Bell Telephone Co. Stages Interesting Demonstration

The demonstration on Telephones and their uses, given Friday evening at the Community Theatre under the auspices of representatives of the Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. was attended by an estimated crowd of over 300.

A. B. Alley, wire chief of Holdrege, opened the program by giving a lecture on Telephone Industry. A solo by A. J. Beacom, area manager from Holdrege, was followed by a demonstration of the ways and methods of answering calls and the manner in which all calls are handled, by the Demonstration operator, Miss Minnie Shepker of Oxford. This demonstration gave all the information necessary to insure good telephone service, providing the subscribers do their share in strengthening good service.

Three ‘failures’ on the part of the subscribers to promote better service were emphasized by short playlets by Mrs. J. M. Kennedy, the local telephone manager, Miss Minnie Shepker, A. J. Beacom, and R. C. Pratt, of Grand Island, Dist. Special Agent for Northwestern Bell. The first failure represented a call, forgotten to be put through by one party. The second was “The belated answer.” And the third was “calling from memory.” These little demonstrations looked insignificant, yet when you stop to consider all, they really are the cause of a great deal of “telephone grief.”

A reel of pictures showing how wires and lines are taken care of also the manufacturing machines and the central offices handling calls, following the demonstration and a comedy reel, followed close at the heels of the “Telephone pictures.”

The program was well delivered, interesting and beneficial to all telephone users as it plainly explained all “doubtful circumstances,” including the part “you” should play in making your telephone service what you think it should be.