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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



for publication, while the replies of the operator partook of the same 

 lurid nature. For there were no sissy-boys and no girls among the 

 pioneer operators of 1878-1880. 



Finally, subscriber No. 5 would make the operator understand 

 whom he desired to be connected with. Then the connection was given 

 by turning the lever of one circle to the peg to which the calling-line 

 was attached (Fig. 6), and placing the lever of the other circle on the 

 peg or post connected to the line of the calling subscriber. The boy 

 would then go back to his other work and probably forget all about the 

 two subscriber-lines connected together, until an infuriated individual 

 would rush into the office and demand the reason why some blithering 

 idiot failed to answer his bell. Then the boy would have to pacify 

 the subscriber as best he could by explaining that when two subscriber- 

 lines were connected together, the call-bell and the battery-connection 

 on each line were cut out to improve the talking qualities, and each 

 subscriber was connected straight through to each other's telephone ; 



Fig. 10. 



