A Jagersfontein farmer’s wife called Telkom to report that her telephone failed to ring when her friends called and that on the few occasions, when it did ring, her dog always barked and moaned right before the phone rang.
The Telkom repairman proceeded to the farm, curious to see this psychic dog and senile lady in action.
He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialled the farmhouse.
The phone didn’t ring right away, but then the dog started yelping and the telephone began to ring.
Climbing down from the pole, the Telkom repairman found:
- The dog was tied to the telephone system’s ground wire with a steel chain and collar.
- The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.
- The dog was receiving 90 volts of signalling current when the farmhouse number was called.
- After a couple of jolts, the dog would start yelping and then urinate.
- The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.
This demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by p!ssing and moaning.
I just thought you’d like to know.
