USA > Massachusetts > Tracing the telephone in western Massachusetts, 1877-1930 > Part 14
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April, 1922, Topics-Telephoning to Sea.
On the evening of Sunday, March 5th, at about 7:30 o'clock, Mr. Thayer, President of the American Telephone Co., was called to the telephone at his residence in New Canaan, Conn., to answer a call from Captain Rind, who was on his ship, the
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
America of the United States Line, as it approached New York, but was still 24 hours from port. This demonstration of ship- to-shore telephony quite impromptu in character, was given to about a dozen newspaper men.
Feb., 1923, Topics-On the evening of January 14, another milestone in speech transmission was passed, when President H. B. Thayer of the American Telephone Co., speaking from 195 Broadway, New York, through Rocky Point, Long Island station of the Radio Corp. of America, talked by radio- telephony to New Southgate, England.
April, 1923, Topics-The cut-over of the Gaspee Machine Switching central office was successfully made at midnight on Saturday, March 10, 1923.
The placing in service of the first Machine Switching Cen- tral Office in the New England territory marks the beginning of a new epoch in the Telephone Company's history and re- flects great credit on the Telephone Company's Employees and on the Western Electric Co's. forces who engineered and installed the equipment for the Central Office.
May, 1923, Topics-It was on March 22, 1923, that the Public Address System was demonstrated to New England. It was perfected by the engineers of the American Telephone Co., and the Western Electric Co., and will be a valuable asset to Bonifaces who would make their hotels the mecca of con- ventions and banquets.
It was at the Copley-Plaza Hotel, Boston, that the Western Electric Public Address System had its first permanent instal- lation in New England. And to the Boston Chamber of Com- merce belongs the distinction of being the first organization in New England to use this voice amplifier. -
July, 1924, Topics-In a demonstration at the headquarters of the Bell System, 195 Broadway, New York, on the afternoon of May, 19, 1924, photographs were transmitted over a long distance telephone circuit from Cleveland, Ohio, to New York City.
The newspaper reproduction of them clearly showed each detail of the originals and their publication brought forth wide spread commendation for the engineers of the American Telephone Co. and the Western Electric Co., who jointly de-
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 165
veloped the apparatus used in this latest triumph of the art of communication.
April, 1926, Topics-First Public Test of Two Way Talk Across the Ocean.
"Stand by, New York. Before putting on the next speaker, we're going to open the windows and see if you can hear the chimes of St. Paul's."
Exactly on the hour of eleven there came to the ears of the listening Americans the peal of a bell rung nearly four thou- sand miles away-then another and another until four had been sounded.
This first public demonstration of two-way telephony across the Atlantic took place exactly fifty years after the granting, on March 7, 1876, of the first telephone patent to Alexander Graham Bell.
Dec., 1927, Topics-Vermont Flood.
The prelude began on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 1927. A heavy rainstorm had set in, but it caused no anxiety at the moment. Vermont is accustomed to heavy rainstorms at that season of the year. It is accustomed, also, to the usual after-effects when the rain-water, rushing from its mountain sides, converts shallow streams into roaring rivers.
No such rainfall as that of November 2, 3 and 4 had ever been experienced over so wide an area, however. Seven to nine inches of rain came down. It not only overflowed river banks, but in its onrush took the banks with it. It carried along on its crest houses, barns and bridges. Worst of all, it broke through dams and reservoirs and thus added the pres- sure of solid avalanches of water. These avalanches washed out great steel railroad bridges, tore away railroad road-beds, and twisted steel rails into masses of junk. Singly and in groups the troubles increased until, on Friday practically all telephone circuits in and into the state, except to White River Junction and to Bennington, had gone.
The mobilization of men and material that followed was a wonderful exhibition of intuition and stick-to-it-iveness.
It may not mean much to the casual reader to say that 450 toll circuits were broken by the flood and that inside of exactly one week from the date of the first break every telephone office
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in Vermont, whether in the territory of the New England Company, or that of a connecting company, had been recon- nected by toll circuits.
The resourcefulness and determination of our Plant forces in restoring these broken lines of communication is matched by the story of the persistence and efforts of our Traffic em- ployees in operating these restored lines of communication.
Nov., 1927, Topics-The formal opening of telephone com- munication between the United States and Mexico, on Sept. 29, 1927, added one more to the list of countries to which it is possible to telephone from any point connected with the Bell System.
