USA > Massachusetts > Tracing the telephone in western Massachusetts, 1877-1930 > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
At first the circuits came in through the house from a tall pole just outside and were grounded in the cellar. The most serious emergency during his Agency was when a sleet storm so crippled this terminal pole that all the lines were "out" for three days.
At first he installed new batteries in houses and fixed crossed wires but did no installing. A severe sickness deprived him of the use of one side, so his telephone and watch repairing activi- ties became more restricted. His wife and daughter carried on at the switchboard, and are now living with him in Northamp- ton.
On April 9, 1941, Mr. Nichols was retired, after a telephone career of 35 years of service. On that date, the conversion of the magneto board to dial service occurred.
On the occasion of his 31st anniversary as Agent, Mr. Nichols was asked to write an article about his experiences for the "Telephone Topics." Fortunately the typewritten original was pasted in a small scrap book reposing in his large roll-top desk. It so typifies the spirit of these pioneer Agents that it is quoted in full:
"February 6, 1906, was my first association with the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company as the Agent in my town, where this month I completed my 31st year with the Company. At that time Alexander Proctor, since deceased, was our Manager at Northampton, a fine man, indeed. I well remember the day when he came with a pair of horses and two men to install the switchboard. A small village board, it was in- stalled and completed in one day. We had but a few subscribers and no instructions. Mr. Proctor, before leaving, came to the switchboard and said, 'I have no instructions as to operating
300 Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
to give you, but it will pay you well to remember one thing, courtesy costs nothing, but it makes lots of friends.'
"How true it was, how well I remember his saying it and I have tried to profit by it through the long term of years.
"Times have changed. We commenced with seven subscrib- ers, thirty-five were soon added to our list and now we have nearly 100 and a large switchboard was furnished to meet our needs.
"Recently, we desired the "telephone room" for other pur- poses and asked the Telephone Company to have the switch- board moved to another room. It was moved, mass of wires, framework, cabinet, etc., at an expense of several hundred dollars, without a murmur or second request.
"My experience with several officials of the Company with whom it has been my lot to come in contact, has been of the best.
"I could not ask for better or more considerate employers than the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company. "Signed, Albert W. Nichols, Agent"
CUMMINGTON
A call on Mr. and Mrs. John T. Lacey, Oct. 13, 1955, at their Williamsburg home, was an enjoyable occasion, and they also appeared to enjoy talking over the days when they were in charge of the Cummington office.
It appears that there were two Agents prior to Mr. Lacey's appointment. Robert A. Daley was the first Agent of this exchange, which was started about Sept. 15, 1905. The Com- pany had bought the F. V. Bates house and installed a magneto switchboard. "Bob" Daley, who came from Springfield, was spoken of by Mr. Lacey as a real likeable and accomodating man. His wife and daughter were, of course, a great help to him. Unfortunately his health soon failed and on Oct. 13, 1907, he passed away, mourned by his many friends.
Daniel Bannister succeeded Mr. Daley as Agent. "Dan" had worked in Northampton for Alexander Proctor as a Collector and in the Maintenance Dept. as an Installer and Repairman. In 1918 he gave up the Agency and went to work for another concern.
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 301
John Lacey started in the telephone business in 1910 at Northampton under Alphonse Goulet, working on installa- tions and repairs. The telephone office was then in the Colum- bian building. John was engaged by Henry Chapman and Gus McAulay, District Traffic and Plant Chiefs, as the new Agent. The Agency was then in a house at the junction of the Pitts- field and Plainfield roads, where a filling station has been built in front of the house.
The Laceys moved to Cummington on Nov. 11, 1918, Armis- tice Day. Virginia Sears had been looking after the office for a short time, and she remained a little while longer. The new Agent then secured the services of Ruby Dyer, who operated and lived there eight years. Mrs. Daley, the first Agent's wife, helped out when needed. Ruby was followed by Millicent Par- sons, who remained fifteen years. Mrs. Lacey, of course, started right in working on the board, and later their son and daughter lent their services.
