Popular Science Monthly 



371 



Why You Could Not Get Your 

 Man on the Wire 



The Books in the Illustration Are Holding 

 the Receiver Off the Hook, Indicating to 

 "Central" That the Line Is Still Busy 



IT is a generally conceded fact that the 

 telephone operator at "Central" is a 

 \ery necessary evil designed to teach us 

 patience; but a study of the accompany- 

 ing illustration from a photograph by 

 \'ai. B. Mintun, of Kansas City, Mo., 

 may avert a few anathemas from her 

 unsuspecting head. The picture tells 

 its own story most effectively. It may 

 not be invariably the reason why you 

 cannot get in touch with the party you 

 desire to reach by telephone, but it 

 very often happens that carelessness in 

 hanging up the receiver leaves the 

 circuit still closed, as it is when the 

 telephone is in use, indicating to Central 

 that the line is busy. The receiver must 

 suspend its full weight from the hook in 

 order to leave the line open. 



A Typewriter Made Especially 

 for the One-Armed 



IX all of the belligerent countries the 

 effort is being made to find ways 

 and devise means by which the war- 

 cripples may be able to support them- 

 selves when once more well. A German 

 has invented a t\''pcwriter that can be 

 worked with one hand and one fool. 

 Nor is a perfect hand required, for the 

 writing is done by moving a lever to 

 left and right and the only other hand- 

 movement demanded is the grasping of 

 the paper for insertion. The typewriter 

 has no keyboard and the characters are 



on a type-cylinder. A number of the 

 ordinary movements of a typewriter are 

 produced by pedals worked by the foot. 

 Thus the pa[)er is introduced by means 

 of the hand and foot, and the spacing of 

 the words is controlled by the foot, the 

 moving upwards of the paper after a 

 line is written is caused by the foot, and 

 the shifting of the type-cylinder for 

 capitals, small letters, or figures is also 

 done by foot. 



Catering to the Feminine Patrons 

 of the Bootblack 



AX adjustable wooden apron or tray 

 hinged to the seat of a shoe-shining 

 chair is a new idea which will appeal to 

 the feminine patrons of the bootblack. 

 It may be swung from a depending 

 position to a raised position in which it 

 supports the skirts of the woman who 

 is having her 

 shoes shined 

 and serves as a 

 rest for the limbs 

 as well. It also 

 prevents the 

 skirt from 

 being soiled 

 while the 

 polishing 

 is in prog- 

 ress. 



The Wooden Tray Is Adjusted by a Slight 

 Movement and Serves as a Rest for the 

 Legs and a Protection to the Skirts 