Feb., 1928, Topics-New England Company Buys Tele- phone Instruments
In the early days of the telephone business it seemed essen- tial that telephone instruments be owned and maintained by a central organization. This condition no longer obtains. Therefore, effective at the end of 1927, the American Tele- phone Co. offered to sell and the New England Co. bought the instruments in use on its lines but heretofore owned and maintained by the American Company.
Dec., 1928, Topics-Two New Operating Units Formed
The territory of our Company will be organized into two distinct operating units on Jan. 1, 1929. These units will be known respectively as the Northern and the Southern areas. Both will have headquarters in Boston. There will be no change in Division and District lines or organization, and only incidental changes in personnel.
Each area will have its own General Manager, reporting to Robert F. Estabrook, who becomes Operating Vice-President.
Henry E. Darling will become General Manager, Southern Area, comprising the Metropolitan and Southern Divisions.
Andrew Schultz will become General Manager, Northern Area, comprising the Eastern, Central and Western Divisions.
It was in 1908 that the present system of operating depart- ments was set up with the whole Company a single unit. We had about 250,000 stations.
After twenty years our stations are increased nearly five- fold. Our plant investment is multiplied by nearly eight. This
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 167 great growth has been paralleled by equal advances in equip- ment and methods.
Feb., 1929, Topics-On January 1, a new department made its debut. Hereafter we will have associated with each Divi- sion an Auditor of Disbursements.
CHAPTER 15
Pittsfield Exchange Area
1
THE New England Telephone and Telegraph Co., which was organized on Oct. 19, 1883, divided its extensive territory into six divisions, one of which was the Western Division, in charge of Frank G. Daboll of Springfield. Berkshire County consti- tuted an important part of this division. George C. Millard, who had started the North Adams exchange and later became General Manager of the Bay State Telephone Co.'s Western Division, was retained as Manager of the Pittsfield Exchange.
An altercation regarding telephone pole lines was about the first thing that greeted the new management. The situation was described in the Republican of Nov. 15, 1883: "The Tele- phone Company has asked of the selectmen the privilege of placing poles through North Street for the use of their wires. People are complaining so much about the wires being run across the roof of buildings that the Company finds it neces- sary to take them off."
At a hearing, the selectmen decided the Telephone Com- pany must reach its central office in the Berkshire Life Build- ing by some other route than through the main streets. There seemed to be a general feeling in all the towns hereabout against the locating of telegraph and telephone poles in the streets.
On Nov. 28, 1883, the Republican stated that the Tele- phone Company had three routes fixed for reaching the cen- tral office and were setting their poles through Mckay and other back streets. They had arranged to use from 20 to 40 wires on each set of poles. Business was good, and more and
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PITTSFIELD DISTRICT MANAGER AND MANAGERS-1911
Left to right: F. P. Tucker, Great Barrington; W. H. Stedman, North Adams; District Manager H. E. Hughes; W. E. Bissell, Bennington; W. I. Mellen, Pittsfield.
MELVIN HUTCHINS
JAMES H. BARRY
PITTSFIELD BUSINESS OFFICE-1929
Seated, left to right: M. O'Brien, H. Cheyne, B. Olmstead, A. Nelligan, M. Powers. Standing, left to right: A. Joyce, A. Danforth, G. Cheney, Manager; A. Morton, C. Mandell.
1
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more wires had to be strung to care for their increasing patron- age.
The following item regarding Pittsfield's foremost inven- tor appeared April 2, 1884: "Inventor G. H. Bliss has for some years been working upon the experiment in long dis- tance telephony and has obtained a patent which will prob- ably be bought by the Bell Telephone Company, if he is will- ing to sell it. He says that the secret of the experiment is in the metallic circuits, and that it will soon be an easy matter to talk between places 1,000 miles or more apart. His new sig- nal clocks give satisfaction and are being set up in several places."
A couple of weeks later it was announced that inventor George H. Bliss had concluded to accept the offer made by the Bell Telephone Company to go to New York and take charge of the long distance telephone and would remove his family to New York and sell his property in town. A report of his progress in New York was given in the August 5, 1884, Re- publican: "Inventor Bliss, who was in town over Sunday, is now working on his long distance telephone system in New York, and says he has it so perfected that conversation is easily carried on between New York and Boston. He says the man- agers are arranging to put up lines to the principal manufac- turing towns in the state, and that 100 lines are being run into Philadelphia."
