HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1956-04-12, Page 11dependent telephone companies
were formed and oonnected to
Clinton. The subscribers of these
companies were listed after Clinton
and later with Clinton's: customers.
The Tuckersinith Municipal Tele-
phone System and McKillop Muni-
cipal Telephone System continue
to operate.
The Goderich Municipal Tele-
phone system was purehesed in
1954 by Bell, and assets of that
.systemeare presently being distrib-
uted among subscriber's,
An 1909, Miss Kennedy became
an .operater, a ,position: she held
for ten years, until her )promotien
to chief operator in 1919;
c1;
At -Bruceffeld
By the end of 1909, a sub-office
had been established at Brucefield,
There were 153 telephones in use,
among - them 83 business/ and 57
reaidence telephones, also stWo
booth%
Mrs. Mary Ls' Jordan (the for-
mer Mary L. Walton), now 'night
* = :a *
• The "Bell" Agent Here In Gay Nineties
SeeSeS:Igis-sas
This photograph, taken early in the "gay 'nineties", shows the J. B. Rumball and Company
Jewelry Store on Albert Street which also housed the Bell Telephone exchange.; Mr. Bumball had
become the telephone company's agent here when he took over Mr. Robert W. Coat's Jewelry
business. Less than two years after Mr. Rumball took over the business a fire gutted this building.
Remaining stock and equipment was moved to temporary quarters across the street. Then, in 1892,
new permanent quarters were located in the building on Albert Street which has served as telephone
headquarters here up to the present. In the photograph, the wires which connected telephones
with the exchange are visible running into the store above the door.
Same Numbers Since 1894 Have Called
Clinton Folk To "Answer The 'Phone"
Imagine having the same telephone number for 61 years! It has been more than imagination
in Clinton,. For at least five places' of business 'and one private residence it is fact. The com-
parative listings for the 1894 and 1955 Clinton directories• are shown as follows:
DECEMBER, 1894
10 'Malson's Bank, Rattenbury St.
35 'Grand Trunk R'y. Railway Stn.
35. Grand Trunk R'y.. Freight Shed.
4 News Record Printing Office
A. M. Todd, Prop.
.." 6 Rumball, J. B., Residence,
Rattenbury St,
22 Shaw Dr., Office, Rattenbury St.
11 Doherty, W. & Co., Organ Man'frs.,
Raglan St.
At least 16. of Clinton"s telephone numbers
family, or place of business for a period of 51
OCTOBER, 1904
1 Bartliff, H. Restaurant, Albert
90 Brydone, W., Residence, Isaac
and Joseph
11 Doherty, W. & Co,, Organ Mfrs, East
121 •Gibbings, B. J., Residence, Gibbings
35b Grand Trunk Ry., Freight Office
35a Grand Trunk Ry., Ticket Office
118 Hovey, J. E. Residence, Townsend
24 House of Re"fuge, London Road
117 Knitting Factory, King
99 McTaggart, M. D., Residence, Princess
& Shipley (sic)
10 Molsons Bank Office, Ontario &
Victoria
4 "News Record" Printing Co,,
W. J, Mitchell, Prop,, Albert
6 Rumball; J. B., Residence, Rattenbury
109 Serutin (sic), J., Butcher
22 Shaw, Dr., Physician, Ontario
106 Sovereign Bank, Albert
72 Torrance, J., Inspector, Hduse of
Refuge, Huron:
, .
MAY, 1955
Bank of Montreal, 'Victoria St.
Canadian National Rly, Ticket
Office, King (St.) '
Clinton News-Record
The Home Paper With the News
Fine Commercial Printing
Albert ,(St.)
