two telephones； numbers six and seven； the first five having gone to the junk…heap； and he attached these to a wire in his burglar…alarm office。 For two weeks his business friends played with the telephones； like boys with a fascinating toy； then Holmes nailed up a new shelf in his office； and on this shelf placed six box…telephones in a row。 These could be switched into connection with the burglar…alarm wires and any two of the six wires could be joined by a wire cord。 Nothing could have been simpler； but it was the arrival of a new idea in the business world。
The Holmes exchange was on the top floor of a little building； and in almost every other city the first exchange was as near the roof as possible； partly to save rent and partly because most of the wires were strung on roof…tops。 As the telephone itself had been born in a cellar； so the exchange was born in a garret。 Usually； too； each exchange was an off…shoot of some other wire…using business。 It was a medley of makeshifts。 Almost every part of its outfit had been made for other uses。 In Chicago all calls came in to one boy； who bawled them up a speaking… tube to the operators。 In another city a boy received the calls； wrote them on white alleys； and rolled them to the boys at the switchboard。 There was no number system。 Every one was called by name。 Even as late as 1880； when New York boasted fifteen hundred telephones； names were still in use。 And as the first telephones were used both as transmitters and receivers； there was usually posted up a rule that was highly important： 〃Don't Talk with your Ear or Listen with your Mouth。〃
To describe one of those early telephone exchanges in the silence of a printed page is a wholly impossible thing。 Nothing but a language of noise could convey the proper impression。 An editor who visited the Chicago exchange in 1879 said of it： 〃The racket is almost deafening。 Boys are rushing madly hither and thither； while others are putting in or taking out pegs from a central framework as if they were lunatics engaged in a game of fox and geese。〃 In the same year E。 J。 Hall wrote from Buffalo that his exchange with twelve boys had become 〃a perfect Bedlam。〃 By the clumsy methods of those days； from two to six boys were needed to handle each call。 And as there was usually more or less of a cat…and… dog squabble between the boys and the public； with every one yelling at the top of his voice； it may be imagined that a telephone exchange was a loud and frantic place。
Boys； as operators； proved to be most com… plete and consistent failures。 Their sins of omission and commission would fill a book。 What with whittling the switchboards； swearing at subscribers； playing tricks with the wires； and roaring on all occasions like young bulls of Bashan； the boys in the first exchanges did their full share in adding to the troubles of the business。 Nothing could be done with them。 They were immune to all schemes of discipline。 Like the MYSTERIOUS NOISES they could not be controlled； and by general consent they were abolished。 In place of the noisy and obstreperous boy came the docile； soft…voiced girl。
If ever the rush of women into the business world was an unmixed blessing； it was when the boys of the telephone exchanges were superseded by girls。 Here at its best was shown the influence of the feminine touch。 The quiet voice； pitched high； the deft fingers； the patient courtesy and attentivenessthese qualities were precisely what the gentle telephone required in its attendants。 Girls were easier to train； they did not waste time in retaliatory conversation； they were more careful； and they were much more likely to give 〃the soft answer that turneth away wrath。〃
A telephone call under the boy regime meant Bedlam and five minutes； afterwards； under the girl regime； it meant silence and twenty seconds。 Instead of the incessant tangle and tumult； there came a new species of exchangea quiet； tense place； in which several score of young ladies sit and answer the language of the switchboard lights。 Now and then； not often； the signal lamps flash too quickly for these expert phonists。 During the panic of 1907 there was one mad hour when almost every telephone in Wall Street region was being rung up by some desperate speculator。 The switchboards were ablaze with lights。 A few girls lost their heads。 One fainted and was carried to the rest…room。 But the others flung the flying shuttles of talk until； in a single exchange fifteen thousand conversations had been made possible in sixty minutes。 There are always girls in reserve for such explosive occasions； and when the hands of any operator are seen to tremble； and she has a warning red spot on each cheek； she is taken off and given a recess until she recovers her poise。
These telephone girls are the human part of a great communication machine。 They are weaving a web of talk that changes into a new pattern every minute。 How many possible combinations there are with the five million telephones of the Bell System； or what unthinkable mileage of conversation； no one has ever dared to guess。 But whoever has once seen the long line of white arms waving back and forth in front of the switchboard lights must feel that he has looked upon the very pulse of the city's life。