The electric light business was now getting started in earn- est, and the Republican of Dec. 22, 1884, tells of what was happening in Pittsfield. "The business men who have had a 25-light Thomson and Houston dynamo on approval for about a month, have formed a corporation and will control this kind of electric lighting for the town hereafter. They have 18 lights in operation and applications for the others. They will call themselves the Pittsfield Electric & Illuminating Co. and charge 60 cents a night for a single light or 50 cents each for two or more. The light is giving good satisfaction."
James H. Barry, according to Telephone Topics, began in 1886 as Inspector in the Pittsfield exchange, at a time when the title of Inspector covered a multitude of duties. From his
170 Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Pittsfield job he was called back to Great Barrington, his na- tive town, to become Manager of the exchange there.
A later issue of Topics reports the following: "The Dalton exchange was opened in a suite of rooms on the second floor in the Center block at the corner of Main and Depot Streets, Oct. 21, 1900, with Blanch E. Smith in charge. She had a night operator to help her. A two position village board was installed with one position equipped.
"A canvass was made and a list of 50 subscribers was ob- tained. Free service was given for a short time to a number of interested parties. Very few of the number given the free serv- ice were willing to have the telephones removed after the free try-out."
The Sunday Morning Call of July 20, 1890, reported that Eugene M. Wilson is the Manager of the Pittsfield exchange, the address of which is 30 Berkshire Life Insurance building, 3 North Street, on the third floor.
Later on, Telephone Topics gave further details regarding Manager Wilson: He was born in Worcester and joined the infant company there as a night operator in 1879, under J. F. Reynolds, who was Manager. In the next two years, he was Chief Inspector for the Bay State Telephone Co. in Worcester and from 1881 to 1883 he was Supt. of the Worcester ex- change. He became Manager and Wire Chief after the New England Telephone Co. was organized. Later he went to Pitts- field as Manager of that exchange.
It was not until Jan. 5, 1891, that Pittsfield adopted the city form of government. The Stanley Electric Manufacturing Co. was organized at that time by William Stanley, Jr., with $25,000 capital stock and started operations in a small wooden building on Clapp Avenue. This company was later acquired by the General Electric Co. of Schenectady.
In 1897 George B. Church, a Great Barrington youth, who had gone to Westfield in 1894 to be night operator, came to Pittsfield. He returned to Westfield in 1900 to be Manager.
PITTSFIELD "CUT OVER"
The Berkshire Evening Eagle of Feb. 22, 1904, gave prom- inence to a Pittsfield event: "But four seconds were required
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Saturday evening, February 20th, to 'cut over' from the old magneto call system to the new and modern electric light signal system of the local branch of the New England Tele- phone Company.
"S. F. Parker, Service Inspector, was assigned to the old office in the Berkshire Life Insurance Company's building and Kenneth P. Lippincott, Chief Service Inspector, to the new building on Pearl Street. J. F. Toomey, of the Chief Engineers office, and one of the cleverest men in the business, was at the test set in the basement of the new building. Supt. F. G. Daboll and Local Manager Hughes were at the switchboard. At a given signal from Inspector Parker the coils were drawn in the old office. At the same moment Supt. Daboll pulled an ivory handled platinum switch which transferred all of the old connections to the new and started the new office in full operation.
"S. F. Parker has had charge of instructing the operators. A. McAulay was in charge of the outside construction work. J. A. Ayles, R. L. Call and Mr. Lippincott, of the Engineers office, will remain a few days for observation.
"There are about 400 lines in the exchange and 1200 sub- scribers, necessitating 7 toll operators and 8 local operators.
"On the main floor, in front, are the offices of Manager Hughes and his assistants. In the rear and adjoining the office is a spacious room devoted to operators."
The Middlefield exchange, according to a later Topics, was installed in the home of the agent, Mrs. Helen Cook, in Octo- ber, 1905, where it remained until March 13, 1940, when it was cut over from magneto to community dial. At the begin- ning, the exchange belonged to the Westfield Manager's area.
The first number of Telephone Topics appeared in May, 1907, and it has enjoyed an uninterrupted circulation since then. Pittsfield, being a District Headquarters, received a great deal of publicity in the Topics, which information has been extensively used in the following pages.
Harold E. Hughes was Manager of the Pittsfield Area when Topics started its career, and Mrs. Middleton was Chief Op- erator.
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
A PBX No. 1 of 10 stations was installed at the Pittsfield Electric Co. in Nov., 1907.