Rurnball, Mrs. C., Rattenbury
Shaw, Dr. J. W., Physician; 22
Rattenbury
Sherlock-Manning Piano Co. Ltd., 11
East (St.)
have been used to signal the same individual,
years as the comparative listings here show:
MAY, 1955
Bartliff Bros., Bakery & Confectionery,
Albert 1
Brydone, Mrs. William r. Isaac 90
Sherlock Manning Piano Co. Ltd, East 11
Gibbings, B. 3., r Gibbings 121
Canadian National Rly. Ticket Office,
King 35
Hovey, 3. E. r. Townsend 118
Huron County Home, London Rd. 24
Clinton Hosiery Mills Ltd., Mary 117
IVIcTaggart, Mrs. Edith r. Shipley 99
Bank of Montreal, Victoria 10
Clinton News-Record, Albert „ 4
Rumball, Mrs. C., Rattenbury 6
Scruton (sic) Miss Emily, Huron 109
Shaw, Dr. J. W., Physician, Rattenbury 22
Royal Bank of Canada, Albert 106
Torrance, 'Miss Maude, Ontario 72
10
35
4
6
ton News-
11
THE NEW ERA—Mt YEAR
THE NEWS-RECORD-75th YEAR
No, 15—The HOMO roper With the Hewn
cl,INTON, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1956
Second Section,-Peges 9 to 16
CLINTON'S TE EP NE HISTORY
These days, if you .asked person hia occupation and. he
Wormed you he was an iron plough maker, or that he made
carriages, or worked as a saddler, perhaps' you would grin and
say, "Sure, we know . . And I made frock coats." But at
about the time 'telephones first arrived in Clinton these were
all commonly practiced trades.
Clinton was as anxious as any other town or city to coma
to grips with this "mysterious." instrument -known as the tele,.
phone and as early as July 1879, - a pair of hand telephones.
*ere pat into use here.
The hand telephones were leased
to James A. Yuill, for service be-
tween . what were then known as'
the American; Express and Domin-
lOn Telegraph office, and Messrs.
Glasgow, Macpherson and Co's.
''Works in Clinton. This was al-
most a year before The Bell -Tele-
phone Company of Canada was in-
corporated.
During 1880, when Charles
Fleetford Slow, founder of The Bell
Telephone Company of Canada,
was officiating as vice-president,
the Dominion Telegraph Cornpany
was purchased. All private line
and other subscribers, were notified
to the effect that rentals accruing
were to be paid to The Bell Com-
pany. •
One of. 32
At that time, Clinton was one
of 32 original exchanges, or agen-
cies, officially listed. The. Bell
Telephone then owned and operats
ed more than 2,000 miles of wire,
with. more. than 2,000 customers
' and in addition had some 200 pri-
vate lines of from one-quarter mile
to five miles in length.
Clinton's first Bell Company ag-
ent was W. H. Ransford, in the
year 1881. However, before the
end of the year, William Jackson
was appointed agent, The switch-
board was installed in December,
1881, in a corner of William Jack-
son's Gent's Famishing Store.
Long Distance
In 1884, a long distance tele-
phone line was constructed from
Stratford to Goderich, through
Mitch•ells, Seaforth and Clinton. In
January, 1885, what was believed
to be Clinton's first telephone
directory listed 11 subscribers. It
was a pocket sized booklet, and
the Clinton. agency was described
'as follows:
Clinton Agency 24-Hours-A-Day
Central Office' - Victoria street
May 1, 1899 was a particularly
Office open from 8 a.m. to 8 happy day for Clinton residents.
p.m., weekdays; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. They learned that for the first
on Sundays; 10 a.m. to. noon; and tirrie• they were going to receive
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on holidays. 24-houi-a-day telephone service.
W. Jackson, Agent. The directory for November 1900,
showed "continuous service," and Subscribers:
listed 85 telephones. Cunningham, John, Express Agent.
The previously constructed Clin- Doherty, W. & Co., Organ Factory.
ton-to-Wingham long distance line Fair, James, Flour Mill,
Ferran, Macpherson & Hovey, was improved considerably in 1901.
Foundry. Before the 1903 construction sea-
Grand Trunk R'y. Station. son ended a line was built con-
G r e at North-Western Telegraph necting Clinton. with Hensall.
Co. Office; Son Enters "Bell" Huron News-Record, Printing Of- The Bell Telephone career of fice. Raymond 3. R. Rumball started
Jackson, Win. Gents' Furnishings, in 1905, when as a lad in his early New Era, Printing Office. teens he entered into the comp- Ransford, John, Residence. any's service as a night operator at Ransford, R, Residence. the Clinton exchange. His father's Ransford, R., Salt Works, health was failing at that time and
'his mother was assuming in great-
A newspaper carried a report on er degrees the duties of acting November 5, 1885 stating that the
local manager. nevi' telephone line between Lon-
don, St. Marys, Mitchell, Seaforth, Mrs. Clara Georgina ;Sumba
'officially was appointed manager Clinton and Goderich, "and' the
line from Strafford to Berlin and at Clinton on, February 1, 1907.
