Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1909 — Some Telephone Incivilities That Need Correction. [ARTICLE]

Some Telephone Incivilities That Need Correction.

If you should call at some one’s home and after ringing the door bell or rapping on the door the lady of the house would respond, would you begin the conversation by saying, who is this?” You would hardly be so uncivil, and yet many of you are guilty of doing it over the telephone. There is no more serious breach of etiquette than to say after calling a number by telephone, ‘‘Hello, who is this?” Suppose you desired to talk to Mary Marion, who lives at the home of Mrs. James Smith, whose telephone number is 728., When the telephone rings Mrs. Smith answers it. You say, “Hello, who is this?” Mrs. Smith is justified in saying “who do you suppose it is, did you not call No. 728?” Why did you not say, “Hello, is this Mrs. Smith?” If she says that it is, then you may ask to speak to Mary Marion. Or, after you have called and some one has answered you can say, "Hello, is this 728?” But it is just as impudent and forward for you to blurt out over the telephone and ask who you are talking to as it would be for you to ask who it was that answered your knock at the door.

Many people are now responding to a call on their phones by saying when the phone rings, their own name, instead of saying “Hello” and waiting for the early formalities. This saves much time. For instance you call for No. 18. We answer by saying “Republican office,” then you can state your business and all the preliminaries have been done away with. There are a great many people who need some lessons in telephone etiquette, sufficient at least to make them appear partially civilized.

Mr. A. F. Long is pleased to an; nounce that he will continue the agency for ZEMO, the best Renown remedy for the treatment of eczema, pimples, dandruff, ring worm, prickley heat, tetter, hives or any other form of skin or scalp disease. Last year Zemo made some remarkable cures of chronic cases of skin diseases, and Mr. A. F. Long says ZEMO gives the best results of any remedy he has evfer sold for the prompt relief and positive cure of any form of skin or scalp disease. ZEMO is a clean, vegetable liquid for external use, pleasant and agreeable to use. Can be used freely on infants. z Many a man imagines he is wielding a big stick when in reality he is ohly using a small hammer.