In 1902 the New York Telephone Company started a school； the first of its kind in the world； for the education of these telephone girls。 This school is hidden amid ranges of skyscrapers； but seventeen thousand girls discover it in the course of the year。 It is a most particular and exclusive school。 It accepts fewer than two thousand of these girls； and rejects over fifteen thousand。 Not more than one girl in every eight can measure up to its standards； and it cheerfully refuses as many students in a year as would make three Yales or Harvards。
This school is unique； too； in the fact that it charges no fees； pays every student five dollars a week； and then provides her with a job when she graduates。 But it demands that every girl shall be in good health； quick…handed； clear…voiced； and with a certain poise and alertness of manner。 Presence of mind； which； in Herbert Spencer's opinion； ought to be taught in every university； is in various ways drilled into the temperament of the telephone girl。 She is also taught the knack of concentration； so that she may carry the switchboard situation in her head； as a chess… player carries in his head the arrangement of the chess…men。 And she is much more welcome at this strange school if she is young and has never worked in other trades； where less speed and vigilance are required。
No matter how many millions of dollars may be spent upon cables and switchboards； the quality of telephone service depends upon the girl at the exchange end of the wire。 It is she who meets the public at every point。 She is the de… spatcher of all the talk trains； she is the ruler of the wire highways； and she is expected to give every passenger…voice an instantaneous express to its destination。 More is demanded from her than from any other servant of the public。 Her clients refuse to stand in line and quietly wait their turn； as they are quite willing to do in stores and theatres and barber shops and railway stations and everywhere else。 They do not see her at work and they do not know what her work is。 They do not notice that she answers a call in an average time of three and a half seconds。 They are in a hurry； or they would not be at the telephone； and each second is a minute long。 Any delay is a direct personal affront that makes a vivid impression upon their minds。 And they are not apt to remember that most of the delays and blunders are being made； not by the expert girls； but by the careless people who persist in calling wrong numbers and in ignoring the niceties of telephone etiquette。
The truth about the American telephone girl is that she has become so highly efficient that we now expect her to be a paragon of perfection。 To give the young lady her due； we must acknowledge that she has done more than any other person to introduce courtesy into the business world。 She has done most to abolish the old…time roughness and vulgarity。 She has made big business to run more smoothly than little business did； half a century ago。 She has shown us how to take the friction out of conversation； and taught us refinements of politeness which were rare even among the Beau Brummels of pre…telephonic days。 Who； for instance； until the arrival of the telephone girl； appreciated the difference between 〃Who are you？〃 and 〃Who is this？〃 Or who else has so impressed upon us the value of the rising inflection； as a gentler habit of speech？ This propaganda of politeness has gone so far that to…day the man who is profane or abusive at the telephone； is cut off from the use of it。 He is cast out as unfit for a telephone… using community。
And now； so that there shall be no anticlimax in this story of telephone development； we must turn the spot…light upon that immense aggregation of workshops in which have been made three…fifths of the telephone apparatus of the worldthe Western Electric。 The mother factory of this globe…trotting business is the biggest thing in the spacious back…yard of Chicago； and there are eleven smaller factoriesher childrenscattered over the earth from New York to Tokio。 To put its totals into a sentence； it is an enterprise of 26；000…man…power； and 40；000；000…dollar…power； and the telephonic goods that it produces in half a day are worth one hundred thousand dollarsas much； by the way； as the Western Union REFUSED to pay for the Bell patents in 1877。
The Western Electric was born in Chicago； in the ashes of the big fire of 1871； and it has grown up to its present greatness quietly； without celebrating its birthdays。 At first it had no telephones to make。 None had been invented； so it made telegraphic apparatus； burglar…alarms； electric pens； and other such things。 But in 1878； when the Western Union made its short…lived attempt to compete with the Bell Company； the Western Electric agreed to make its telephones。 Three years later； when the brief spasm of competition was ended； the Western Electric was taken in hand by the Bell people and has since then remained the great workshop of the telephone。
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