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OPERATOR REPORTS REACTIONS
Salem People Get 'Polite7
Rating From Phone Girls
By CHRIS K0W1TZ, Jr.
Put telephone in the hands of a Salem resident and you have
a mannerly, polite, out ouen-coniusea, inaiviauai. lane u irom
the girls who know the telephone operators.
To the operator!' eyes, the public is nothing but a maze of holes
in a huge punchboard-like wall. The ladies who man the switch
boards meet Mr. and Mrs. Pub-
Voice With a Smile Norma Jean Loewen (above), is one
of the Salem telephone operators who handles information
calls. She lives at 1S20 Trade street, Salem.
New Fireless
Guided Rocket
Los Angeles, Nov. 15 (U.B The
airforce today unwrapped its
"Firebird," a guided rocket with
"human intelligence," and broke
a two years' silence by releasing
data on another missile.
The pilotless "Firebird," the
air force's first air-to-air missile,
is launched from a "mother"
jet fighter plane. It is capable
of heading off and destroying
enemy aircraft in a matter of
seconds so speedily it is dif
ficult to track on radar scopes.
The air force, in a release to
the Seattle Post Intelligencer,
also released some data on a
guided missile that has been
fired to altitudes higher than
those attained by any known
aircraft.
An air force spokesman said
the missile, named "Gapa, can
fly faster than sound and was
designed to seek out and destroy
enemy aircraft.
The "Firebird" gains its in
telligence from a complicated ra-
ar navigational system.
The target is first located by
the missile's mother plane which
directs launching of the projec
tile from external launching
racks. The warhead explodes
when close enough to an enemy
aircraft to insure destruction,
Both the "Firebird" and the
"Gapa" have undergone firing
tests at Holloman air force base,
Alamogordo, N.M. The "Fire
bird was developed by the
Ryan Aeronautical Co., of San
Diego, Cat., at a cost of $2,000,
000. The "Gapa" is a product
of Boeing Aircraft Co.
lie through mouth and ear only.
And from the listening point
of a tall operator's stool, Salem
people are generally pleasant to
talk with.
The girls with the pleasant
voice and phone number every
body knows, agree on two points:
(1) the average telephone user
in the Salem area is earnest in
his efforts to use his phone cor
rectly; (2) but he is usually just
a bit bewildered as to certain
phases of telephoning technique.
Telephone users may make
things more pleasant for the
operators by following a few
simple suggestions set down by
the girls themselves.
Louise Pettit of 270 North
23rd street, a veteran telephone
operator, speaks for all local op
erators in offering criticism and
advice regarding telephone usage
by subscribers in this area.
In the first place, Miss Pettit
points out, John and Jane Salem
dial "O" on their telephones en
tirely too often.
Now don't get the young lady
wrong. She s not complaining
of the volume of calls. But she
explains that many people are
in the time-wasting habit of dial
ing operator when they should
be calling another number.
Examples: Operators receive
dozens of calls daily from per
sons who inquire of someone's
telephone number. Calls of this
nature should go to information
service, phone number 113.
Other persons call "operator" in
regard to telephone company
business. Miss Pettit reminds
that the telephone company's lo
cal office has a phone number
of its own, 2-4101.
The girls at the receiving end
of number 113, information
service, also are swamped with
a lot of unnecessary calls from
a polite but misunderstanding
public.
The most irritating of these
calls, from the girls' standpoint,
is requests for numbers which
can be found in the telephone
directory. The Pacific Telephone
and Telegraph company goes to
great expense to publish and
distribute its directory, never
theless many persons refuse to
use the directory, and dial 113
to seek any phone number.
Many misconstrue the term
information" as applied to tele
phone service. Certain phone
users seem to think that if they
call 113 they may obtain an
ansSver to any question which
may arise in their minds. The
girls on the information switch
board often get requests regard
ing weather forecasts, road con
ditions, etc., and calls from peo
ple who hear sirens and ask
"Where's the fire?"