Guelph via New' Hamburg and The late Lily Lorraine Kennedy
had joined the Clinton staff a Baden, are finished and now open
for business."1 As a result ref this month earlier as a part-time caper,
long distance' hook-up, December, ator, embarking on what was des-
1885's Clinton directory 'listed 25 tined to be a lengthy career of
customers. service to the community.
J. B. Rumball, formerly local "Bell" Was Sideline
manager, died in January, 1908. He
Clinton received a new Bell had served. almost 17 years with Telephone agent when, in 1887, the the Bell Telephone Company of
switchboard was transferred to Canada.
Robert W. Coat's jewelry Store At the start of Mrs. C. Rumball's on Albert Street. Like' his pre- service, the exchange occupied
decessor, Mr. Coats carried on his space at' the rear of that family's
own business and served as' an jewelry store. The operating was
agent as a sideline. Early the carried out on a part-time basis. following year, Bell Telephone But in 1909, the store
was removed head office announced company and the entire premises were
agents were to be styled "local acquired for company use,
managers" effective. immediately. During 1908 and 1909, three in-
Shortly before the close of 1889
a, highly important change occur-
red, which was destined to bring a
well-known Clinton family into
lengthy and distinguished service
'with The Bell Telephone Company
of Canada. 3. B. Rumball, a man
Fire? Then Dial
2.3421 For Help
A new fire alarm number —
1-1Unter 2-3421 — will go into use
in Clinton; and. the method of
handling fire Calla will change
coineident with the cutover to dial
service early April 15.
When the fire number is dialed
it will ring telephones in the
homes of four members of Clin-
tort's fire department, at leant one
of whom Will be available to take
the call. Extra (one-way sets)
are installed in the homes of Fire
Chief Grant Rath, Alec l'. Cud-
More, Dennis. Bieback and Torn,
Twytord. The alarm also will ring
in the town hall.
The fireman who answers will
find out details of the fire and
Will press a' button, to sound the
' fire alarm, informing other fire.
Men to report to the fire fighting
equipment,
*
operator in the Clinton exchange,
jedned the staff in 1917. She work-
ed, for 11 years before 'her mar-
riage and returned following her
'husband's (Morley Jordan) death
in 1945,
Due to ill heal* Mrs, Rumball
was temporarily relieved of her
post as Clinten's Bell manager in
1919, Her son, Raymond Rum-
ball, who by this' time had become
local manager at Goderioh, was ap-
pointed acting manager for Clin-
ton.
Praise Lineman
Praise from Clinton for the
quick thinking of a Bell Telephone
section lineman and his assistants,
was-recorded in the September
1923 issue of the company's official
magazine, "The Blue Bell".
The report stated that on the
morning of July 12. (1923), W. H.
Hadfield, member of Bell's London
staff, and his team, were working
near Exeter when an automobile
containing five men and a boy,
overturned, pinning the complete
party beneath the wreckage. The
telephone men quickly righted the
car and administered' First Aid to
the occupants, who were then able
to return to 'their homes,
The late Dr. 3. W. Shaw, father
of the boy, wrote to "The Blue
Bell" the following letter:
"Your 'foreman and his men,
seeing the accident rushed over
and immediately released my boy
and, I have no doubt, saved his
life. I wish to convey my sincerest
thanks and gratitude to them for
their prompt and intelligent as-
sistance in administering First
Aid."
Makes Record
In 1927, a record for fast long
distance calls was probably estab-
lished in Clinton when Major Sloan
put through a call from this' town
to: his brother in Oakland, Calif-
ornia, and was pleasantly surpris-
ed to get necessary connections
made within 17 minutes. In those
day, this was considered service of
the first order. The operator plac-
ing the call here was Miss Jessie
Kress' (now Mrs. Joseph Hart,
Rattenbury Street East, Clinton).
Unusually Stable.
