Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-12-12
Tom the
Talker
o0
By JANE OSBORN
Copyright. 1913. by Mcclure Nswspspsf
6yndicato.)

eeeasssesseaaesssaeeeoeoseeeeee&
Copyright. 1913. by Mcclure Nswspapse
/ 6yndicato.)
Associates who underestimate the
actual ability Of Tom Brattle suid that
the only reason why he had forged
ahead from the post Of least of all Of
flee boys In the sales department Of
the Universal Chopping Bowl company
to the post Of head of that department
was no: because Of any superior knowl-
edge of the psychology Of people who
wanted to buy chopping bowls whole
sale or because OF any personal mag
netism. but because his tongue wagged
like wOman's. Tom BrnttIe had the
knack of talking fast and furious. but
then Tom was one son among five
daughters In family that consisted Of
i've or Six maiden aunts and grand
mother and grent.aunt and-well. Tom
had learned that II he wanted to mike
himself heard to the end the only
thing was to talk fast and leave no
chinks In the conversational structure.
II he did some one else would get
wedge In. And Tom had also noticed
In those days when he filed the Ink
wells and bought sandwiches from the
delicatessen for the "boss." Mr. Daw-
son, on busy days, that the statesmen
who got the largest orders for chop
ping bowls from customers who came
Into the Office were those who kept the
possible buyer from raising any objec-
ton to the brand Of chopping bowls
that the Universal put out.
The Universal sales department. like
every other department In every other
concern. felt the effect Of the Increased
demand for women to take the place
OF enlisted men. and the only solution
seeiped to be, when matters were ut
their worst, to enlist recruits from the
number of wives and sisters md rela-
hves OF the well-to-do members of the
concern who could not normally be
gainfully employed. Toms sisters
were employed and SO were his nunts,
but when he wanted to get new girl
for the switchboard in the sales de-
partment he made his wants known to
the heads Of the concern, and the very
recently acquired wife of one of the
sons of the president of the concern
was suggested as candidate. She
had caught the fever of general use
fulness, and having no business asset
but pleasing voice, had been prom.
ised the first vacancy rs telephone Op-
erntor-which happened to be In Toms
department.
And this suited Tom Immensely. Be
cause Tom had theory that tele-
phone operator was one of the most
important personalities about any Of
fce, especially 4 sales Office. She did
more talking than any of the other
girls employed, and talking. in Toms
estimation. was IN important thing.
And the girls in his Office had rather
looked down upon the post of tele-
phone operating. When the regular
girl for thnt job was on vacations or
Off Mt lunch they handled the wires
condescendingly. To them 1t was
matter Of minor consequence. So
when the daughter-in-lnw Of the presi-
dent of the concern was coming to
manage the switchboard. Tom felt
that this would put new light on the
Job Of switchboard operating. 1t would
lend 1t tone and show the girls Just
how important 1t was.
Then the morning that the young
Mrs. Dawson WINS coming, Mr.. Dawson
phoned In to say that Mrs. Dawson
had backed out. She had found that
1t would Interfere with her lat
homes" She hadn't realized that she
would have to be there every day, and
So
Then Tom began to talk, md he
talked fast and furiously, even though
he was talking to the son Of the presi-
dent. and having hung up the receiver
he sent to an agency for telephone
operator Of the best type. He offered
to pay her more than even he felt tel
ephone operators were worth, because
he felt now that having assured the
stenogrnphers and other girls in the
office that 80 important parsonage
as Mrs. Dawson was going to take the
Job. he could not retreat so far as
to get the usual run Of hnlf.hearted,
listless girl for the work.
Tom seldom countenanced deception,
but this time 1t was necessary; so
when he found nice-looking young
woman in businesslike apparel wait
ing to see him In the outer Office, and
she began by saying that she be-
lieved they wanted II telephone opera
tor, Tom let her get no further, but
told her on the spot, in an undertone,
that she looked as IL she would do, but
that she would have to bluff 1t out as
the daughter of the president and sop-