USA > Massachusetts > Tracing the telephone in western Massachusetts, 1877-1930 > Part 21
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Rawson King died in 1914, leaving his interest in the Com- pany to his son, Sewall, and his daughter, Mrs. Louise Brown.
Catherine M. Connor, a school teacher in Cooleyville, lived with Mary F. Vaughn, a dressmaker. These two friends bought some stock in the Highland Telephone Company. In 1916, Willard Putnam sold his shares to them, which gave them a controlling interest. The girls, being interested in farming, bought a 100-acre farm, having a large house. It was (and is) on the old road to Millington about half a mile east of the Daniel Shays Highway. It was about 21/4 miles northeast of Cooleyville Center, and was often referred to as "The Cooley- ville Telephone Company." The switchboard was moved to the farm house one Sunday in August, 1918, by some Athol telephone men.
Miss Connor was elected President and Manager; and, re- gardless of these lofty titles, she tended the switchboard nights. After breakfast, Murray Brown tended the board through- out the day, and a high school girl spelled him in the evening.
Miss Vaughn, who was elected Treasurer, was no less effi- cient and most cordial to visitors. She made out the bills among other duties, writing in long hand. These enterprising women also found time to do some farming. They kept a flock of sheep, some turkeys, and about 60 thoroughbred cattle.
The ice storm of November, 1921, took down about all of the Company's pole lines. A toll line, belonging to the Ameri- can and the New England Telephone Companies, which passed by at the rear of the farm house, met the same fate. Miss Connor hired a few local men to restore the Highland's service, but she soon learned that they were connecting the wrong wires. The American's construction crew were board- ing at the farm house, so Miss Connor engaged one of their crew, Emers H. Bernard, to come to work for her. He took Sewall King's place, who had not done much work for the Company since the sale of the family's stock to the new management.
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About 1923 Levi Flagg decided to give up the telephone business. The ice storm had pretty well wrecked the Crescent Company's lines, which had been supported mostly by trees and fence posts; and the wires, now being on the ground, were trampled on by the grazing cattle. Besides, the telephone was just a side line to Mr. Flagg. His chief endeavor was selling automobile parts to people, who not only made their own cars on the installment plan, but learned how to look after them.
It was April 26, 1927, that the Massachusetts legislature ap- proved an act instructing the Metropolitan Water Supply Commission to develop a new water supply system from the waters of Swift River. Such a plan was spoken of back in 1895 and later revived, but the fears of the residents had subsided.
The reservoir project was to take nearly half of the High- land's territory: Prescott, North Dana, Dana Center, Milling- ton and parts of Cooleyville. Catherine Connor and Mary Vaughn struggled to keep their enterprise going, and they were assisted by Emers Bernard, who had become a stockholder and a staunch assistant.
Then came the hurricane of 1938, which again laid low the pole lines. The girls reluctantly decided to give up what re- mained of their enterprise. The Department of Public Utili- ties requested the New England Telephone Company to pro- vide service to those who were going to remain and who wanted service.
The Highland Company continued to operate, at a decreas- ing rate, until October, 1940, when the New England Com- pany was ready to render service. About 48 parties were con- nected to the Amherst exchange, 38 to the Orange exchange and 24 to the Greenfield dial office, a total of 110, compared to nearly 200 at the peak of prosperity.
RICHMOND TELEPHONE COMPANY
This Utility was organized in 1903 by a group of citizens in- terested in providing telephone service to the town of Rich- mond, situated in the beautiful Berkshires. The Richmond Iron Works had been connected to the Telegraph Co.'s office in Pittsfield in 1895, but this telegraph line was not available
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to the townspeople. Neither were there any private telephone lines.
The new Telephone Company was capitalized for $1610, represented by 23 shares of stock, par value $70. Investors were limited to three shares of stock.
The officers elected were: Manager, William Sherrill; Treas- urer, Granville Sharp; Secretary, John Ayer.
The management decided to furnish service to the 22 stock- holders first. Their homes were scattered about the town, so that quite a few pole lines were required. "Will" Sherrill, the Manager, who was a Selectman, had a town road gang dig the holes, and the stockholders were allowed to contribute chest- nut poles, from their woods, towards the purchase of their stock,-this was before the chestnut blight had devastated these valuable trees.
