ONE RINGY DINGY

Some occupations have faded  to memory. One of them is "switchboard
operator".

Remember Ernestine, the switchboard operator on Laugh-In?
http://www.tvacres.com/comm_ernestine.htm

Remember when your phone number began with letters- ie,  PE nnyslvania 6
5000 and you had a "party line". The implementation of seven digit
numbers began in 1958.

I remember  when my dad  would place a call to Virginia City, Nevada,
we would get the switchboard operator there in town.  Dad knew her by
name.  Dad would call and ask if she knew where "Vic" was.  She would then
start calling around town asking if anyone knew where to find Vic and to
tell him that he had a call from his friend Pete. Once she located him
she would then put Dad's call throughWe would stop in and see her
working that fabulous board of cords and plugs when we visited Virginia
City. You couldn't hide behind an answering machine in those days.

Some fun sites for reminiscing about the old phone systems, and service
we used to receive.............
http://www.privateline.com/TelephoneHistory3A/numbers.html
http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

Remember when the idea of actually owning our phone, rather than leasing
it came into being.  Phone stores, trim lines, princess phones, the
breakup of the Bell System, etc......a fun trip down memory lane............
http://www.porticus.org/bell/bell_system_property.html

Come to think of it, I guess there will soon be a website on those old,
almost forgotten relics- The Pay Phone~

Here is a directory of the  Mariposa Exchange  from 1931,  J J DULCICH
manager:
http://www.mariposaresearch.net/1931phndir.html

Best,
Carolyn Feroben
Mariposa County History and Genealogy Research
http://www.mariposaresearch.net