"Jack" soon found out that his new position wasn't to be a 'bed of roses,' especially in the winter. He attended to the in- stalling and repairing for his own exchange and also for the Chesterfield and Worthington exchanges. A horse and wagon was furnished him, but he soon bought a Ford car. Many of his telephone lines followed 'rights of way' through brush and woodland where "Henry" could not travel. In winter, "Jack," with a pack of tools on his back, trudged through the snow and brush fixing the damaged lines. At the time of one sleet storm, he counted 15 breaks on one line in a mile's distance.
The persevering Agent was also troubled by woodsmen fell- ing trees, which occasionally brought down or broke some wires. A French Canadian was causing two or three such mis- haps a week. Finally John gave him a good talking to, telling him that in such cases subscribers could not get the doctor or summon help in case of fire. After that, the culprit was more careful.
Speaking of doctors, John, who also attended the switch- board nights, related how a subscriber frantically called and asked him to send a doctor. The local physician drove hur- riedly to the man's place only to find out the farmer wanted a
302 Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
'horse' doctor. John said the farmer always blamed him for the loss of his horse.
The most exciting experience of the Laceys was during the November, 1927, flood, which has been related in Chapter 21.
One spring day, Ray Snow came up to give John the benefit of some new practices. John took him for a ride over some muddy, deep rutted roads, and when they got back, Ray told John he didn't see how he got such good results under such adverse conditions.
The office was cut over to Dial Nov. 13, 1940, and the Laceys moved to Springfield, where John worked on trouble and in the stock room eight more years. Prior to their depar- ture, however, a large number of people, from all around, as- sembled in the Community House and presented them with gifts and money in appreciation of their faithful service.
EAST LONGMEADOW
The following story was written after pleasant interviews with Mrs. George B. Robinson and Miss Susan F. Delehanty on Jan. 17, 1948.
East Longmeadow was served from the Springfield exchange until about 1904, when an exchange was established with George B. Robinson as Agent.
Mr. Robinson was born in 1866, in the Baptist District of East Longmeadow, and had as a neighbor "Susie" Delehanty. He received his schooling in East Longmeadow and at Charles Business College in Springfield and then entered the quarry business on Kibbe Road, East Longmeadow. Quarrying was then the chief industry there, and Mr. Robinson's sister had married one of the Norcross family, which operated the princi- pal quarries of the town.
Buildings at Mount Holyoke and Yale Colleges were made of this brown stone, as was the East Longmeadow Town Hall. Mr. Robinson became a Selectman and Representative at Bos- ton for a few years.
The first telephone exchange was established in a building on the east side of Prospect Street, just three or four hundred feet south of the square. It was known as the Robinson Block, and was a two and a half story house with three tenements and
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 303
a store. It was purchased by Mr. Robinson from "Cris" Ses- sions, whose son had conducted a meat market there. It was in the erstwhile office of this market, that the first switchboard was set up. Mr. Robinson used the store space for a confection- ery and tobacco shop and for some years the telephone opera- tors took care of the store along with the telephone business, which probably wasn't too exacting in those days, as the lines were heavily loaded and a subscriber could ring anyone on his line.
A small village board was installed under the supervision of "Gus" McAulay and "Bill" French, the former, an outside Plant man, and the latter, the Springfield Assistant Manager. Miss Susan Delehanty, who had been working in the W. J. Medlicott Company's Knitting Factory on Morris Street, Springfield, was engaged by Mr. Robinson to be the first Oper- ator. An iron bed was set up in an adjoining room, and the first night she was there the bed collapsed, and she was initiated into her new duties by sleeping on the floor. Her experience in the telephone business had been a telephone call to Hartford, from one of the public telephones, and being inexperienced she asked a man to put in the call for her. She had never made a call until she began to work for the Telephone Company. The instructions given her were a hurried "just plug in" and the first call that came in was from Ethan Hancock of Porter Road, and by "just plugging in" she somehow suceeded in com- pleting the call. Later she got more instructions from Jack Lyons, and Miss Frost brought out a head set for her. There were two lines to Springfield at the beginning. She was on duty, as was the custom in those days, twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, receiving $6.00 per week.
Besides "Gus" McAulay, Frank McInnis was engaged in outside Plant work, and Henry Chapman was in the Traffic Dept. Miss Delehanty saw quite a little of these men.
Dr. Conro, a physician, was probably the first in this section to conceive the idea of playing chess by telephone. Their game, no doubt, was often interrupted by party line interference.
