USA > Massachusetts > Tracing the telephone in western Massachusetts, 1877-1930 > Part 15
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March, 1914, Topics-Employees' Social Club
On February 26th a meeting was held at Pittsfield to organ- ize a club for the promotion of sociability and good-fellowship. District Manager H. E. Hughes was appointed temporary chairman. The following officers were elected: Board of Gov- ernors, Anna G. Cummings, Chairman; Mary Solon, Anna Carroll, Elizabeth Powers, W. P. Durant, R. M. O'Connell, William Dollar; Treasurer, Anna M. Cooper; Secretary, J. F. Burns; Entertainment Committee, W. I. Mellen, Ralph Dicker, Anna M. Champagne, Elizabeth Sullivan, L. W. Kid- ney, Oliver H. White, Agnes E. Nelligan, Marion L. Burns, Sadie C. Fitzgerald, and Harry E. Illingworth. 60 members were enrolled.
At a meeting March 6th, the membership jumped to 94 and there was provided the following splendid musical pro- gramme, varied with lively games and puzzles that kept every- one busy looking for the answers: mandolin and piano selec- tion, Miss Alice Clancy and Miss Frances Fitzgerald; song, "To Have, To Hold, To Love," John Fitzgerald; piano, violin and
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cornet selection, Harold May, Frances Fitzgerald, Walter O'Donnell; song, "Little Irish Girl", Charles Creelin; song, "Take Me Back to Days Gone By", Samuel Brooks. After re- freshments the fun continued till nearly twelve.
The above new Employees' Social Club started out well. A fancy dress dance was held on April 15th and a ball was sched- uled for May 1st.
Following the disastrous fire which occurred in the Worces- ter Telephone Building at 2:45 o'clock on Saturday morning, March 28, 1914, the following Pittsfield men were called to help repair the damage; F. D. Viens, Earl Kimberley, James Molloy, Theo. Strahan, Forrest I. Brown, G. H. Marshall.
April, 1915, Topics-Heavy rains and thaw during the last of February were the cause of serious trouble to our toll lines and gave us our first real trouble on the transcontinental cir- cuits.
On February 25th a huge ice jam swept over the banks of the Deerfield River at Buckland, piling the ice ten feet high, tearing up the railroad tracks, doing great damage to private property and razing seven poles on our Barre Plains-Troy line, which carries the important Boston-San Francisco circuits.
It was just noon when our Pittsfield office was notified and the emergency machinery, which is always ready, was started at once. The damage to the B. & M. tracks made it necessary to ship the emergency material from Springfield, via Greenfield, causing some delay. In the meantime, however, Foreman Ran- ney and helper had gone to the break on the wrecking train and lost no time in clearing away the wreckage and restoring the transcontinental circuit by suspending the No. 8 copper wires, that make up this circuit, for eight sections, in the air.
Wire Chief Streeter was soon at the break with reinforce- ments and an emergency cable was placed on temporary sup- ports around the break and all service restored at 9 P.M. with great credit to all of the men engaged in the repairs for their prompt and efficient work.
In March, 1915, Peter F. Follett was promoted from Clerk in the Division Plant Accounting Office at Springfield to District Chief Clerk for the District Plant Chief at Pittsfield.
Dec., 1915, Topics-Cleveland Morey, Wire Chief at Pitts-
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field, was chased by a huge bull moose on the Whitney pre- serve, October Mountain, September 30th, while he was re- pairing a telephone line. The animal chased him up a tree and would not budge for nearly an hour. Finally when the moose did disappear, and Morey descended from the tree, he was chased from the enclosure and was obliged to vault the nine foot wire fence to make his escape. He had just time to repair the telephone line when the animal first appeared.
Nov., 1916, Topics-Dalton's New Home
The new home of the Telephone Company in Dalton is now in complete working order. This exchange was established Oct. 21, 1900, with 50 subscribers. The office was then, as now, in charge of Blanche E. Smith, with a night operator to assist her.
The new building, which is located on Curtis Avenue, in the center of town, is equipped with the most modern common battery system, which was cut over May 20, 1916. It has a three position board with a capacity for three more. There are at the present time 403 stations which require the attention of six operators. This exchange has been noted for its numer- ous long distance calls, due to the fact of its being the home of the Honorable Winthrop Murray Crane, Ex-Governor of Massachusetts, Ex-Senator of the United States and a Director of the American Telephone Co.
It is with regret that the passing of Eugene M. Wilson, Dec. 4, 1916, is recorded. After serving as Manager of the Pittsfield exchange, he was transferred to Boston, about 1890, where he occupied various positions.