A small wall magneto switchboard was installed in the Depot. Fred Clement, the Station Agent, looked after the board. Another switchboard was placed in his home for night service, Mrs. Clement, no doubt, relieving him of this respon- sibility.
Arrangements were made with The New England Tele- phone and Telegraph Co. to have the Pittsfield exchange, 10 miles away, handle the toll calls, which was of benefit to both companies. A trunk line was consequently constructed, con- necting the two exchanges.
Rural line service was provided, the rate being $15 per year. Since then 1, 2, and 4 party services have been added.
The Central Office has been moved only twice, which speaks well of the Company. The first was to Charles Nichols' store and then to Frank Sherrill's residence, where now a two posi- tion magneto board dispenses excellent service.
Mr. Jesse H. Fairfield has been identified with the Company from its beginning. In 1910 he was elected Treasurer and has continued to hold this office. He is ably assisted by Mrs. Fair- field, who was appointed Assistant Treasurer in 1938. She has also served as Assistant Secretary. Mrs. Fairfield's father, Sidney Loveland, was the Manager at one time.
The Company has grown steadily. Soon after its opening,
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applications for service increased the list to 100, and now 300 are being served.
Years ago, there were several iron mfg. companies here, which dug iron ore from their own mines in Richmond: The Richmond Iron Works, The Cheever Ore Bed, and the Fur- nace Co.
CHAPTER 20
Holyoke Exchange Area
THE transfer of the Bay State Telephone Co.'s business to the New England Telephone and Telegraph Co. occurred on Oct. 19, 1883, and the Holyoke exchange became a part of the Western Division, with Frank G. Daboll, of Springfield, as Superintendent. Charles B. Perkins was retained as telephone Manager, with offices in the Parsons Hall block, 24 Dwight Street, corner of Race Street.
The growth of the Holyoke exchange was depicted in the Jan. 3, 1884, Republican: "The number of telephone sub- scribers in Holyoke at the beginning of 1884 is 410, with 107 circuits and 125 miles of wire in use. The number of sub- scribers in May, 1879, was about 20, which had increased to 72, Jan. 1, 1880. During that year it advanced to 152 and from that figure it crept up to 334 Jan. 1, 1882, and reached 365 one year later. The company employs 7 operators and 3 line- men, and the average number of calls a day is 1500, an increase of 200 over a year ago."
The first improvement noted, after the New England Com- pany took charge, was the installation of four new switch- boards on March 20, 1884. Each magneto board had connec- tions for 40 wires. They were made by the Western Electric Co. and were considered the best in the market, enabling the four operators to serve the public with less delay than usual.
It is of interest to note that in June of 1884 the High School graduating class numbered 20, 13 boys and 7 girls, the largest in the history of the school.
Pole lines were receiving more attention from the manage-
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 255
ment, larger poles being substituted on some of the lines in order to accommodate more "cross-bars", and allowing the circuits that have too many stations to be divided. The Repub- lican reported that the cross-bars for the new line of telephone poles to Northampton Street were painted a lead color and that each bar will accommodate six wires.
The Company announced an increase of rates, effective Oct. 15, 1885, which seemed to produce serious consequences in the 'Paper City.' The Republican reported: "The number of tele- phones which will come out in Holyoke October 15, if the rates are increased, has reached 250, which include 25 manu- facturers, and it is likely that a public meeting will be held early next week. W. J. Denver has been in the city for the past two days interviewing the subscribers."-William J. Denver had joined the New England Company on Aug. 1, 1885, as Assistant General Manager, at Boston.
The new rates, however, went into effect according to schedule, and it was reported that 255 subscribers had served notice to have their instruments removed and also the wires from their premises.
On Nov. 30, 1885, the Republican quoted the manager as follows: "Manager Perkins of the telephone exchange says that he has 200 telephones in use and the number is increasing. He thinks that within six months most of the instruments recently taken out will be put back." Evidently the prediction proved to be true, because no further mention of the trouble could be found in the papers.
A scene, familiar to many, is depicted by the Republican: "The work of setting the new 60-feet telephone poles attracts much attention. A gang of 15 men are employed, and they raise the ungainly poles a little at a time, using long poles with pikes in the end, till the big poles are in position, when they form a circle around the bottom, holding it in place with their poles till it is firmly planted."
