The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-08

Every time this has been sug-
gested IL has brought forth q hearty
laugh from officials and Q wistful-
looking dry smile from the older
men of the company. The wistful
look from the older members Of the
company IL due to the fact that
they probably were telephone boys,
OF have friends who were telephone
boys.
"wAs NOT DOME.
1t is a curious fact, but when the
telephone was first brought into
commercial use, boys were used as
operators, In fact. girls were never
thought of. In the early eighties
girls were not working as much as
they are today. In fact. 1t was mot
being done" by the best people"
In those days.
Probably some OF the older resi-
dents will remember with a smile
when boys wer telephone operators.
In those days when q subscriber
when boys were telephone operators.
because they could not get q num-
Der, they found out that the opera
tcrs. were better cussers than them
selves. Then. too. IL q subscriber
get into an argument with the op-
orator. II stopped all telephone serv-
No thiouBhout tHe city' oecause the
other boys would stand around TO
near and encourage their champion.
FIRST .HELLO BOY"
The first telephone boy that WASH
lngton ever had is still living and in
n' VIII
Ns,,,,,. a. n
sales Hand Laundry. Mr.. Neyius
was the first hello girl" in WASH
ington and for q time installed at
1924 q street northwest. The sec
ond 'sbeIlo eirl" IL also in business
here He is Rem steinnatz tbe
street merchant Everett possell
who also live. here was the third
orsr.tor
=, ,hn.. aov. ..,.,hon. .n.-.,ir
wa. No, On ~. htoh nrda, ~ q, 4,
,oa. no, 90 a" ,s .me nsn oruer ma a., as
$500 I.snr 80 .s.,,,,n t. ~
80 =, .,,.,,r .hS ..,n,,
.onn ,sarnss ,h.t tha hoys
were NO, se,,ons-mindsd snouyh Tor
,.Ianhan annra,nr. "a thst s,,h
rIS eia,.. az 80, 80. 60,
Sia -. ha.,,a,a - 90. ,h.,, on, q,
auarm,h,na aid 10, ao ,,,.,I
In ,hnae 49, s,,hscr,h.rs Gould only
get teJanbone service he,ween Tho
hours OF in the morning and 6 in
the evening. At 8 o'clock the ex-
change shut up for the night: This
was about 1878. In 1879 the ex-
change moved to the old evans nulld-
ing, which occupied the site OF me
present Evans puliding on new ,ork
avenue. between Fourteenth ana FIX
teenth streets northwest
OPEN TILL II p. M.
When IL was moved the switchboard
was enlarged and for the first time
girls were employed. Then the SER
vice began to expand. The exchange
was kept open until IL o'clock at
night, the girls and some of the boys
working during the day and man
operating the exchanges at night.
The first exchange had about TWEEN
ty subscribers, mostly business
houses and stables.
The night operator In those Gays
was George r.. Danninz, ana OF tne
boy operators, two, Daniel A. Edwaros
and Harry Miller, are stu In the en-
ploy OF the local telephone company.
The nrst girls employer were
Misses LLOYD Dsht, D'on'
french ana stone. Sone vi
still living In Washing.on' out MAJ
ried ana ieit the teiephohe
years ago
CUsSED OUT sUBsCHibEHs.
With the advent of the girl oper-
ator began the slogan of the tele-
phone company 'politeness and
twenty seconds" In the old days IL
vas somewhat like Sherman's descrip-
ton Of war and about 300 seconds.
The bows in the old days not only
cussed out the subscribers, but they
ouarrelled among themselves, carved
the switchboards with their initials
and played tricks with the wires