Putnam patriot., 1920-02-13
From the Editors Desk
TRYING TIMES

One Of the stocks of human nature
heavily drawn upon during the bic
storm was patience. Those in quasi
public positions had occasion to use
their best efforts not to be irritable
OF cross during the time that people
we're practically shut in and used the
ts1ephone on the slightest provocation
10 find out what was going on in the
sutside world
The telephone exchange had to han
lie all these calls and probably not in
the history of the central office have
70 many calls come in over so pro-
sr.cted period. People were call
ing up all kinds OF public service
headquarters as well as making indi-
vidual calls and calling up business
houses. The telephone company put
On extra operators but even this ex-
ira force was unable to cope with the
situation to the satisfaction of an un-
knowing or unthinking public, Many
who used the service became peevish
at the little delays and took 1t out on
the operators. People not used to
business methods sometimes think
that, not being busy themselves, 9th
ers should take time to listen when
they wish to talk and when the curt,
condensed. answer of the business
man or woman is given, they think il
d sign that proper courtesy is lack
ing.
At the railroad station call follow
ed call and some of the most absurd
questions came over the wire. Dur
ing the early part of the storm it took
= man at the receiver every minute to
take care of the queries that people
sent in Part of the public seemed to
think that the ticket agent ought to
know as much as a train dispatcher,
and when information was not forth
coming or when quick answer was
given in the rush Of business, the tele-
phone ut the other end was hung up
and the official of the road was criti-
cised.
The freight department and the ex-
press department has had its trou-
Dlcs. There is an embargo on and
Tor some days fret hit and express
matter has not been accepted Many
people think that the officials ight
make an exception just fer once to
cake care of their personal needs and
when they are treated the same as
every one else, Of course the local Off
ciai, who has to give the refusal. gets
xhe blame.
Postmaster Alexander Gilman is
another official who had trials and
nribulations. OF course it was impos-
sible to deliver mail over the rural
routes. Although these people in the
outlying sections for years had no
service, now that mail matter Is
brought to thei rdoors they believe
chat il should be brought regardless
Of weather or anything else. A good
example of the unreasonabless of
some humans is in little instance
where man in the back-road district
called up and wanted his mail. He
said he couldn't get out to gee 1t. How
this individual. serious in his id nj,
thought that the carrier could es6
him when he admittedly could not
himself get out on account of the
deep snow, is a line of reasoning pass
ing understanding, but this only one
instance shows how uuthinking PEG
pie are when discommodel. 1t is only
a sign of the times. Once used TO
good telephone service. the public will
not brook being without it for day
without being heard from. any more
that family will hire a house with
out bath room, hot and cold water,
ct ce;era.
Perhaps when the situation returns
to normal, some of the people who
lost their tempers at what they con-
sidered lack of courtesy by those who
would have liked to serve them but
could not, will ltaink it over and real
ixe that perhaps they were little nm
reasonable themselves