Telephone girls aren't master
mind magicians. Or maybe you
knew that.
However, some local people
evidently think the information
girls are all cousins to Hou
dini. It is not uncommon for
information to receive a call
such as, "What's the number of
that store where they sell
clothes? You know the one I
mean the place where they
have so many sales."
Next time you make a long
distance call, don't bother about
borrowing a stop watch for the
occasion. The phone company
isn't out to gyp anyone. Very
intricate, expensive timing de
vices are mounted on telephone
switchboards to time your call,
and operators are instructed to
watch the time of every call
with extreme diligence.
Nevertheless, complaints pour
into operators every day from
people (mostly women) who in
sist, "I timed my call, and I talk
ed five minutes and twenty
seven seconds. What are you
trying to pull, charging me for
seven minutes?" 4
Again, it's confusion over tele
phone policy which creates the
friction. The complaint in most
cases calms down after the dif
ference between a station-to-station
and person-to-person call
is explained. If you're not
familiar with these two types of
calls, you may brush up on them
by reading the two paragraphs
at the top of the inside front
cover of your telephone book.
,
Some telephone users, after
placing a few long distance calls,
become so familiar with the
procedure involved that the op
erator need not say a thing but
"thank you." If you want to
make it that easy for the oper
ator, place your calls thus:
"This is 3-4042. I'm calling
Portland, Atwater 6631, John
Smith."
That's all you need to say.
The operator knows that you are
calling from 3-4042, and that
you want to speak to John Smith,
whose number it Atwater 6631
in Portland. Remember to speak
slowly enough that the operator
has time to write everything
down.
And when you're giving a Sa
lem telephone number, pause
after the first of the five digits.
It will help the operator im-
mensly.
If possible, ask the girls, don't
place a long distance call from
a noisy room, and never jabber
into the receiver while the oper
ator is in the act of putting your
call through. Such noises are
confusing to the operator.
Should you want to determine
the charges on any certain call,
so inform the operator when
you place the call, instead of
after you've hung up.
Those are just a few of the
remarks made by Miss Pettit,
speaking in behalf of operators
in Salem, The girls all appreciate
the politeness Salem people show
toward them, and they hope the
preceding suggestions will pro
vide mutual benefit to telephone
users and themselves.
Personal hints to male readers:
You've probably wondered, as
had I, if the average operator
looks as sweet as she sounds.
Believe me, boys, she does.
Willamina Mrs. Esther
Fawk, local postmaster, Is in the
McMinnville hospital after a
collapse at her home last week
She is reported greatly improved.
Capital Journal, Salem, Ore., Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1949 9
Salem High Plans
Music Festival
A show that will include band,
orchestra and vocal music, car
nival acts, magic and dancing,
will be staged in the high school
auditorium Thursday night.
Fully 250 persons will par
ticipate in the production which
will feature the first appearance
of the high school orchestra this
season.
Jack Sponge with his magic,
dancers from the Armstrong
school and a one act play, coach
ed by Miss Margaret Burroughs
of the high school drama de
partment, will be featured dur
ing the evening. A number of
prizes have been made available
for top performances.
Attention Loggers!
Top Prices Paid for Logs at
Burkland Lumber Co.
Turner, Ore. Pb. 1125
ii
MARGWEN'S
GRAND OPENING IS
WEDNESDAY EVENING
From 7 to 10!
They're going to feature chil
dren's apparel, gifts and toys.
It's in the New Capital Shopptne Center
Kodak Tourist Camera WITH
Koon uNi
2450
Nf
a brilliant.
V irxPn',v fo,d"
jg com.ro for -yock-ond-wWt.
Picture.
Indoor snapshots are easy,
too you just attach the
accessory f lasholder for syn
chronized flash shots in
black-and-white or full-color.
Camera has new type
shutter release for sharp,
steady exposure. Lens is
pre-set, no focusing re
quired. Takes black-and-white
Kodak 620 film. Neg
atives, 214x314 inches.