Miss Delehanty worked two years, lacking a month, and then resumed her work at the Knitting Factory. Fred Brad- shaw, a telephone man, took over the operating end.
304
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Olive Worthington from Somers and Fannie Dobson of East Longmeadow were the succeeding operators. "Patsy" Leary had charge of the operating for quite a long while.
On August Ist, 1911, Miss Delehanty was made Agent by Mr. Chapman. The switchboard had been kept in the same place, but when she took over, they rewired the little board and moved it out into the main room. The candy and tobacco business had been given up just before this. Later they put in a one position board with 5 or 6 trunks to Springfield.
Miss Delehanty's sales ability, for which she later received many prizes, developed itself right away; for she hadn't been Agent a month when she sold 25 telephones and soon brought the Exchange up to 100 subscribers.
In 1912, she bought a house, with an adjoining lot, on Brooks Street; and in December, 1915, the Exchange was moved to the second floor of her home, where she celebrated by having her first Christmas dinner. The Exchange was discon- nected not quite two hours during the transfer, as they had to rewire the frame. Burgis and Frank Gillis worked on the trans- fer to Brooks Street. Jack Lyons was 'on trouble' at that time.
Later Miss Delehanty built a house on the vacant lot and moved there. The Telephone Company put in a two position board, which it couldn't do in the other house as it was too heavy for the second floor.
Besides her sales ability she developed a mechanical prowess. She learned to put in fuses and to install batteries at subscrib- ers' premises. They used to mail batteries to subscribers, and as some didn't know how to connect them, Miss Delehanty would obligingly do the work for them.
No alarming troubles occurred during her Agency, except the hurricane of 1938. She was so busy at the board then that she didn't even see a tree topple over. When the electric wires came down on the telephone lines, the current penetrated the board making a crackling noise, and gave a bad shock to the ear if one happened to be on the lines. To prevent the electric current setting fire to the board, she had to rush to the other side of the board when receiving these alarming signals and push a knitting needle, having a wooden handle, under the heat coil and throw it out.
305
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Miss Delehanty, with her Irish wit, said the reason she never married was she didn't come of a marrying family-only two out of the nine children in her family having married.
The new community dial service was inaugurated April 23, 1941, and the retired Agent now resides in a cozy apartment in East Longmeadow where she can look out over the Square and see her former houses on Brooks Street. She is a regular atten- dant at Pioneer gatherings and is affectionately known to her many friends as "Susie."
Mr. Robinson died in 1938 and is survived by his widow, who before her marriage was Annie Cameron of South Hadley Center. She, too, lives near the center of East Longmeadow and chats over the telephone with her old friend, "Susie."
HATFIELD
It was nice to be welcomed into Mrs. Nellie R. Donlin's spacious home in Hatfield on Jan. 10, 1948, on a cold, windy winter's day. As she wistfully recalled her days as Agent, the aroma of a chicken, which she was cooking for her husband's supper, wafted into the parlor. At the age of 78, she is not de- pendent on any help.
Mrs. Donlin recounted that a Mrs. Emma Webber, now de- ceased, was the New England Telephone Co.'s first Agent. The Exchange was opened March 7, 1906, prior to which time the town was served by rural lines from Northampton. A village type magneto board was installed in Mrs. Webber's residence.
Upon Mrs. Webber's resignation, due to illness, Mr. Chap- man, District Traffic Manager, asked Mrs. Donlin to take the Agency. After consulting with her brother, John C. Ryan, who had bought the brick house at 43 Main Street for her occu- pancy, she agreed to take it provided the remuneration per- mitted her to employ two operators. Her first operator was Anna Hickey, aged 16, who had previously worked for Mrs. Webber. Mrs. Donlin suceeded in having the Smith Charities, in Northampton, "bind her out"-which meant that if the girl proved industrious and of good character, she would re- ceive $300 upon reaching the age of 21. Edna Wholley, now an Operator at South Deerfield, also worked here.
Mrs. Donlin, a native of Hatfield, was born Nov. 11, 1870.
306
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Her father operated a farm and was able to make money on tobacco at ten cents a pound-now 70 to 80 cents. Her hus- band, James F. Donlin, she met when working in a warehouse of her brother's.
