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You better hurry. The telephones ringing. Proper etiquette says you should answer it within three rings. On the other hand, if you are the caller, you should let it ring seven times to allow the person you're calling time to answer. Confusing?
Yes, telephone etiquette (manners) can sometimes be quite confusing. It's been like this from the early days of the telephone. But can you imagine life without it? Today, we don't realize what life was like without phones. They are our connection to the world. We keep in touch with family and friends, order pizza, phone for medical help in times of emergency, make appointments, send faxes. We carry cell phones everywhere. There isn't a time, day or night that people can't contact us by phone. And there is a certain etiquette that should be followed. For instance, when you are in a movie theater, doctor's office, or other public place, your cell phone should be shut off. Most people either don't know this, or choose to ignore it. Before World War I, only well-to-do people had phones. The working class and people who lived in rural areas couldn't afford them. In case of emergency, you sent someone for the doctor. If he was out on another call, you had to wait. Sometimes he came immediately. When Alexander Graham Bell filed an application for a patent (a certificate that says you invented something and nobody can use it without paying you or having your permission) on the telephone. The United Patent Office in Washington D.C., issued patent number 174,465. The telephone had been born. Was the telephone invented in Boston or Brantford? Bell resided (lived) at both places. After studying the life of Bell for years, I've come to this conclusion: The idea of the telephone was conceived (thought of) in Brantford. The actual invention of the device took place in Boston. The first long distance telephone call took place between Brantford and Mt. Pleasant, Ontario. So, both Brantford and Boston was the birthplace of the telephone and should share the credit. After the telephone was invented, Bell and his company tried to promote it. They thought every household should have one. Many people were wary of the contraption. What good would it do them to have one in their home? Who would they call? Who would call them? Was it proper to phone someone without telling them first? Was it proper for a woman to call a man? To whom should you give your number? Could you call someone you didn't know? Wouldn't that be bad etiquette (manners?) Besides, telephones were very expensive at the time. Most people couldn't afford them. In the early days of the telephone, it was mostly used for business.
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The copyright of the article R-i-i-i-n-n-n-g in History For Children is owned by Mary M. Alward. Permission to republish R-i-i-i-n-n-n-g in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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