Item 12: Miles Franklin pocket diary, 1919

[The following is printed in the diary:]

A Sleeping-sack - continued.

scout-masters and scouts from 5 feet to 6 feet in height). Now cut out your top piece B, for the pillow (cotton will do and keep the head cool) and sew it on, leaving a small opening where shown, then cut the shoulder cover C, fig. 2. and sew it on to the top of the pillow (not through to the back piece A) 15 inches from the top. Bind the edges of the opening where the head is, with braid.

The next thing you do is to cut the piece D, for the front of the sack proper (4 feet 11 inches long) and sew it along the bottom and up each side for a distance of 4 feet 2 inches. Make the corners of the flap strong by double stitching them and if possible, bind the three edges of the flap with braid.

To finish your sleeping-sack it is only necessary to sew on a piece (about 30 inches) to the front of the sack in the form of a pocket E, and sew tapes to the pocket and the opening in the pillow.

A look at the diagrams will give you some idea of its use. After having undressed yourself, slip into the sack portion and pull up the flap so that it is on your chest, your head resting on the pillow, which has been filled with straw, hay or leaves (or insert an air pillow and blow it up). You now pull down the shoulder cover over your head and button it to two buttons sewn on the flap. Should you want your shirt, etc., kept dry and warm - and at the same time keep your feet and legs warm - put them in the pocket as you undress.

Anyone who finds the sizes given too large should reduce the length a little, but it is not advisable to reduce the breadth.

When made you will find that it is a blanket, pillow, and "wardrobe" combined, and you will never regret having made it.

Readers interested in the making of the above sleeping sack, or those who are anxious to know of other ingenious articles of equipment are invited to communicate with the compiler of this diary who is in constant touch with many practical campers out.

[page number:] 12

[The following is printed in the diary:]

How to find out where you are by your watch.

To find the South, hold your watch flat, in such a position that THE HOUR HAND points directly at the Sun. The South will then lie in a line taken from the centre of the watch to HALF-WAY between the figure XII and THE HOUR HAND. The other cardinal points are therefore obtained also. At six o'clock in the morning, Greenwich time, the Sun is due East, at nine o'clock it is South-East, at noon it is South, at three o'clock it is due West. In Winter IT SETS long before six o'clock, but it will not, of course, have reached due West when it does so.

Greenwich time is used both in France and Belgium.

[example diagram in the text showing the method of finding North and South, with the following caption:]

EXAMPLE: - At four o'clock THE SOUTH will lie in a line taken from centre of the watch to HALFWAY between the figures XII and IIII, which is II, as shewn on diagram.

[page number:] 13

[The following is printed in the diary:]

How to use the Telephone.

Many scouts are doing telephonist duties and it is necessary that they should be able to use the telephone in a smart and efficient manner. The benefit of instruction will be seen when, in the future, you enter on a business career.

We all know what an exchange is. There are two sides to it, A and B. A side deals directly with the [italics] ringers up [end italics] and the B side with those [italics] rung up [italics end] in that exchange. For example, Chingford 90 wants Walthamstow 382. Chingford A side operater answers and gets into touch with Walthamstow B side operator, who finds out if Walthamstow 382 is free and helps the Chingford operator to connect the lines. If Walthamstow 382 wants Chingford 90 it is a Walthamstow A side operator who answers and gets into touch with a Chingford B side operator.

If Chingford 19 wants [italics] Chingford [end italics] 90 the Chingford A side operator gets into touch with the Chingford B side operator.

In every call, therefore, there are two Post Office operators concerned.

MAKING A CALL.

[diagram of a scout making a call beside the following text] Have the number [italics] ready. Take off the receiver. [end italics] Lifting the receiver, releases the receiver-rest, which causes the lamp to glow at the operator's desk in the exchange. If you are kept waiting more than 10 seconds press your receiver-rest down and up six or seven times and then pause. This attracts the attention of operator and supervisor.

[Italics] Don't say "Hullo!" [end italics] or anything else until you hear the operator's "Number, please?" [Italics] Give the number [end italics]

[page number:] 14

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The Telephone - continued. [italics] you want [end italics] - "Argyll 1314," not "1314 Argyll." Speak close to the mouthpiece (see sketch). Don't shout but speak [italics] very [end italics] distinctly - [italics] staccato [end italics]. Remember it is the consonants which are difficult to hear. Be especially careful to distinguish "5" and "9". "FouR FiVe eighT niNe," [italics] not [end italics] "fawfieghtni."

Say Oh for 0, not nought (nought is mistaken for 4; also, somewhat unexpectedly, for 8).

ARGYLL 196 say "One, nine, six," [italics] not [end italics] hundred and ninety-six. " [ditto] 1966 " "One, nine, double six." " 1996 " "One, double nine, six." " 1999 " "One, nine, double nine," [italics] not [end italics] one, double nine, nine, to avoid confusion of repeated nines. " 9999 " "Double nine, double nine." [italics] Listen [end italics] to operator repeating it. [Italics] This is important. [end italics]

Confirm ("Yes, please") [italics] or correct [end italics], emphasising the correction - ("No! Argyll six, [italics] nine [end italics], three, four").

Wait [italics] patiently [end italics] for the distant subscriber to announce himself. "We're Maclean and Co."

Do not begin your telephone conversation by saying, "Hullo, hullo!! Who are you?" or "Are you there?" wasting much time and temper. The [italics] rung up [end italics] announces himself first.

Say "Good-bye" when finished, BUT WAIT FOR THE OTHER SUBSCRIBER'S "GOOD-BYE" BEFORE HANGING UP RECEIVER.

Hang up promptly and see that nothing prevents the receiver-rest from being fully depressed. Otherwise your signal lamp at the exchange will remain alight and cause much confusion to the operator.

TAKING A CALL.

[Italics] Answer the call promptly [end italics] by taking off the receiver. [Italics] Immediately [end italic] announce [italic] yourself [end italic]. Announce your name [italic] not [end italic] your telephone number.

Don't say "Hullo!" or "Who's there?"

[Italic] A householder [end italic] should say: "Mr. William Pope speaking."

[page number:] 15

[The following is printed in the diary:]

The Telephone - continued.

[Italics] The maid: [end italics] "Mr. William Pope's house."

[Italics] Mr. Pope [end italics] at his office will say: "William Pope & Son. Mr. William Pope speaking."

[Italics] His clerk: [end italics] "William Pope & Son."

The ringer up then announces his name and wishes.

Up to this point of a call it is [italics] most important [end italics] that the routine should be [italics] exactly followed. [end italics]

TO PREVENT MISTAKES IN SENDING OR RECEIVING MESSAGES.

As, for example, if, when you are dictating an important word letter by letter, the operator cannot tell whether you are saying B or D, "B from Brother," or "D for Dover" immediately solves the difficulty.

A for Apple. N for November. B " Brother. O " October. C " Charlie. P " Peter. D " Dover. Q " Queen. E " Easter. R " Robert. F " Father. S " Sugar. G " George. T " Thomas. H " Harry. U " Uncle. I " India. V " Victoria. J " Jack. W " Wednesday. K " King. X " Xmas. L " London. Y " Yellow. M " Mother. Z " Zebra.

FIRE, POLICE, Etc.

If you want Fire Brigade, or Police, or Ambulance, or Salvage, or to send a telegram or make a Trunk-call, simply ask the exchange for "Fire," "Police," "Ambulance," "Salvage," "Telegrams," "Trunk."

BE COURTEOUS.

Be courteous to and trust the operator. She is doing her best for you. To put it on no higher ground, she has nothing whatever to gain by deceiving you. It causes her extra work, and "is as much as her place is worth."

[page number:] 16