The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-12-27

Have you ever been through mod
ern telephone exchange? If you have
and are really human, you have very
| probaBlys'beelia reformed from the
DOUBLING class and are convinced that
'the conception that the majority OF
| people have of a telephone exchange
! is all wrong; that the supposed friy
olous, chewing gum gossiping girl
| operators are in reality patient, faith
ful sometimes imposed upon young
! women, who are always active work
| ers. 1t you are in the common
| class whose skepticism, impatience
and anger are moved by the opera
tors occasional reply Zine busy" OF
| her seemingly careless delay in get
ting a number, or divers other seem
ing causes for grievance that origi
nate in a telephone exchanges "loob
! through" will afford some very in
| taresting observations and more than
likely make believer" of you.
A representative of the Dispatch had
occasion to visit the local ex
change Of the Southern Bell Company
2 Few days ago and in the course OF
questions and notwithstanding the
modern equipment installed in the
plant some months eago, Manager
T Satcher invited the reporter to take
q trip through the exchange with him
Upon going up stairs one is impressed
by the air Of quiet order and intense
but srbdued activity. 1t is a large
airy room with plenty Of light for the
work to be done there.
Where are the frivolous, novel-read
ing, chewing gum girls Certainly not
here These girls are healthy looking
intelligent workers. This fact is ap'
parent at the fiRst glance. Absolute
quiet prevails, except fer the brief re
marks Of the operators, Number
please "number4293 does not an
swer," "busy, please" Il am ringing
them for you" And each of these re-
marks is punctuated by nimble hand
inserting or Withdrawing plug, press
ing a button or lifting key, and by
trio light signals on the board. And
as che watches he is again impressed
by the manner in which these young
ladies work. They haven't time for
anything else. Not hurriedly, but rap
idly, surely and unhesitatingly they
proceed with their task, never stop
ping to ask idle questions, but fire.
quently avoiding them when they are
offered by some self-styled humorist
who is striving to drive home his So
called wit AS one listens to the eX-
PLANTATION of the manager and has each
idea demonstrated he must surely re-
alfze that the thousands of calls made
in CordeIe are handled in the most
sciapt ii cn-and mod 1Aslpaqnar,.---A
BY an ingenious arrangement Of the
switchboard the sockets are SO mum
bered as to enable the operators t
find the numbers required quickly ant
accurately 1t is apparent how the
connections are completed and the sui
scribers priyiledged to carry on then
conversation with little interruption
and absolutely no eaves-dropping OF
the part of an operator.
Everywhere one is able to see in
dications Of company spirit. These
employees seem to take an unusuG
interest and pride in the accomplish
ments Of the company, for they full!
realize that little can be done unless
they work in unison. There are few
instructors in electrical engineering
who can explain the various functions
of the switchboard more clearly thar
Miss Willie Crabb, chief operator, and
there are none who will do so more
willingly. 1t will be amusing for he1
to show you how much easier it is
to give q number to you when you are
calling than to repeat, cline busy" II
is necessary for the operator to insert
a plug into Jack or number from which
she receives an electric click or noise
into her head-sat or instrument which
denotes a busy re. She then removes
the plug and reports back to you
Zine busy" When the line is not busy
the connection can be made with much
less time and labor on the part Of the
operator; therefore, you can SEQ thai
lines are not reported busy to KeeI
from making connections. These un
fol tunato happenings are kept down
10 g minimum by careful training and
thorough supervision, but a very po-
tent factor is the human element
which cannot be entirely eliminated
Some Of the reasons for their occur
renee are, phonetic similarity Of some
numerals, the almost universal pro
pensity to transpose a number, poor
enunciation, etc.
The system Of signals is simple
ncfsless and perfect. The wires of the
telephone are connected with board
Immediately in front Of the operator.
When the receiver is lifted, one of the
tiny bulbs is Illuminated. When the
operator sees the burning light she
puts a plug in a socket near the light
thus connecting herself with the one
having taken Off the receiver. When
you have given the number you desire
40 MIN