Frederic A. Holt, special studies man in the Metropolitan Division Traffic office, received the appointment of Traffic Chief in the Pittsfield District in April, 1917.
June, 1917, Topics-When the new accounting office at Pittsfield, Mass., was opened, Henry Pineles was promoted to Division Revenue Supervisor for that District. Mr. Pineles entered the employ of the Company in April, 1911, as ledger clerk in the Accounting Dept. In November, 1912, he was ap- pointed Division Revenue Supervisor at Bangor, Me. After a few years in Boston he was awarded a larger assignment at Pittsfield.
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In conjunction with the discontinuance of the Greenfield Accounting Office, the new office at Pittsfield will take care of the accounting formerly handled at Greenfield, with the ex- ception of the Vermont subscribers.
W. I. Mellen resigned as Manager of the Pittsfield exchange in May, 1918, after serving in that capacity about ten years.
Allen K. Burrows, who was Manager at Southbridge, was transferred to Pittsfield to take Mr. Mellen's place.
Feb., 1919, Topics-George F. Cheney has been transferred from Pittsfield to North Adams to succeed David B. Dunham, who has been transferred to the Great Barrington Manager- ship. He will assist Manager Stedman in the commercial work of the exchange.
Aug., 1919, Topics-The operators of the Pittsfield office of our Company held a banquet June 23, in honor of their fellow workers in the Pittsfield District who were in the serv- ice of their country during the war. The service men present were: James Center, Harold Ransehousen, James Mallory, Martin Kelly, Chester Reynolds, Oliver White, Howard Ellis, Ralph Dicker, and Fred Bassett. John Burwell was the only former employee who made the supreme sacrifice. Lawyer Charles E. Hibbard spoke, as did District Manager H. E. Hughes.
Sept., 1919, Topics-Three Pittsfield employees who have been with the Company a quarter of a century or more as of April 1, 1919, are: P. J. Callahan, Plant Dept., June 27, 1893; Edward S. Felter, Plant Dept., November, 1889; Myrtle M. Hammond, Traffic Dept., June 1, 1892.
Mrs. Katherine McCasland, the Company's Class F Agent at Hinsdale in 1920, and Miss Blanche E. Smith, Chief Op- erator at Dalton, had just completed ten years of service.
Charles Durant was mentioned as being District Foreman in that year.
In 1922, "Marty" Kelly was "imported" into Worcester from Pittsfield to help out from the effects of the ice storm, ac- cording to Topics. He was a Foreman on the job and he had three crews under his direction, which were doing their re- spective jobs in great style. That relieved Foreman "Marty"
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a lot, but it didn't make him sit back, smoke up and just give orders.
Shocked Old Lady (to small urchin in street): "Whatever would your mother say if she heard you swearing like that?"
Boy: "She'd say, 'Thank Heaven!'"
"Why should she say that, you naughty boy?"
" 'Cos she's been stone-deaf for 20 years!" Tit-Bits, London
Frederic A. Holt, District Traffic Chief, was moved from Pittsfield to Fitchburg in April, 1922. He established an envi- able record and was known as a man who made and got the most out of a job.
Sept., 1923, Topics-C. L. Vaughn, District Plant Chief, on September 1st succeeded W. T. Durfee as Division Supt. of Plant for the Vermont Division. He has by hard work and en- ergy, coupled with diplomacy and tact, risen to a responsible position.
Libius V. Gillis, Plant Supervisor of the Northampton Dis- trict, succeeded Mr. Vaughn as District Plant Chief. He had served in many positions from 1901 in the Plant Dept. until 1921, when he was made Plant Supervisor of the new North- ampton District.
Safety Instructor Kelly had a class under training in No- vember, 1923, that practically completed 100% of the District Plant forces.
On Dec. 1, 1923, John F. Shaw was transferred from North- ampton to Manager of the Pittsfield Exchange. He first became a member of our telephone family in April, 1916, as Com- mercial Representative at Worcester and his ability won him the promotion to Manager at Great Barrington in March, 1918.
John's efficient handling of that office was shortly recognized and on Jan. 1, 1919, he was transferred to Westfield as Man- ager, succeeding George B. Church, resigned, and again pro- moted on Dec. 1, 1919, to Manager at Northampton.
April, 1924, Topics-Party for "General" Hughes
Harold E. Hughes, former Pittsfield Telephone Manager, restored to health, was welcomed back to Pittsfield amid great enthusiasm Saturday night, March 1, by 160 New England
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Telephone Co. representatives and special guests at a dinner at the New American Hotel.