From 1907 until the first - full
year of the depression in 1930,
the number of telephones' in Clin-
ton gradually increased and fin-
ally reached the 347-mark. Only
40 telephones ware taken out be-
tween 1930 and 1935, and, before
the Close of 1939, the number had
been restored, Clinton was ob-
viously an unusually stable com-
munity.
The Bell Telephone in Clinton
suffered a loss: in December, 1932,
when Mrs. Clara G. Rumball, •local
manager, was granted one month's
leave of absence, prior to her re-
tirement on January 1, 1933. She
had served the company in• this
capacity for about 25-years. Mrs.
Rumball continues to live on Rat-
tenbury Street West, near the new
exchange building.
The Clinton telephone directory
for December, 1932, listed J. M.
McIntosh as district manager,
with Miss' L. Kennedy as local
representative. Mr. McIntosh was
located at Stratford, where he also
resided. Miss Kennedy attended
to local business details under his'
jurisdiction.
During the year 1936, the Clin-
ton exchange put through a total
of 1,310,000 local calls and 30,000
long distance calls, The News-
Record ran a report about Clin-
ton's telephone staff in November,
1937. At that time there wore
seven operators—three to a shift--
handling about 3,900 calls daily.
Change To Battery
On July 5, 1939, the town of
Clinton held its breath and await-
ed with excitement the beginning
of a brand new era in local tele-
phone service. On that date a
changeover from the crank-style
of telephone to common battery
system was successfully effected.
As befitted the occasion, 'the ffret
local calls were put through the
new system by Mrs. Clara Pantiball
and Mrs. W. Jackson, the wife of
Clinton's second Bell agent,
An item in The Bell Company's
"Telephone News", dated Septem- •
her, 1939; paid tribute to Miss Lily
Lorraine Kennedy, had served
more than 30 years with the com-
pany as. operator, chief operator
and 'local' 'representative,
Clinton's 1940 telephone direct-.
dry listed P. D. Wilson as, manager
at Stratford replacing Mr. Mc-
Intosh. Miss Kennedy was still in
charge of local telephone business,
RAE Switchboard
Toward the close of 1941, the
completion of a new circuit on the
Clinton-Seaforth long distance line
was reported, also re-arrangement
of existing facilities, providing an
additional circuit to. Toronto, Clin-
ton had acquired a new air train-
ing school by 1941. The school
was equipped with an 80-line
switchboard,
The Bell Company's "Telephone
News" explained in May, 1942;
that, with demands for residence
telephones at a peak, camps, de-
pots and air schools, also plants
and offices serving war industries,
still had to be given priority.
Equipment reserves were steadily
diminishing despite the recondi-
tioning and reusing of every' last
piece ,of apparatus. The general
public was asked to contend with
the inconveniences as part of its
contribution to victory. Clinton
residents understood and willingly
co-operated to work out just solu-
tions to the telephone problem .-
within .the community.
The Clinton directory for Jan-
uary, 1945, listed H. H. P. John-
ston as. Bell's Stratford manager,
with jurisdiction over the Clinton
office, Miss Kennedy, the local
representative, retired on' Christ-
mas. Day, 1944. She was succeed-
ed by 'Miss Helen J. Taylor.
Early in 1947, J. M. Goodwin
Was listed as Bell Telephone man-
ager for Goderich, with general
supervision of Clinton. Miss Taylor
was still local representative. Mr.
Goodwin was succeeded in 1949
by C. B. Symonds who became the
new manager for Goderich.
Clinton's Jubilee
The 75th anniversary of Clin-
ton's incorporation as a town was
marked ina1950. The population
of Clinton then was around 2,000.
In the Jubilee issue of the News-
Record, dated August 3, 1950, C.
B. Symonds, Bell Telephone man-
ager said that seven switchboard'
positions were in 'operation here
and an asferage of 5,500 local and
450 long distance' calls passed
through the local switchboard
every day.
A Bell Telephone collection
agency was opened in Clinton in
1951. This meant more space was
available in the exchange building
for new equipment. From then
on, all accounts were paid at the
W. C. NewCombe Drug Store on
Victoria. Street and business mat-
ters were referred to the Bell of-
fice at Goderich.
