14
During the 1920's and the early 1930's, telephone rates were $15.00 per year. This was paid twice a year in installments of $7.50. However, during the lean years of the "Great Depression", the rates were dropped to $12.00 per year with installments of $6.00. Long distance charges were 10 cents for three minutes. During the Depression, many people did not have enough money to pay for the telephone service. Their telephone service would be cut off, and if after a couple years they still could not afford the service, the telephones would then be removed from their homes.15
Telephone Bill . . 19621962
16
Money was scarce, and the relatively small service area of the Metcalfe Rural made for many long distance call situations. Many people around the Vernon and Dalmeny area were part of the Winchester phone exchange, and thus long distance charges would apply. Quite often, if a person in the Metcalfe area wanted to call to Winchester, they would place a call to Porteous General Store in Vernon. This store had two telephones – one that was part of the Winchester exchange, and one that belonged to the Metcalfe Rural. The Porteous' would often take messages for people on the one system and then call out on the other system in order to save money for people.Another long distance savings plan was in effect in Russell. Many local people made use of Dr. Proudfoot, a Dentist who had an office right beside the Russell switch board building. People would ring the operator in Russell (which didn't cost anything) and ask the operator if the window blinds in the Dentist's office were up or not. If the blinds were up, the person could then be patched through or just go ahead and visit Dr. Proudfoot.
17
1945 Telephone Bills . . Toll and Local1945
18
In the early years of the Telephone Company, Mr. Fred Latimer was appointed as Manager/Technician, and sometime thereafter Jim Thompson was responsible for the switch board technical operation, the transmission lines, and the customer telephones. One of the early subscribers, Mr. Lorne Craig, of Vernon, recalls Mr. Thompson approaching their farm in 1918 on a motorcycle with a side car. He wore leather legged repair of lines and telephone transformers. Replacement batteries to power home telephones were also carried in the side car of the motorcycle. Obviously, this method of transportation would have been in warm months only.Jim Thompson was succeeded by his son Hilliard Thompson in the late 1920's and preformed the duties until his retirement in 1952, when Alfred Sheldrick took over.
19
Mrs Jack (Mammie) Rowan at the Switchboard1960
Metcalfe, Ontario
20
The switchboard consisted of twenty circuits that increased in modules as the demand for party and private lines grew in the area. Private lines, usually located in the town of Metcalfe, cost more than a party line. The switchboard grew to accommodate some 1200 subscribers by the 1940's.21
Switchboard with Long Distance Dialout to Bell Canada1950
Metcalfe, Ontario
22
In the early years, there was competition for the Metcalfe Rural in Osgoode Village from the Bell Telephone Company. Bell had established itself by leasing an office from The North American Telegraph Company in 1910, with H. J. Cleland appointed as manager. By 1911, Bell purchased this building and extended their coverage from Osgoode Village to North Gower. This North Gower exchange maintained a station in Osgoode Village from 1911 - 1928, where it finally closed in Craig's Store. Metcalfe Rural opened an exchange in Osgoode Village in 1916, and a duplication of service existed for the next twelve years.In 1912, the Metcalfe Rural faced other competition from the President of the Ottawa Valley Telephone Co.. Represented by W. L. Palmer, the Ottawa Valley Telephone requested from Council that a By Law be approved that would allow Mr. Palmer to erect poles on Canadian Pacific Railway property. The Metcalfe Rural responded by noting that it had received a granted franchise for the use of highways (roads) within Osgoode Township, and telephone lines being almost completed, indicated that rate payers would receive more extensive and efficient service than the Ottawa Valley Telephone Co. could provide. Township Council supported the Rural Metcalfe and the Ottawa Valley Telephone Co. was not established in Osgoode Township.
23
Instructions for the Operators1920
24
In the early years of the Telephone Company, Mr. Fred Latimer was appointed as Manager/Technician, and sometime thereafter Jim Thompson was responsible for the switch board technical operation, the transmission lines, and the customer telephones. One of the early subscribers, Mr. Lorne Craig, of Vernon, recalls Mr. Thompson approaching their farm in 1918 on a motorcycle with a side car. He wore leather legged repair of lines and telephone transformers. Replacement batteries to power home telephones were also carried in the side car of the motorcycle. Obviously, this method of transportation would have been in warm months only.Jim Thompson was succeeded by his son Hilliard Thompson in the late 1920's and preformed the duties until his retirement in 1952, when Alfred Sheldrick took over.
25
Switchboard with Operators at Work1950
Metcalfe, Ontario
26
Using the telephone in the days of the Metcalfe Rural was far different than today. All calls had to go through the local switch board, where operators made the physical connections between two parties. Because of the nature of this, the only way that an operator could tell if a conversation was over was to periodically listen in to see if people were still talking. Many people were on party lines , meaning that a number of houses along a road were using the same telephone line, although they had their own ring tones.27
Privacy was in the conscience of the other line users. Anyone on a particular party line could listen in on another person's conversation simply by lifting up their receiver. Much gossip resulted in those days, and everyone knew everyone's business. Home telephones were powered by batteries that had to be replaced by the Metcalfe Rural Telephone. People who used their phones a lot, for conversation or just listening for the "news", used up their batteries much quicker. |
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