The introduction of cables to Holyoke was described in the Oct. 22, 1885, Daily Republican: "These are busy days with the telephone people, a force of 15 or 20 men being busy putting up the new cables. The cable is being strung on the huge poles lately erected on Dwight and other principal streets.
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
The cable consists of a hollow tube of composition metal, in which are 52 copper wires about the size of a fine steel needle. These wires are wound with cotton, incased in paraffine, and are packed very closely in the tube. The cable is suspended on a large guard-wire by means of hooks, which are attached to it about two feet apart. The wires will be removed from many of the buildings as soon as the cables are in working order. The poles, which are 60 feet high, will raise the cables above the roofs of the mills thus preventing injury from snow slide and affording ample room for the raising of ladders in case of fire. It is claimed the service will be much improved when the changes are made. The poles are to be painted as soon as the wires are strung."
Charles B. Perkins resigned the Managership of the Hol- yoke office in late 1886 or early 1887, when he joined his brother, George F. Perkins, formerly Telephone Manager, who had entered the electrical business in Holyoke. Charles was spoken of as a tireless, energetic worker, with an enviable reputation throughout Western Mass.
Melville Hutchins was appointed the next Manager. He entered the employment of the Boston & Northern Telephone Co. Oct. 9, 1882, as gang foreman, previous to which he was building telegraph lines. In 1883, under the New England Telephone Co., he was transferred to Pittsfield and built the Pittsfield-Great Barrington line, opening the first exchange in Great Barrington. In 1884 he went to Springfield, as Line Foreman. At that time most of the telephone lines were strung along housetops.
Walter A. Whitman became the Manager at Holyoke in 1888, following Melville Hutchins, who went to Springfield as Superintendent of Construction.
Robert W. Woodward succeeded Manager Whitman in 1890, and in 1892 Frederic E. Waring was appointed to the position.
A further step in Holyoke's telephone progress was recorded in the Holyoke Transcript of May 20, 1893: "To Manager Waring of the central telephone office is due a most successful exhibition of the long distance that sound can traverse im- pelled by electricity. The Colonial room in the new Y. M. C. A.
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 257
building was the office central. The receiving board was the very latest development of modern invention. At 8 o'clock Manager Waring made the connection, and Mayor Farr for- mally opened the conversation, using the same transmitter that Governor Russell and his staff used when they talked across the country some weeks ago. Mayor Farr sat at the table and asked Manager George Allen of Chicago, 1160 miles away, what time it was in Chicago. Those listening at the twenty-one receivers heard the answer come back distinctly that it was three minutes past seven. It was five minutes after eight by Mayor Farr's watch. The words from Chicago were very dis- tinctly heard. This long distance service costs regularly at the rate of $10 for five minutes."
Napoleon Goudreau entered the service at Springfield in 1893 as a lineman, and the next year was transferred to the Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield District. He continued working in Holyoke and surrounding towns.
The telephone office in 1893 was moved from 24 Dwight Street, corner of Race Street, to the second floor of the Park National Bank Building, 272 High Street, corner of City Hall Ct. This property gave way in 1906 to the eight story J. R. Smith store and office building; now known as the Prew Build- ing.
Gilbert R. Payson became Manager of the Holyoke ex- change in 1897, replacing Frederic E. Waring.
Manager Payson moved to Springfield in 1899, and Carl M. Pihl was appointed Manager in his place.
Evidence of Holyoke's progressiveness is contained in the Daily Republican of Aug. 4, 1899: "An agreement was made yesterday by which the City is to be supplied with a police telephone system of 25 boxes for the use of the police depart- ment. The whole expense will be about $400 a year.
"It was brought about after repeated consultations between Mayor Chapin, City Solicitor Green and Manager Pihl of the Holyoke central office. The switchboard will probably be located in the main office at the Station, and will require a man's full time to tend to it. So far 24 boxes have been ar- ranged for."
In 1899, Harold E. Hughes, Chief Operator, was transferred
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to Greenfield as Manager. He was born in Hughesdale, R. I., in 1865 and was appointed Chief Operator at Holyoke in 1898.
Paul H. Koehler, Jr., a native of Holyoke, was appointed Chief Operator. He entered the employ of the Company in 1897 as a Collector, and the next year joined the Traffic force as an Operator.
Patrick J. Begley was employed as night operator, when fourteen years of age, to compensate for the loss at the switch- board of operator Koehler.