The village board was transferred to a room in the back of her home in 1921 and the batteries installed in the cellar. Mr. Proctor was Manager at Northampton when the Hatfield Ex- change was started, and "Bill" Shea was Wire Chief when Mrs. Donlin took the Agency.
There was only one outside circuit to Northampton when she became Agent. She and John Lacey, Agent of the Cum- mington Exchange, complained at a Telephone Agents' meet- ing about the trouble they had getting South Deerfield, and soon afterwards a circuit to that nearby exchange was added to her board. Later, a new magneto board was installed, which re- mained until the office was converted to dial.
The most exciting time experienced during her Agency was the flood of 1936. The Connecticut River gradually rose so that the water surrounded her house and reached the second cellar stair from the top. The Chief of Police, Arthur Breer, called and wanted her and her operators to leave. She refused to leave, and the State Police then called to try their persuasive powers. She replied she wouldn't leave till she was told to do so by Mr. Hall in Springfield. At that time the fear was prevalent that the dam at Turners Falls would break and wash out Hat- field, and people were frantically calling the office to get the latest news. Mrs. Donlin had asked the Turners Falls operator to let her know if the dam broke. Wild rumors were springing up, and she and her operators were able to contradict them and keep a semblance of calm in the community. Finally Mr. Hall gave the orders to leave; and, much to her chagrin, she and her operators were transported to the Town Hall by truck, but not until she had collected all her payment records and other papers, which she thought important.
"Al" Morton and "Red" Vail were dispatched to Hatfield by Richard Whitcomb, Division Manager, and after a thrilling trip from Springfield, they reached Northampton the next day. "Charlie" Haynes, then Northampton Telephone Mana- ger, drove them to the river's bank at the 'cliff,' where the
307
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
Coast Guard took them and their supplies aboard, and rowed them to the veranda of the marooned Donlin home. Mrs. Don- lin could not be prevailed upon to remain in the Town Hall that night, so the truck was again called into action to return the Donlins to "home sweet home." She remained at home after that and looked after the boys, giving them a few pointers about operating the magneto switchboard and providing them with some very palatable meals.
The waters subsided in about three days and the towns- people breathed easier. A couple of telephone lines had been patched through to the Town Hall, when she was ordered to leave, so that the office continued to render emergency service during that short interval.
Mrs. Donlin remained Agent until the cutover of the dial system on Dec. 27, 1939.
WORTHINGTON
It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, Jan. 22, 1948, and about a foot of snow covered the landscape, which is not unusual on the heights of Worthington.
Mrs. Horace Cole sat by a front window in the room where she had looked after the first switchboard for so many years, and near by sat her daughter, Elizabeth Torrey, holding her baby boy. The story, as related by Mrs. Cole, with a little help from her daughter, seemed to convey some meaning to the baby who remained quiet and attentive throughout.
Telephone service was first furnished to this town by a rural line which was run from Northampton to Chesterfield and Worthington. A telephone was located in the Worthington Inn, owned by A. W. Trow, one at South Worthington in Witherell's Store, and at the Center in Cole's Store. The Inn catered to summer guests, and a few summer families resided in town, mostly from Springfield. Russell Conwell, of 'Acres of Diamonds' fame, was born here and maintained a summer home in the town. Most of the townspeople, however, were engaged in farming, except some who worked in three basket factories. This was quite an industry which thrived on the plentiful supply of ash trees. There were four post offices and
308
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
three general stores and now only one of each. The Inn later burned, was rebuilt, and again destroyed by fire.
In the Fall of 1905, William R. McComsey spent two or three weeks here and secured about fifty applicants for service to a local exchange. Horace S. Cole became the first Agent. He was a native of the town, and his father and grandfather ran the store before him. He was Town Clerk for many years and had been a Selectman. Mrs. Cole was born in Worcester, her maiden name being Anna Abbott Perry.
A village type wall board was installed in a little room in the back of the store; and another board was put in the Cole house about a tenth of a mile from the store, on the old Ches- terfield Road, which highway used to be the Old Boston Turn- pike between Boston and Albany. They attended the board in the store daytimes and switched it over to the house nights and sometimes during the day, when an unusual rush of busi- ness occurred. Mrs. Cole said "Tom" Maguire did the installa- tion work. They engaged a boy, Donald Stevens, who operated the board three summers. Minnie Knapp also worked as an operator for many years.