The Operating Reorganization became effective Aug. 1, 1908, involving the establishment of three departments- Commercial, Plant and Traffic. According to the new setup, Harold E. Hughes was made District Manager; George L. Call, District Plant Chief; Thomas Ewart, District Traffic Chief.
W. I. Mellen took Mr. Hughes' place as local Manager, and soon closed a contract for a No. 2 PBX in the new Agricultural Bank Building in Pittsfield.
L. B. Streeter was appointed Wire Chief of the Pittsfield District. Soon, the name of this eligible bachelor was taken by a young lady from North Adams.
C. L. Vaughn was appointed District Engineer Sept. 1, 1908. He was first employed May 1, 1904, in Boston, by the late Jasper N. Keller. His work at that time was in the under- ground cable dept. as Engineer, working under the super- vision of the late George Hall. After three years in that dept., he was transferred to Harry L. Jones in the Engineers Dept., at Springfield.
C. E. Morey, at that time, was combination man in Dalton, and it was announced that he and Miss Fitch, an Operator in the same exchange, were soon to be married.
April, 1909, Topics-On March 17, 1909, a chapter of the Telephone Employees' Association was organized in Pittsfield. Fifty three applications for membership were signed for Class A membership, several signing for both Class A and B. (Class A was the social and educational section. Class B provided financial benefits.) Several visitors from out of town were present to help in the good work, among them being F. G. Daboll, Division Commercial Supt .; Augustus McAulay, Dis- trict Plant Chief, Springfield District; Harry Jones, Division Engineer; and Duncan McLennan, Plant Chief, Worcester. The following officers were elected: President, H. E. Hughes, District Manager; Vice-President, G. L. Call, District Plant Chief; Recording Secretary, Thomas Ewart, District Traffic Chief; Financial Secretary, F. A. Windover, Chief Clerk. En- tertainment Committee: W. I. Mellen, Chairman; W. P. Du-
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rant, Linden H. Phillips, Martin Kelly, B. Britt, A. D. Nicoll and F. P. Tucker.
The Pittsfield District then had these exchanges and man- agers: Great Barrington, F. P. Tucker; North Adams, W. H. Stedman; Bennington, L. E. Story; and Pittsfield, W. I. Mel- len.
The Pittsfield Chapter of the New England Telephone Em- ployees' Association held its monthly meeting in Hoosac Hall at North Adams on May 15, 1909. There were present about 50 members from the various exchanges throughout the dis- trict. The entertainment committee had prepared an excel- lent programme in the form of a minstrel show. The members taking part were Messrs. Tucker, Sammon, Powers, Kelly, Nolan, Orr, Fahey, Dunn, Durant and Vaughn.
The September meeting of this Association was addressed by C. L. Vaughn, District Engineer, who spoke of the Blocking system, and W. P. Durant, Wire Chief, who spoke on the duties of a Wire Chief.
Two resignations were recorded in the Nov., 1909, Topics: L. H. Phillips, District Foreman, Pittsfield District, has re- signed his position, and Frank Holiday has taken his place.
Thomas Ewart, Traffic Chief, Pittsfield District, has re- signed his position, and Mr. Joseph F. Burns has succeeded him.
C. L. Vaughn was promoted to the position of District Plant Chief Dec. 1, 1909.
Frank M. Collins started with the Company at Pittsfield April 18, 1910, as a Time Keeper and Paymaster for the con- struction crews. He said that "Wally" Parker was in charge of the cable construction in the Division, and that the trains, trolleys, and horse drawn vehicles provided the means of transportation. Those who used the trains very much bought a 500 mile mileage book at two cents per mile, a discount of 1/4 to 1/2 cent. It wasn't until 1914 that Fords were used exten- sively.
Frank relates the following adventure: He was hurrying to the train one morning with $600 payroll money and took a short cut through the freight yard. Suddenly, a rough appear- ing man stepped out from between two cars. Frank trembled
174 Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
for the safety of his money. The man edged up to him and gruffly said, "Hey Mister, can you give me a nickle for a cup of coffee?" Frank felt so relieved he gave him enough, not only for a cup of coffee, but a whole meal,-thirty five cents.
The Oct., 1910, Topics reported that Mrs. Helen M. Mid- dleton, Chief Operator of the Pittsfield exchange, tendered her resignation. Mrs. Middleton has been employed in this ex- change since 1896 and has been Chief Operator since Sept. 1,1907. 1
Miss Mary W. McGuire of Springfield succeeded Mrs. Mid- dleton as Chief Operator.
