She's on the Telephone - Postcard Friendship Friday #79

In January 1878, the Boston Telephone Dispatch company hired only boys as operators.  However, as the saying goes, "boy will be boys."  People began to complain when the youngsters showed their impatience with extremely rude behavior.  This included pranks and cursing.  As a result the company decided to hire women instead.  

On September 1, 1878, Emma was hired as the very first women telephone operator in history.  She worked as a telephone operator for 37 years, retiring in 1915.  Everyone loved Emma's soothing, cultured voice.  Because of people's overwhelmingly positive response to her intelligence, gentle manner and great patience, those rambunctious boys were soon exclusively replaced by all women operators.

The rules to be a telephone operator were stringent.  A woman had to be unmarried, between the ages of seventeen and twenty-six. She had to look prim and proper and her arms had to be long enough to reach the top of the tall telephone switchboard! I was not able to discover how long a woman's arms had to be--the idea of a group of extremely long-armed women put a really funny picture in my mind...

At some point in her career, Emma was hired by Alexander Graham Bell who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. She was paid a salary of $10 per month for a 54 hour week.  Incredibly she is said to be able to remember every number in the telephone directory of the New England Telephone Company.  

Apparently Emma had a great sense of humor.  It was said she was always grateful her parents did not give her the name "Imma."  Can you imagine a telephone operator answering the line saying, "Hello, Imma Nut, may I help you?"

I wonder what Emma would think of today's wireless smart phones.  My own precious Grandfather, born in the late 1800's would rarely answer a telephone.  He could not understand how voices could be transmitted over wire and was quite skeptical of them. 

Have a lovely day, everyone!

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