“Woman Workers – Telephone Girl”

The Omaha Bee, August 12, 1900

This article was originally published in the September 2023, Issue 3, of the Retiree Guardian. Newsletter of the CenturyLink Retirees.

To the thousands of Omaha citizens who make use of the telephone as a daily, perhaps hourly necessity, “Central” is a disembodied voice, low and well-modulated.

Tempted by the sweetness of its tone, audacious ones have even sought to lift the veil and behold the priestess only to meet with business-like rebuff, for Central is a busy young woman and the eye and ear of the chief operator are keen.

In the large exchange room of the telephone building sit eight young women with deft fingers and quick ears. Their work requires intelligence and education and the girls are above average in dress and hearing. Each operator cares for 100 numbers, each of which surmounts a tiny trap door. When a patron makes a call, a small electric bulb glows and the trap door falls. On a lower keyboard are columns of holes covering every ‘phone on the list, and the operator thrusts the patron’s plug into the number sought.

Some women have proved themselves worthy of greater responsibility. One of these is Mrs. Ford, “No.2,” who has been in service for ten years and is an assistant to the manager. She works the switchboard and does in addition a large amount of office work. Inquiries of every sort referring to the removal and setting up of telephones come to her desk and she is obliged to be thoroughly posted as to the prices of desk telephones, long distance batteries and all sorts of supplies. She finds every hour of the day from 8 to 6 filled to overflowing.

Another interesting personality is the long distance operator, “901”, who has under her charge five of the most intelligent girls in the service. When a customer announces he wishes to speak to William White in Galesburg, the operator must know where the city is located and how to obtain a wire straight to the desired location. Over the long-distance wire, a customer is charged by the minute and this time limit has been the source of much bitterness of spirit on the part of patrons. The man at the ‘phone becomes engaged in conversation and fails to realize the flight of minutes until confronted by the bill which he disputes. This difficulty has now been done away with by the “calculagraph,” a clever device which register minutes and seconds. The operator stamps the knob governing the machine at the exact second the conversation begins and concludes. Any dissatisfied patron is confronted by the testimony of typewritten figures – which never lie.

The fire and police operator, “No. 37,” is also a young woman of many cares and responsibilities. “In case of fire, call 37” is the notice posted on every telephone in the city. When the location of the fire is announced, 37 presses a lever which sounds a gong in every fire house. At the same instant the bars confining the horses are dropped by electric connection and every animal springs to his place. The captain at each house hurries to his telephone and 37 announces the location several times. If the fire is within his territory the captain shouts to his men and they are up and away. Emergency calls make up the smallest part of her duties. Every hour the eighty members of the police and detective forces call in for instructions from all over the city. If property has been lost or a crime committed it is 37’s duty to give out the descriptions as read to her by the desk sergeant at the police station. Within sixty minutes every patrolman on the force comes into any information which the captain in charge may wish him to make use of. If a patrolman fails to call in at the proper time, 37 at once notifies the station and detectives are sent to his beat to ascertain whether he has met with accident or foul play.

For the benefit of the young women employees, the management has provided every facility for comfort and good health. It is necessary for the windows to be located high above the floor to lock out the rumble of passing trucks. Electric fans are largely relied upon for ventilation. There is never a lack of cooling air currents. At the lunch hour most of the girls open baskets brought from home and spread them upon a long table in a cool room. There is an attendant who prepares tea. The hours of labor range between eight and nine, with a shifting scale, in order that the less desirable “tricks” may be apportioned among all alike. While there is little leisure for the operator, her work would not be considered exhausting and has many pleasant features. There are occasions of excitement when the public appears to rely upon the operator as a divinity who knows all things. Recently, when a large jobbing house decided to locate in Omaha, the fact was celebrated by a general blowing of whistles. The public had no warning of the news and every man rushed to his telephone. Almost every one of the 2,700 trap doors on the long keyboard dropped and the operators were hopelessly swamped for an hour!