Connie Adams-Pitt has given permission for the Campbell County Historical Society to display the following photos of her Grandfather's half brother George Adams who worked for the phone company about 1900. She retains the copyright on the photos and they may not be sold, copied or copywritten into any publication.
Click on the photo description to see a large copy.
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George working on phone lines 45
feet above ground.
George and his boss cleaning
crank telephones.
Be sure to read the instructions on how to use the telephone
at the bottom of this page.
Click on the letter (not the book) for the page you need to see.
The phone book has instructions to aid people in using the telephone:
The number of each
subscriber's line and ring is placed opposite his name in the alphabetic
list of this directory.
To Call The Exchange.
- Give one short ring and then at once place the Telephone to your ear.
The operator
will immediately answer you through the Telephone.
Give the Number
and Ring of the person you wish to speak with, and don't hang the Telephone
up, but continue listening.
The party called
will either speak to you or the operator will inform you that he is "busy"
talking to some one else, or will not answer.
When done talking
hang up the Telephone and give one short ring.
The Exchange
will call you by ringing your number on the bell. Don't ring back,
but simply place the Telephone to your ear and answer through the Microphone.
Answer
your bell promptly.
When using the
Telephone, be sure to give your name when commencing conversation, and
require your correspondent to do the same; this will prevent misunderstandings.
The Telephone,
when not in use, must always hang on the hook provided for it; otherwise
the bell will cut out, and no call can be heard.
In using the
Microphone, for ordinary tones, place the mouth about four inches away
from the opening, approaching nearer for lower tones. Talking loudly
near the instrument should be avoided.
The use of profane,
obscene, or improper language over the lines is strictly forbidden.
Subscribers will be held responsible for the enforcement of this rule,
and if such language is persistently indulged in, the Telephone will be
promptly removed.
If your Telephone
don't work right, report it to the Superintendent of Exchanges, line 1053.
If it is not remedied in reasonable time, please report by letter or in
person to the General Manager.
Subscribers who
wish a change in the location of their instruments will be charged therefor
only the actual cost of the change.
W. U. Telegrams By Telephone.
By arrangement with
the Western Union Telegraph Company, subscribers to our exchange may receive
or forward telegrams by telephone free of extra charge.
TOLL LINES
Every subscriber
should preserve a memorandum of each use of Toll Lines, in order to verify
the account rendered by the Company when presented for payment. Whenever,
from poor service, or any other cause, a subscriber thinks that no charge
should be made, the fact must be at once reported to the General Manager's
office. All connection will be charged, and no rebate allowed unless
the claim is made with-in 24 hours.
The book has a list of Toll Call areas
and charges for a 5 minute call.
Areas such as
Bellevue, Dayton, Independence and Florence KY cost 15 Cents.
Areas such as
Batavia OH and Lawrenceburgh, IN cost 25 Cents.
Area such as
Lexington KY and Piqua OH cost 35 Cents.
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