Mrs. Cole used to attend the board at night with the aid of a loud buzzer. Later, her daughters Olive and Elizabeth helped her. Elizabeth Torrey, with her husband and children, now resides with her mother in the old homestead and carries on the telephone tradition as Payment Agent. Mrs. Cole's daugh- ter Olive, Pittsfield District Chief Clerk, recently celebrated her 31st year with the Telephone Company.
With a family of three boys and two girls to take a turn at the switchboard, the telephone business went on smoothly. Mr. Cole installed batteries and straightened out crossed wires, the latter trouble being attended to by means of a long fish pole with a hook on the end.
At the beginning, there were fourteen or fifteen subscribers on a line. The parties on a line rang one another and obtained the news of the day from their own and others' calls, so it was no wonder they did not take kindly to having their lines re- duced to seven or eight parties.
The ice storm in late November, 1921, that did so much damage in Chesterfield, brought most of the lines in Worthing-
309
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts
ton to the ground; and the exchange was out of operation for several days. During this time they ran an emergency line over the ground to Chesterfield, so that a doctor might be sum- moned for an expectant mother. This was the first time in all the years the Coles had the Agency that they all went out to- gether.
Subscribers paid bills at the store, but it was necessary, now and then, to hitch up the horse and go out collecting. Mrs. Cole said she enjoyed these outings, as they took their dinner and made a picnic of it.
To get to Worthington from Northampton, before the days of the automobile, one generally went by trolley to Williams- burg or Hinsdale and there hired a horse and buggy at the livery stable. Agents were expected to go out with messages to neighbors and to aid in emergencies, such as procuring and delivering medicine.
Telephone men that came up here now and then were Richard Dee, Henry Chapman, Augustus McAulay, and later Ralph Jones.
The Exchange was started with one toll line to Northamp- ton and later was connected to Cummington, Chesterfield, Huntington, Dalton and Pittsfield. The first little board had been placed on a side wall of the front room of the house and then moved into a back room. Later, the two small wall boards were replaced by a large one-position magneto board, placed in the back room of the residence. Then, a two position board was installed, which remained until the Exchange was con- verted to dial operation, Dec. 17, 1941.
The new dial office was built on land purchased from Mr. Cole and stands about 300 feet beyond the old house, which for so many years was the home of the Worthington Exchange.
CHAPTER 23
Palmer Exchange Area
THE New England Telephone and Telegraph Co. was organ- ized Oct. 19, 1883, and the Palmer exchange was assigned to the Western Division, the Superintendent of which was Frank G. Daboll, of Springfield.
A tribute to the Telephone Manager is taken from the Palmer Journal of Dec. 28, 1883: "The telephone subscribers of the Palmer exchange, remembering Mrs. Emma Weeman's patient and forgiving disposition when accosted by a no more dignified salutation than "Hello!" made her a Christmas pre- sent of $71.50. Mrs. Weeman has had charge of the central office since its establishment, nearly three years ago, and has given universal satisfaction to the patrons of this exchange."
Another reference to lightning appeared in the Journal: "The telephones at the State Primary School (the site of the Monson State Hospital), Weeks House, and Edgerton and Davis's were burned out by lightning during Wednesday's storm."
A summary of the subscribers was given in the Oct. 31, 1884, Journal: The New England Telephone Co. has issued a new list of exchanges and subscribers, and by it the Palmer Ex- change is credited with having 81 subscribers, divided among the different villages as follows: Palmer 39, Monson 21, Brim- field 5, Three Rivers 4, Thorndike 4, Wales 3, Bondsville 3, Ware 2.
The Palmer Wire Co. was mentioned Nov. 7, 1884, for an- other progressive step: The Palmer Wire Co. has lately drawn and shipped over 40 tons of hard-drawn copper wire for tele-
310
Tracing the Telephone in Western Massachusetts 311
phone purposes, and is constantly receiving orders for more. The Mills are running night forces in order to keep up with their orders.
Mr. Thomas B. Doolittle had succeeded in building a tele- phone line of hard-drawn copper wire between Boston and New York which met with the approval of the Directors of the American Telephone Co. A demand for this improved means of transmission ensued, and the Palmer Wire Co. was quick to procure orders.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.