Evolution of Telephones 73 



is not expected to attend to all the callers 

 they represent, and all the numbers which 

 she has on her board will be duplicated on 

 others. 



Immediately one of the eyes flashes its 

 message, the telephonist plugs into the jack, 

 and asks for the number required. If the 

 number should be on the same exchange, 

 i.e. a local one, the connection is made at 

 once, but should it be for a long-distance 

 call, then several connections will have to 

 be made. 



The telephonist enters the service as a 

 young girl, often as a girl probationer. 

 These have indoor work something like 

 that given to juniors in a commercial office; 

 collecting duties and so on. Then she 

 passes to the telephone school, though a 

 few are selected to be trained in telegraphy. 

 As more telephonists are usually required 

 than there are girl probationers, there is 

 also the direct entry into the class from the 

 ages of 1 6 to 19. The training is a very 

 careful one, and any girl who cannot adapt 

 herself to the work must seek employment 