There were 750 subscribers in the Holyoke exchange July 25,1899.
A story from Topics follows: The railway supervisor of a Western line received the following note from one of his fore- men:
"I am sending in the accident report on Casey's foot, when he struck it with the spike maul. Now under 'Remarks', do you want mine or do you want Casey's?"
James Campbell was appointed Station Foreman of the Holyoke district in 1900. "J. C." was first employed in Spring- field as Groundman on April 14, 1891. In May, 1892, he was transferred to Lowell and in 1893 he was promoted to Sub- Foreman with headquarters at Worcester. In 1896, he was made Foreman of a floating crew assigned to the Lowell dis- trict, where he remained until his promotion to the Paper City.
The Hampden County Automatic Telephone Co. was or- ganized in 1900 by a company which controlled the Strowger System. Petitions were presented for franchises in Springfield and Holyoke. A hearing was granted by the Holyoke Board of Aldermen, at which the Company's lawyer gave a history of the System and a description of its workings, and invited the Board to take a special electric car and visit the System in working at Springfield. (A switchboard had been installed for demonstration.) It was learned that it would cost $100,000, perhaps more, to equip Holyoke; that several Holyokers were approached to buy stock, but none were willing to subscribe unless a franchise were granted; also, that a franchise had been granted in Fall River five months ago and nothing had been done. After due consideration, the Franchise Committee rec-
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ommended that the Company be given leave to withdraw its petition, which was accepted by the Board of Aldermen. (The trouble was, the Company did not have the System perfected at this time.)
May 28, 1901, Daily Republican: "Bids will be opened to- day at Boston for the erection of the new central telephone exchange at the corner of Maple and Suffolk Streets. The new exchange board will be a visual signal, open battery, multiple section board, in other words, the system in use in Springfield will be adopted, it not being necessary to call central by ring- ing the bell-taking the receiver off the hook does that. This lights a little lamp on the board and this calls the attention of the operator to the call. The multiple board allows an operator answering to make connection with any subscriber, and facili- tates rapid work, being very much faster than the present system. All the present telephones in use, 1050 in all, will be replaced by the new ones.
"The new building is to be of light brick and two stories high, including a spacious basement with high ceiling. In this basement are the rooms for the repair and trouble men, regu- lar construction gang, the engine and dynamos, etc. On the first floor, at some distance from the street level, are the public offices, the offices of the Manager, Cashier, Book-keeper and Collectors, and here are stationed the three booths for pay station service. The operating room is on the second floor, and there are retiring rooms for the operators.
"The walls and ceilings are handsomely tinted and excel- lently finished."
Patrick J. Begley was appointed Chief Operator of the Holyoke Exchange about 1902, at the age of eighteen. While serving as Night Operator a couple of years, he gained a knowl- edge of switchboard repairing from observation and study. He was put on the installing and repairing of telephones for about a year, and then received this notable appointment.
Harry L. King was employed in the Holyoke Exchange about 1902 and became a Foreman in 1913. He served for many years in this capacity, with credit to himself and the Company.
The Holyoke office was cut over to the Common Battery
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system on Sept. 13, 1902. An account of this important event was given in the Republican:
"In less than 45 seconds the 1200 subscribers of the Holyoke telephone system were transferred from the old system, to the new system. F. G. Daboll was stationed at the Chief Operator's desk in the new room, and C. M. Pihl, the Holyoke Manager, was at the old office. At 9:30 Mr. Daboll notified Mr. Pihl that all was ready at the new building, and the latter got in com- munication with the men in charge of cutting over. The "heat- ing coils" were pulled out at the old office and word was sent over to the new office to cut in the new lines. The noise in the room suddenly quieted, and in a few seconds the first light flashed in the new switchboard,-a call for 545-3. This was followed by another and another and the waiting men of the construction force answered, finding all connections good, and in a few minutes the girls were given the positions, where they remained for some little time for practice.
"Present were H. S. Hyde of Springfield, Vice-President of the Company; Dr. Parker of Lowell, member of the Executive Committee; Thomas C. Wales of Boston, Chief Engineer; George H. Dresser of Boston, General Supt. of Construction (outside and inside); F. G. Daboll, Division Supt. of Spring- field; Melville Hutchins, Supt. of Construction; C. M. Pihl, local Manager; and a few invited guests.
