Yardling Phoners Get Twice As Much For a Nickel, Too

Student refusal to be dominated by the nickel-snatching pay telephone has caused the New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. to once again blow off its annual steam.

In an appeal to Dean Leighton's office last week, the company asked for help in protecting the pay stations in the Yard, and threatened to remove the offended machines if present practices continue. Although Yard cops are always on the lookout, the Dean explained that Freshmen have been getting away with far too many "cut-rate" calls.

"It's not the money," explained one student in Holworthy, "it's just the challenge."

He outlined the four most successful devices used in determining the mettle of the machines. "A background in electricity helps, since you can either cross the wires in the earphone or ground one of them.

Fennies Recommended

"The best way to get a cheap call, though, is to spin pennies in the nickel slot." With a smug grin on his face and a tone of confidence in his voice, he explained that "the penny bounces over the coin return slot."

There is also the more profitable method of plugging the return slot. Jingling a pocketful of coins, the nickel-grabbing Yardling added that there was, however, the danger of a jail sentence if you get caught. Risking the machine was scornfully described as a "cheap trick."

"We are a bunch of true technicians," he concluded. "Until the coungany and perfects their phones, we can see no reason to invest our nickels in their business."