Mr. Hughes was given a great ovation as he entered the dining room with Proprietor George W. Clark. Seated at the tables were representatives of all the 50 offices in the Pittsfield District and officials of the Company from Boston, Springfield, Northampton and Greenfield, the Pittsfield Chamber of Com- merce, the Pittsfield Rotary Club and the Pittsfield Sunshine Club, of which the "General" is the chief exemplar.
The visitors included: Samuel Parker of Rutland, Vermont, Div. Supt. of Traffic; Division Engineer Harry L. Jones of Springfield, District Plant Chief Edward Quinn of Northamp- ton, District Wire Chief Leslie Streeter of Northampton, Divi- sion Commercial Manager W. B. Northrup and Division Con- struction Supt. Augustus McAulay of Springfield and Donald Hughes of Boston, son of the "General."
"Cleve" A. Morey, Pittsfield Wire Chief, was transferred to the Valuation Department in August, 1924.
John F. Shaw, Manager at Pittsfield, was appointed Man- ager at Springfield in October, 1924.
Robert D. Fuller, Manager at Northampton, was appointed Manager at Pittsfield. "Bob", who joined the company at Worcester, March 17, 1912, as contract agent, has served as Manager at Great Barrington, Westfield and Northampton. He has taken an active interest in city affairs.
Charles H. Bauer started his telephone career in Pittsfield Oct. 13, 1924, as a Collector.
Nov., 1924, Topics-On September 22, Mr. Marden an- nounced the appointment of J. W. Forssen, Division Super- visor of Plant Methods and Results, as successor to L. V. Gillis, District Plant Chief, who was transferred to Lowell.
Mr. Forssen has been in the Western Division for several years, having served in the capacity of Division Equipment Foreman, Division Supervisor of Supplies, Division Supervisor of Motor Vehicles and Division Supervisor of Plant Methods and Results.
Linwood L. Ross was promoted from Traffic Manager, Pittsfield District, to Division Toll Supervisor in the Division Office at Springfield in January, 1925.
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Ralph E. Jones, of Boston, was appointed Traffic Manager of the Pittsfield District, succeeding Mr. Ross. Ralph entered the service as a Traffic Inspector on Sept. 22, 1919, and re- ceived the following assignments: Assistant Traffic Manager, Malden, and at Dorchester; District Traffic Manager, Mystic.
To bid good-by to Linwood L. Ross and to welcome Ralph E. Jones, the Pittsfield Exchange committee gave a holiday party. Mrs. Ross, with Elinor and James Ross, and Manager Robert D. Fuller, were other guests of the evening.
As a token by which to remember his three years in the Pittsfield District, Mr. Ross was presented with a Hamilton watch; and as protection against the Berkshire weather Mr. Jones received a pair of woolen mittens. Later, someone heard him express a wish for a pair of felt boots also, and the matter may yet be arranged.
Robert H. Lawton was appointed Wire Chief at Pittsfield in 1925. "Bob" entered the service in May, 1907, as night op- erator at Athol, his home town. He was promoted to the posi- tions of Test Man, and PBX and Central Office Repairman. In 1913 he became Wire Chief at White River and in 1915 returned to Athol as Wire Chief. In 1917 and 1918 he spent 14 months in France, becoming Master Signal Electrician in charge of Central Office Installations; returning to Athol in 1919. He moved to Greenfield in 1923 as Wire Chief.
Frank M. Collins, on Sept. 7, 1925, was transferred to the Division Plant Accounting office at Springfield. Frank had been District Timekeeper and Paymaster for the Plant Con- struction crews, since 1910. About 1922, the Company began paying its employees by check; and Frank went with Cleveland Morey, Pittsfield Wire Chief, as his clerk. He later became Head Clerk for District Plant Chief Vaughn.
Peru had the distinction of having the smallest telephone exchange in Mass. It boasted 11 stations.
Oct., 1925, Topics-Mary Solon, Chief Operator at Pitts- field for the last 12 years, has resigned. Marion Hickey, former central office Instructress, has been appointed acting Chief Operator.
Among other changes recently made in the Pittsfield traffic office were the promotion of Love Beaulieu to Assistant Chief
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Operator, Rose Putnam to Central Office Instructress, Agnes Dunn to District Instructress, Mary Cannon to Supervisor and the transfer of Margaret Powers to the Division Office.
In Oct., 1925, the Dalton exchange rounded out a quarter of a century of service. It has seven operators to serve the 818 subscribers.
Jan., 1926, Topics-Mary Solon, Chief Operator at Pitts- field for the last 12 years, after a career of approximately 28 years of service, retired from active service on November 1st.
