such
matters they use II chiefly TO make appointments
for consultation.
Some public men have formally rebclled against
the telephone Il will not be the slave of any man
or OF his invention" said Tom Johnson. while
mayor OF Cleveland. when he asked to leave
his table to respond the call of tho telephone
AS with most public men, the telephone had ceased
to have hold his curiosity. HI knew that
when people called him up it not usually to
lessen but to add to his cares. 1t not uncommon
for public to be called up in the middle of
the night by people who have claim on them
whatever.
The telephone companies have tried to give
some protection to subscribers by establishing
what they call private telephones. As the mem
scribers telephone is made give the service for
which most people chiefly use it, not to receive,
but to send messages.
OF course the telephone is performing mar
veous service. But its merits fully appreciated
What is needed is means of keeping it from be-