. Bell telephone magazine . or demonstration calls, and 30,000were successful. It is estimated that1,500,000 listened in. These callswere made to points all over the Na-tion. Where a call was to a telephoneserved by one of the countrys 6,000non-Bell companies, the connectionwas completed through the courtesyof the telephone company operatingin that area, under arrangements en-dorsed by the United States Inde-pendent Telephone Association. Tothose participating, either by winninga call or by listening in, these con-versations were endlessly startled ejaculations of the per-son calle
. Bell telephone magazine . or demonstration calls, and 30,000were successful. It is estimated that1,500,000 listened in. These callswere made to points all over the Na-tion. Where a call was to a telephoneserved by one of the countrys 6,000non-Bell companies, the connectionwas completed through the courtesyof the telephone company operatingin that area, under arrangements en-dorsed by the United States Inde-pendent Telephone Association. Tothose participating, either by winninga call or by listening in, these con-versations were endlessly startled ejaculations of the per-son called on being notified of theidentity of the call, and the warningby the person calling—emphasizingthe operators formal notice—that be-cause people were listening in, theconversation should not divulge fam-ily secrets, were the refrain of almostevery call. At times hilariously funny, at timesmerely hum-drum, at times revealingthe finer instincts in human nature,and containing always the element of 19^0 The New York Fair 61. THE BELL SYSTEM BUILDING Taken from high up on the Trylon, this picture gives in perspective a view ofthe structure in which thousands of visitors each day were welcomed and entertained the unknown, these calls never failedto attract as a unique portrayal ofhuman behaviorism. From the open-ing day in April to the close in Octo-ber, applicants were always in line,and the 270 listening-in receiverswere constantly in use, so that thecrowd made the show its own and hada grand time doing it. There werecomments by the score showing keenappreciation of the speed and qual-ity of the service. Of course, theconversations brought out countlessamusing incidents. To select a fewof them would be easy, but to dothem justice would require the talentof O. Henry. There was one unique in the summer a letter was re-ceived from a young man in a distantstate saying he had talked with hisfiancee from our Exhibit. He wrotethat, emboldened by the thrill of thecall an
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