Veteran Dies
Sad news reached Clinton' in
November 1951 when reports car-
ried the death of Raymond John
Ross Rumball, Born in 1891, he
started work for The Bell Tele-
phone Company of Canada in his
'teen's and' later became one of the
youngest Telephone Pioneers on
record. Shortly before his retire-
ment he was officiating as general
plant placement supervisor for the
Bell Company eastern area. He
had served the company for 45
years.
Clinton's population in 1954 was
reported to have risen to 2,575.
There were 809 households in the
town, ten manufacturing plants
and 67 stores. The number of tele-
phones in service in Clinton
amounted to 1,494, including 33
mobile telephones.
There have been, several inspir-
ing developments in the telephone
industry since Clinton first helped
to pioneer it more than 70 years
ago, With the changeover to dial
now only a matter of days away,
clearly The Bell Telephone Comp-
any of Canada is playing its part
in keeping alive the motto of the
town — "Where Service is an
Obligation".
Mrs. F. Bozak Wins
$66 In Saturday
Afternoon 'Draw
A' ten percent coupon on Sat-
urday afternoon netted Mrs. nor-
once Rozak Clinton, a total of
$66.63, when she was lucky at the
Appreciation Day draw sponsored
by the Clinton Merchants.
This leaves a total of $674,66 in
the Treasure Cheat for next week,
from which some lucky person
may win. $33713. Even a five
percent coupon Will bring $33,73
from 'the Chest,
who had learned the watchmaking
and jewelry craft from Mr. Coats,
bought. out the latter's business,
taking over ..the telephone agency
at the same time.
Into Present Location
Less than two years after he
had taken over the local manager-
ship, a fire gaitted Mr, Rtunball'e
store and telephone office. As.
much stock and equipment as pos-
sible was cleared to safety and
temporary quarters' were set up
across the street. In 1892 a build'-
ing was erected on Albert Street
which has housed the etelephone
office (later the exchange) up to
the present day.
With Mr. Rumball as local man-
ager, the Bell business' in Clinton
swiftly improved. Toward the end
of 1892, 39 telephones were in use
in the community. At about this
time, certain interests' were en-
deavoring to introduce a system of
automatic telephones into parts. of
Ontario, with little success.
Clinton's increasing prominence
was demonstrated when, between
1893 and 1894, the telephone num-
ber system was introduced. ',Prev-
iously calls had been placed by
asking for the person wanted by
• name. •
Clinton is sine of the few towns
in the world that can boast of an
active general practitioner having
had the same telephone number
for more than 61 years. The vet-
eran physician was 'Dr. J. W. Shaw.
Dr. Shaw was listed first in the.
December directory for 1894, with
telephone number 22, at his office
on Rattenbury Street. This same
listing appeared continuously in
Clinton directories until 1955, the
year of his death, and up until
cut-over to dial, next Sunday, that
number still reaches his' late resi-
dence.
"Bell" Operators, Many Will Remain For Long Distance Calls
Mrs. Peter (Vivian) McKenzie, Mrs. Ruth Knox,
chief operator; Mrs. Ivan (Marjorie) t:ebbett,' Mrs.
lennet'h (Shirley) Malkinson, Joyce Perdue, Agnes
13i8k01), loan Craig, Wirmie Raymond, Mrs. Ronald
(Gloria) Paterson, Mrs. irons (Phyllis) Hoggart, Mrs.
Robert (Pauline) Mariaghan. Absent from the
picture are Mrs. Cordon (Connle) Hamilton and Mrs.
Cordon (Donna) Sutcliffe,
These are the operators who have been: 8dt-1/Mg
•Clinten telephone users through WI Telephone's
manual exchange on Albert Street, At 2.01 on
April 15 the manual exchange will be "tut" out of
service and the intricate dial apparatus will take
over the jib of connecting :manual telephone calla.
Many of the girls will, however, remain. as 11 ell
operators in Clinton, handling long distance calls
and service calls' at switchboards on the tap floor
of the new exchange building an Rattenbury Street.
Left to right are: Mrs. Ted (Kay) Ryder, Shirley
Cooper, Mrs. Sill (Beth) Chowde r Mrs, rred (Jean)
Anderson, Leola Taylor, Mary tneri: MacDonald,
Mrs, Mary ,Torciatt, Mrs, Prank (Margaret? C'antelon,