When Miss Solon first entered the employment of the Tele- phone Company there were four operators and 400 subscribers in Pittsfield. She has seen the Pittsfield Exchange grow from that beginning to one which today serves 11,500 patrons and gives employment to 90 traffic employees.
In every assignment she was given, Miss Solon filled it with steadfast devotion to the ideals of our service, conscientious work and satisfactory results. Her many friends and associates will miss her genial personality for she was always an enthu- siastic partner in business as well as in society.
Charles H. Bauer, Commercial Representative, was trans- ferred to Great Barrington on May 3, 1926, as Manager.
Harold B. Ransehousen was appointed Manager at Pitts- field, Dec. 28, 1926, where he will succeed Robert D. Fuller, who has been appointed Manager of the Lawrence Exchange.
Ralph E. Jones was appointed Division Supervisor of Sales in the Commercial Dept., with headquarters in the Western Division office at Springfield.
May, 1926, Topics-Oscar E. Stanton, formerly Toll Traf- fic Manager at Providence, has been transferred to the Pitts- field District, as District Traffic Manager succeeding Ralph E. Jones.
Mr. Stanton began his service with the Telephone Company in 1908, in the General Manager's office in Boston. Since that time he has held the position of Night Operator, Service In- spector, Plant Engineer, Traffic Engineer, and Toll Traffic Manager.
April, 1926, Topics announced that Luke H. Moran passed away in Pittsfield recently. He was an employee of the New England Telephone Co. for 25 years.
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Sept., 1926, Topics-George E. Wright has been appointed District Plant Supt. at Pittsfield, succeeding John W. Forssen.
In the fall of 1901, Mr. Wright entered the employ of the Company as Night Operator in the Haymarket Central Office in Boston. A few months later he was transferred to the Equip- ment Department as a clerk. In 1902 he was transferred to the General Dept. Later he became a Central Office Installer. In 1908 he became District Switchboardman at Greenfield and in 1914 he became Wire Chief at Keene, New Hampshire. He 1 was transferred to the Western Division in 1925.
Topics printed a story from the Toledo Blade. The visitor called at the village library. "May I have the 'Letters of Charles Lamb'?" he inquired. "You're in the wrong building, Mr. Lamb," said the new clerk pleasantly. "The post office is just across the street."
The Company's personnel had increased so greatly that Topics was obliged to list most of the transfers briefly under the heading 'Changes in Personnel,' as follows:
Oct., 1926, Topics-H. E. Illingworth from District Store Keeper, Pittsfield, to District Supervisor of Supplies and Mo- tor Vehicles, Pittsfield.
R. H. Lawtown from Wire Chief, Pittsfield, to Wire Chief, Worcester.
F. D. Handerson from Wire Chief, Great Barrington to Wire Chief, Pittsfield.
Dec., 1926, Topics-William M. Hoggan has been assigned to Pittsfield as Collector.
April, 1927, Olive E. Cole, formerly a Commercial Rep- resentative, has been transferred to the Pittsfield District of- - fice as Chief Clerk.
April, 1927, Topics-New District Formed
Effective February 14, Harold B. Ransehousen was ap- pointed District Manager of the new Pittsfield District made up of Pittsfield, Great Barrington, North Adams and Green- field areas. Mr. Ransehousen's activities have been centered within his new area, he having served as Great Barrington, North Adams, and Pittsfield Managers, three of the four offices making up the new District. (The Greenfield Exchange area
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had been transferred back to the Pittsfield District from the Northampton District, which was discontinued.)
George F. Cheney, former Manager at Northampton, was transferred to the Managership of the Pittsfield Exchange.
Allan S. Morton, Directory Advertising Representative in the Springfield District, was transferred to Pittsfield to replace William Hoggan, who was transferred to Greenfield.
In the Spring of 1927, due to the increase in business, a new toll section and three subscribers' sections were installed under the hard work of Foreman W. A. Budrow and his crew of about thirty men.
July, 1927, Topics-The Pittsfield Manager's office has moved to its new quarters at 40 West Street. The District Manager's office is located at 126 Fenn Street.
Horace S. Holt, Division Plant Engineer, announced that effective June 1, 1927, J. J. McCarthy of the Springfield Dis- trict Plant Engineers force is appointed District Plant Engi- neer at Pittsfield.
Walter P. Durant, who had been in the Pittsfield Plant Dept. for many years, was transferred to the Division Office at Springfield.
John M. Dick, Commercial Representative, was transferred to Burlington, Vermont, in June, 1927.
Nov., 1927, Topics-Big Job in Pittsfield
A large addition, involving several building changes and re- adjustments of forces, consisting of three new "A" sections of local board with 1200 new multiple and answering jacks, relocating of power plant and enlargement of all frames and racks, has been commanding the attention of our Central Of- fice Equipment Installers since the first of January this year. The job is now nearing completion after a busy season.
