Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-17
NIGHT At
PHONE EXCHANGE
Guests of Diamond State Co.
Entertained at Central"
Last Evening.

Last evening was Fathers Night at
the Diamond State Telephone Co. and
thirty men had their minds forever set
at nst about the conditions under
which their daughters are working as
operators. Incidentally they came
away, appreclating as never before the
skill and thought behind such an APP
parently simple thing as telephone
call.
From one end of the building to the
other. the guests were conducted and
everywhere they were amazed at the
sanitary and attractive surroundings.
No proverhially neat Dutch housewife
could keep things more spic and span
AS for cfiiciency--it seemed az II
| Aladdin and his magic working lamp
would be slow beside the celebrity with
which everything is accomplished at
the telephone building.
Newton Blue. whose name Is mis-
nomer. was the conductor through
the storage battery room in the base
ment and the terminal room on the
second floor. The intricate myriad
of cables was explained by Mr.. Blue,
the wire chief. and he also explained
the methods of generating electricity
and other technioalities.
Everything is reduced to system
IL a telephone stops functioning. the
trouble man need only look in a
ledger where he will find the location
of the nearest terminal, the number
of wires convcrging there, and the
exact spot where the wires are located
in the plant Likewise II n fuse burns
out as a telephone receiver is lifted
a red light in the wall indicates the
spst where the end of the wire is
situated.
In the operating room the guests
saw the toll switch board before which
the girls sit. The Diamond State
Telephone Co. employs 1873 girls, who
lchange their shifts each hour, Eff
fecient and happy, they answer $500
calls that come each hour. Each day
there are about 10000 local calls ant
/ 900 toll calls, and yet the voice will
a smile always answers promptly ant
plea asantly. If more OF the publ,
would visit the exchange (and the,
are cordially invited to do so at any
time), II is believed there would b'
less misunderstanding.
Miss Wieser. the chief operator, ex
planned to the visitors last evenin!
the demands made on the operators
patience and strength. The fathers
who knew their laughing. chatterinl
girls, were amazed to find the grea
room in absolute silence save for tn
low hum or click.
AS the men went farther through
the building they began to realiz
why, in spite of the occasionally dis
agreeable public, the girls have voiC'
with smile. They have large
o CHEEKY rest room. where gay cretonn
curtains rest their eyes as the com
= Portable arm chairs rest their bodies
. The music Of a victrola drives ava
0 the monotonous memory of ''numbe
$ please" as they relax out of sight an
= hearing of the switch boards.
At meal time the girls eat in tn
restaurant OF the company, wher
delicious food is furnished at reason
able prices. Large tables are set in
= vitingly with glass covered doll
in the center of each one to give
homelike touch. On the wall is poste
!, the attractive menu. which is change
daily by Miss Muhlhausen, the diet
:. tian Everything here is absolutel
= spotless.
The spirit OF the plant is efficienc
and courtesy. The fathers felt ths
President Harding could have receive
u no more cordial welcome than the
did. Harcourt X. Burns. distri'
superintendent Of traffic. was a mo-
gracious host throughout the ever
y ing, and his contagious enthusiasts
to for the plant made the men feel tn;
,e their daughters were fortunate 70
lel operators there.
m The guests We're Charles +. Gran
ST Harry c. Kane, b. Frank Wilkin
re John r. Calvert. l. NJ. Heron, J.
10 Shelton, David Myers. John ]. Bower
he Arthur w. McDermott. +. w. Smit
L c. NJ. Powell. James II. Burns. Stephs
Al T. Ralph. l.. i. Pollitt, NJ. V. Null
J! G. J. Walsh. George J. Dugan Ada
Grubb. +. J. Dolan, u. J. Dolan. Pet
Convery. +. NJ. Mawer. II. G. Burn
A. r. Parske, Thomas Angelini. jam
= Dragotta, Frank Sines, ]. G. William
: and Ira l.. Parker.