A telephone story from Topics-Mrs. Naybor, "How do you know your husband was working down in the office?"
Mrs. Youngbride-"I telephoned and Central said 'Busy!' "
A very complete common battery system was installed at the General Electric Co.'s plant in the fall of 1910. It com- prised a four-position board, main distributing frame, coil racks, type 11E storage batteries, charging apparatus and power generator.
To keep abreast of the times, District Manager Hughes, Dis- trict Plant Chief Vaughn and District Traffic Chief Burns made a tour of the Southern New England Telephone terri- tory.
Sept., 1910, Topics,-The development of the Pittsfield ex- change has necessitated plans being made to add a second story to the Company's building on Pearl Street, which will prob- ably be done this fall or early in the spring. The additional story will provide quarters for the District Plant and Traffic Chiefs, a rest room and separate locker room for the operat- ing force. The Commercial Department's general office on the first floor will be enlarged by utilizing the room now used as a locker and rest room. (This new addition was completed in September 1911.)
The next month's Topics revealed that on account of the changes in rates it was necessary to increase the contract force in the Pittsfield exchange to seven men instead of four, as formerly. All two-party residence subscribers were canvassed and about 50% changed to the one-party service.
Cleveland A. Morey was appointed Wire Chief at Pittsfield
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
in December, 1910, succeeding Walter P. Durant, transferred to Springfield. Mr. Morey was first employed May 1, 1905, at Claremont, N.H. as a station installer. In October of that year, he transferred to general inspection work in the old Northern Area of N.H. and Vt. In February, 1908, he was transferred to Dalton as combinationman; and in August, 1908, he was transferred to Pittsfield, later working up through the various grades to Testman.
July, 1911, Topics depicted the rapid growth of the Pitts- field exchange during the past few years: In 1904, when the ex- change was cut over to common battery system, there were 1200 subscribers. In 1907 these had increased to 2570, in 1908 to 2817, in 1909 to 3374, in 1910 to 4337 and at the present time to 4706.
This remarkable growth puts Pittsfield in the front rank of New England cities in telephone development with a record of a telephone to every seven people. In August, 1908, 17,500 local calls and 1047 toll calls were being handled daily. In June, 1911, these had increased to 30,379 local and 10,302 toll calls.
The July, 1911, Topics displayed a full page photograph of the Chief Operator and assistants at Pittsfield. The Chief Op- erator was Mary W. McGuire. Edith White was the Instruc- tor, Anna Cooper the Clerk and the four Supervisors were Sarah Fitzgerald, Mary Solon, Gertrude Payne and Mrs. Mary Ryan. There were 32 other charming young ladies, who at- tended to the customers' needs at the switchboard.
Harold B. Ransehousen, a native of Williamstown, took a position in the Pittsfield Exchange as Collector and Contract Agent in November, 1911.
The new Telephone and Telegraph Society of New Eng- land was organized in April, 1911, by the merger of the Class A Section of the Telephone Employees' Association and the Telephone Society of New England. The Pittsfield Chapter Directory for 1911-1912 was given in the January, 1912, Topics: President, C. L. Vaughn; Vice President, G. Murray White; Treasurer, F. P. Tucker; Recording Secretary, W. P. Durant; Corresponding Secretary, W. E. Bissell; Papers and
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Meetings Committee: W. A. Budrow, L. B. Streeter, F. A. Windover, K. S. Weeks; Entertainment Committee: H. Stev- ens Orr, Chairman; Question Box Committee: B. B. Britt, W. A. Budrow, L. B. Streeter, F. A. Windover.
At the meeting of the Telephone and Telegraph Society of N. E. on Jan. 3, 1913, Horace S. Holt, Field Engineer, spoke on "Distribution".
Everett W. Eldridge, Traffic Inspector, was transferred to the Pittsfield District in August, 1913.
Oct., 1913, Topics-Lenox Cut Over -
On October 18, the Lenox exchange, with about 375 sub- scribers, was cut over to the Common Battery system, and the Central Office was moved from Main Street to Walker Street. The new switchboard is of the very latest type and has three positions. It is designed to take care of the telephone business for about two and a half years, when, it is estimated by tele- phone engineers, there will be approximately 560 subscribers. The new switchboard and its equipment cost about $9,000. About 2400 inward and outward calls are handled on the Lenox switchboard on an average day.
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