During the peak of activity there were 36 men engaged in the work, five being originally in Pittsfield, five drawn from Springfield, six from Worcester, and twenty from Boston. The job was in charge of W. A. Budrow of Pittsfield. "Bill" is an old hand at the game, having completed over 30 years of serv- ice with the company. He was assisted by "Capt." Dan O'Meara with Lieutenants as follows: George Warren and George Beecher, Springfield; Bill Collins, A. McCaulay, Tom
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McKenne, F. B. Mckeon and A. C. Schliecher from Boston. Roger Burnham of Springfield was the "man behind the pen" and kept the J.I.M.'s and other job papers moving toward headquarters.
The Springfield Republican of Nov. 5, 1927, described the Becket catastrophe: Yesterday the stone dam at North Becket gave way and sent a column of water over 25 feet high and 150 yards wide roaring into the small town. Almost the entire vil- lage was in the path of this roaring wall, and houses, trees, telegraph poles and bridges were clipped off as if made of paper. One life was lost and more than 100 made homeless with over $1,000,000 damage done.
Mr. Ballou, owner of the dam, raced his car ahead of the raging column of water shouting a warning. The Collingsburg Silk Co., formerly known as the Berkshire & Becket Silk Co., suffered the greatest single damage, its four story brick fac- tory being carried away by the flood torrent.
Dec., 1927, Topics-Pat McCormick Hero at Becket
Patrick McCormick received a Vail medal for his devotion to duty with a cash award of $250.
An outstanding telephone story of the flood revolves around the work of P. B. McCormick, Agent of the New England Tele- phone Co. at Becket, Mass., for 16 years.
Endangering his own life in order that the people of Becket might be warned, McCormick stuck to his switchboard until the water was three feet deep in the lower floor of his home and the switchboard went out of service.
When the water had receded, he connected wires to a pole a short distance from the central office and communicated with the Pittsfield office of the Telephone Company.
The lower floor of his house was badly damaged by water and covered with mud. The front half of a house not 15 feet away from the McCormick home was smashed and carried away in the high water.
The entire business section of the town, which included the silk mill, basket shop and saw mill, the post office, three stores and nearly 30 houses, was completely carried away by the high water, when the Wheeler dam broke about a mile from the town.
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McCormick's notable work was a real service to the people of Becket. At the time the dam broke he was the only human being left in the village. There is no doubt that the splendid, courageous service of McCormick saved more than one life, and much personal property which was taken away by the flee- ing townspeople before the dam broke.
Wire Chief Frank Henderson, of Pittsfield, was notified by local operators that telephone connection with Becket had been severed. He arrived in Becket at 8:45 A.M., and was un- able to call Pittsfield, so he drove to Hinsdale and called Pitts- field for help.
John Gardner, with the White truck, and Festis Stafford with the Ford, and George Beauman, "Patty" Callahan and Johnny Drumm left immediately for Becket with wire and necessary material to restore service.
McGinnis and Jandro of the Plant Dept., with Allan Mor- ton of the Commercial Dept., left Pittsfield about 10:15 with two telephone sets and new cords for the switchboard.
By dark Friday night, the men had a Pittsfield toll circuit, a Lee toll circuit and a Middlefield toll circuit as well as three local lines working in the board. Allan S. Morton served as emergency operator and John Kaley, spare night operator at Dalton, acted as night operator.
Saturday, nearly the entire plant crew went to Becket and ran wire for the rest of the circuits and local lines. Marguerite Tracey, Agent and Chief Operator at Chester, visited Becket on Sunday and relieved the operator during the afternoon and also helped out Monday and Tuesday, proving to be a great aid to the men in testing the lines.
Service was completely restored in Becket Monday night, November 7th.
Feb., 1928, Topics-Harold E. Hughes, for 29 years em- ployed by the New England Telephone Co., a former Pittsfield District Commercial Manager, passed away on December 5th at his home in Springfield.
He was born in Hughesdale, Rhode Island, in 1865. In 1898 he became associated with the Telephone Company as Chief Operator in Holyoke. Later he was appointed Manager at Greenfield, then Manager in Pittsfield, and finally Com-
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mercial Manager of the Pittsfield District. During the early years of the telephone industry, Mr. Hughes proved his abil- ity, and through his untiring efforts the telephone business in Western Mass. was greatly developed and expanded.
The "Genial General," as he was familiarly called by his numerous business associates and social acquaintances, was a man beloved by thousands in all walks of life.
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