"The apparatus was installed by W. D. K. Taylor of Boston, who was also present.
"In 1892 Holyoke had about 335 subscribers, while today, 1200 telephones are in use, 700 are business 'phones and 500 are residence."
Patrick J. Begley relinquished his duties as Chief Operator in 1905, with the idea of entering the testing department of the General Electric Co. at Schenectady, which Manager Pihl had done prior to coming to Holyoke. Openings, however, were scarce, so "Pat" went to work for the Hudson River Tele- phone Co., at Albany, installing switchboards in its territory for about four years.
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Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Joseph F. Griffin reported for work in Holyoke April 1, 1906, and began his telephone career as a Collector.
Manager Pihl ended his Managership of the Holyoke Ex- change Aug. 13, 1906. He was a proficient and popular Mana- ger, having remained in Holyoke eight years.
Frederick P. Langmaid was transferred to Holyoke as Man- ager Aug. 13, 1906. He entered the employ of the Company in 1888, as a messenger boy somewhere about Boston and shortly after was advanced to Night Operator. Later he became a Traveling Inspector and held this position until April 23, 1899, when he was appointed Manager at Beverly. On July 23, 1900, he became Manager of the Concord, N.H., exchange.
In 1907 James W. Kidder came to Holyoke for about a year as Chief Operator and then was transferred to Boston.
Charles W. Chamberlain, Chief Inspector at Holyoke, was appointed Manager at Palmer in September, 1907, taking the place of Ralph J. Eldridge.
Robert E. Wiggin began his work for the Company in Holyoke about 1907. His first telephone experience occurred in 1903, when he was a night operator in Penacook, N.H. Upon graduation from high school in 1905, he enlisted as a night operator in Concord, and in a year or so he came here as an Installer and Repairman.
In May, 1907, the first Telephone Topics Magazine was issued, which has been published monthly without interrup- tion.
The Operating Reorganization which took effect Aug. 1, 1908, established the three different departments,-Commer- cial, Plant and Traffic. The Springfield District heads were: L. B. Stowe, Commercial Manager; A. McAulay, Plant Chief; R. O. Nickerson, Traffic Chief.
F. P. Langmaid, the Manager at Holyoke, was transferred to Greenfield, as the Greenfield District Manager, in connection with this reorganization.
W. R. McComsey became the new Telephone Manager, Aug. 1, 1908. Mr. McComsey came from Marlboro, N.H., in 1905, where he had been doing rural canvassing. He canvassed in Chesterfield, Worthington and other places prior to the establishment of Agency Class F Offices.
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Miss Edith H. Harkness was appointed Chief Operator at Holyoke in August, 1908, having started as an Operator just two years previously.
H. A. Knowles, the former Chief Operator, was trans- ferred to service inspection.
Byron B. Britton, a Testman at Springfield, was transferred to Holyoke in 1908, to take the position of Wire Chief. Just before this transfer, B. B. B. married a young lady from New Hampshire, which, of course, was disappointing to the femi- nine portion of the Holyoke Exchange. In about three years he was transferred to Boston.
H. R. Leathers, formerly Special Agent of the Worcester District was transferred to the position of Manager of the Holyoke Exchange in February, 1909.
April, 1909, Topics: The Flying Squadron, in charge of William Hirshson, who are making a canvass to change six- party residence subscribers to special and two-party lines, have already made about 200 changes to the better grade of service.
Roland E. Moriarty was appointed Testman in 1910. Roland applied for work at the age of fourteen, and was told by Manager McComsey to report for duty on Monday, which was June 6, 1908. His title was 'Office Boy', but, evidently, he worked more for "Jim" Leisenring on the test board than he did for the Manager, because, when "Jim" got through two years later, Roland was put in his place as Testman.
Contract Agent Emerson, in May, 1911, closed a hotel branch exchange contract with the Hotel Hamilton for 70 stations and with Casper Ranger, a large Holyoke Contractor, for 11 stations.
Miss Mary A. O'Donnell started her telephone career as an Operator in the Holyoke Exchange Sept. 2, 1912.
Patrick J. Begley, who had returned to Holyoke in 1910, after doing various kinds of telephone work in Albany, Boston, Vermont and Springfield, was appointed Testman in 1912.
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