You'll get a world of picture
taking fun from this Kodak
Tourist Camera. Stop in
and let us show it to you.
Camera, $24.50; accessory
flashholder, $11.08. Prices
include Federal Tax.
J LAMtwA surPt
" MCOMMtQCAL' SAtfM
Guests Yamhill Home
Silverton Mrs. Ed Holden,
the family of her brother, Mr.
and Mrs. E. Jay McCall, and
their house guests, Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Box (Mary McCall) and
Leslie Jayne, of Cocoa, Fla.,
spent Sunday all day and as
dinner guests of the Harold Bo
deen family at their Yamhill
home, former residents of Silverton.
WALNUT MEATS WANTED
WE NEED 10,000 POUNDS AT ONCE
Top Cash Prices Paid
ORCUTT'S MARKET
4200 No. River Rood
Salem, Oregon Phone 2327S
nash is m miwmM
-
Nash engineers have done it again ! Now
for the first time you can have all the
thrill of super-compression power on
regular gasoline I
You'd expect the company that's been
ahead in the power parade for a third of
a century to stay ahead but wait 'til
you drive ( 1950 Nash Airflyte.
Take out a new Nash Ambassador. Its
Turbo-head engine has a 7.3 to I ratio.
Fill it up with "regular" then tackle the
worst hill you know take the challenge
of any other car at the traffic light.
And lei the throttle tell the story I
Check your gas mileage for another sur
prise. No other car of Nash Ambassador
size can come anywhere close to it in
miles to the gallon.
And the Nash Statesman, with its high
compression engine, is equally outstand
ing in its class with over 25 miles to the
gallon at average highway speed.
What has Nash got the others haven't?
Exclusive scalcd-in manifolds, for one
thing. They utilize the leanest of mix
tures. Uniflo-Jet Carburetion, for an
other. It means smoother performance.
207 less Air Drat
Then, these grea( engines get another
boost from America's best aerodynamic
design for Airflyte design has 20.7
less air drag than the average of nine
other current cars tested.
And Nash alone has Airflyte Construc
tion that is stronger, safer, without use
less weight.
New Lower Prices
$73 to $140 loss
than last yoarl
See the new and finer 1950 Nash
Airflytes. with Super-Compression
Power, Skyliner Lounge Interiors, and
dozens of other new features, all
priced far less than last year. Compare
value compare prices you'll agree
they are the best buy today.
NtwHydro-Matlt SriVt
For the best test of alt, see your Nash
dealer and get the thrill yourself of Air
flyte high-compression power. Try it in
the Nash Ambassador with Hydra-Matic
Drive (optional extra) and exclusive
Selecto-Lift Starting.
And let the throttle tell the story I
dJlEAUsl-
me smresAtw 7we ambassador.
Vrmmt Cart Sine 1909
THEM'S MUCH Of TOMORROW IN ALL NASH DOES TODAY
MARION MOTORS
333 Center St.
Salem, Ore.
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NEW 3o'lnth rluo'"nt lomP brilliantly tights
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kjrur higher back panel adds greater beauty and
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NEW Rad,an'uba Cooklna Units oook faste. yet
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NEW m,r,"-okin8 tyli"B by world-famous:
Raymond Loewy.
NEW 6-60 Time-Signal has 2 speeds-one for stop
watch accuracy up to 6 minutes, another
for timing up to 60 minutes.
NEW ,wl,ch knobs are easier to read -no need to
1 stoop or bend.
NEW ,oraS drawers move smoothly, quietly on
Ht" triple Nylon rollers.
This new Frigidaire Electric Range has new, smarter
styling -new time-and-work-saving features galore!
New, more efficient Radiantube Cooking Units that
cook far faster -yet actually save money on current I
Choose models with either one or two big Even
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Phone
Trade-in Is
Your
Down
Payment
VILLAMETTI TlllIT'J HADIlt APPLIANCE t I0NE FU1RISIE1!
SALEM OREGON CITY
Today
For Free
Appraisal
115 South Commercial Street
Phon. 3-9148
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