Lmaaooo. 1870’s teen boys fucking around with whoever called just because they felt like it.

There’s a more unfortunate take to that as well, but I like to think they were pulling running refrigerator and mike rotch jokes the whole time instead.

*edit

Found the more detailed source;

When the first commercial telephone exchange began service in January 1878, teenage boys were hired as the first operators. However, the young men often played pranks on each other and their customers. Within about six months, the Boston telephone exchange decided to add a female operator, a young woman named Emma Nutt.