Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1923-04-13
TROUBLE MANS TALKS.
Giving the "reminiscences of an ex.
Telephone Operator,

Il l learned while ago that Seat
tie boosted an automatic telephone
system; and, you know, right
down in my bones, | felt glad
when | learned that public tangled
it all up the very first thing III
spite of all the provisions that had
been made to prevent it, Not that
l like to see things torn up, but
that the public might have the les
son that it so badly needs.
1t just knows that an operator
is sound asleep or talking to her
hest friend when they have to hold
| the receiver a second or two or
three as the case may be; and |
suppose it thought something
along that same line after the COM
pany had put the splendid machin-
cry of so wonderful an invention
of modern times out of commits
sion.
OF course, when the whole city
wanted to see how it worked, it
was too much and the thing gave
way. But many the time | have
literally seen the whole city want
to know where a fire was or how
the base ball game came out or
some such thing, and the regular
force of girls to handle it. To be
sure, some people who thought
they were the only ones taht had
a right to know, tried to take up
our precious time telling us how
slow we were, not emitting a few
bad words; but we quickly pulg-
ged them out-we do not like to
hear swearing especially when We
knew that a thousand well bred
people We're waiting their turns.
You should see these Offices at
those times: they resembled a
immature city all ablaze with
lights, and there surely was some
excitement.
We were all proud of the num-
Der of calls which we could ans
wer in given time, and she who
held the record was much respect
ed, for our work was our pride. l
have always been glad that l was
a telephone operator for if you
have a hobby, and ii is the study
of human nature, there is the place
to go. You will surely find it
there.
We used ali the power that we
possessed to provoke our subserib-
ers to be satisfied with our service
and to know us, as we usually had
the same position day after day
and came to know most of their
voices.
There used to be one man on my
position of whom all the girls
We're afraid. They told me of him
and said that I must be very care
full and not let him stand even if
other calls did come in first. l
was very young those days and
not much afraid of anything, so
when the crouch, (" as the girls
called him. came in Tor his call
did | was not surprised to hear
him just storming. | couldn't get
a word in edgeways, so l plugged
him out and answered a few more
calls. Then l opened my key and
he was still at it, so l answered a
few more. The next time l listen
ed, all was quiet, so, as gently as
possible | asked him what number
he wanted. He gave it meekly
and never again bothered us with
his i'll humor.
There were so many people who
did not know what the mouthpiece
was for, or at least did not appear
to, as they never used it, and
would sound like they were in
Florida. You know you get to
seeing with your ears and | could
lust see them turning their heads
and probably looking out of the
window OF twisting around and
trying to do something else while
talking, and their conversation
was about as effective as the wind
howling. Then came complaints
that no one can hear me. =" Seems
simple, does it not? | wonder
what makes any one so careless.
It seems to me we should try to
make our talk over the telephone
as easy to be heard and as pleas
ant for the person on the other end
as possible to make up for the alb
Isence of expression of the face.
Then there was that sweet-voic-
ed old lady whom We all loved.
Her call we all wanted to answer.