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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1956-04-12, Page 1887 Years Service With Bell Totalled By 3 In Family A family of three with a joint contribution of 87 years' service in the employment of one company would be pretty hard to find, but Clinton found them and hadn't any farther to go than its own backyard, The family name is Rurnball, The company is The Bell Telephone Company Of Canada, no way diminished through the years. The remaining 62 years represented high achievements and a devotion to duty of which Clin- ton residents and The Bell Comp- any can feel justifiably proud. VARNA A number of the ladies attended the Woman's Missionary Society Presbyterial at Exeter on Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reid,' Judy and Darlene, returned' to Wallace- burg, Sunday, having spent the 'Easter vacation in and around the community. Mr. and Mrs. Charles: Reid and Douglas, spent the weekend in Downsview. Wayne and Larry Reid returned home with their parents Sgt. W. A. and Mrs. Reid and Bobby had returned after the Easter holiday. "Blue Belles" Of Yesteryear Served Clinton Users 'yr Here are three of the operators who served Clinton telephone users almost two decades ago. In this' photograph taken in the Bell Telephone's manual exchange on Albert Street in 1937, the operators are, left to' right, M. Kay Nickie (now Mrs. "Dick" Welsh, London); Ruby Churchill (the late Mrs. George Lavelle), and Mrs. Mary L, Jordan, Clinton, who is still an operator here with the Bell company. Phone *#1 404 MOTOROLA fer SE VICE TV RE AIR Radio and Television ALBERT STREET — CLINTON TI-ICY 1?AlGED THE ROOF ri T.-11 Ara (40o, • • in joy at having dis- covered South End Cities Ser- vice. Drop in and you'll see why! CITIES SERVICE "Wei'llolland ,?Dorylaitled • e GAS•SERVICE•TIRSS FOR ALL YOUR Motoring Needs DIAL. HU 2-7034 TIRE & AUTO SUPPLY LTD. ASSOCIATE STORE From Comp'4ny Fleet In .1919 A far-cry from the streamlined and specialized trucks which compose today's Bell Telephone fleet, the above truck was the 75th purchased by the.companyand was in service in 1919. Units of the mod- ern green fleet were much in evidence around' Clinton in recent weeks, AS CLOSE AS YOUR FINGER TIP A Complete Service on a REAL ESTATE a MORTGAGES a INSURANCE JUST DIAL HUNTER 24747 FOR FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE // K. W. Colquhoun Huron Street - - • Clinton MR ALL YOUR MINTING REQUIREMENTS Clinton News-Record "THE HOME PAPER WITH THE NEWS" "PAGE SIX'rBgN =moll IsiEws-Rzconz TIMPArt APRIL. 1,2, 19.00. .1.11.1•1•01•0•••••MIIMMIMI.O. Public: telephones in Clinton, will operate differently after the new dial exchange goes into operation on Sunday, according to W. W. Haysom, Bell Telephone manager for this area. Briefly, be said, here's how to use • public telephones under the dial system.; First, •take the receiver off the hook before depositing any money —44-at as you do now.. Then de- posit a nickel in the appropriate slot. You will, then hear the dial tone, and you may 'proceed to dial your number as you would on your own telephone. If there is no answer or if the line is busy, You will get your five-cent piece back when you Jiang up, Mr. Haysom said. An ingenious device in the public tele- phone returns the money in these circumstances' the moment you re- place the receiver. Where's the Nickel? Here's what happens, When you put your nickel in the slot, it falls down a runway. On its way down, it trips a lever which closes the• circuit to the exchange, causing the' dial tone to be heard on the line. While the number is being dial- ed, the money remains in, the coin trap where it fell at the end of the runway. The coin trap, a sort ofminiature platform, retains the coin' in suspension until the receiver is replaced. If the line is busy or there is no answer, the coin trap is tipped by a magnet toward the- "return" chute where the caller recovers his money. If the call' was completed; the magnet tips. the trap to the' opposite side, releasing the coin into the "col- lect" chute which leads to the coin box. In the case of a long distance call, the operator has at her dis- posal' "return" and "collect" keys Where's The. Nickel? Palk 'Phones Have Special .Device: whieli enable her to operate the coin collector relay at the par- ticular public telephone where the customer has' placed his call. When money is to be refunded she op— erates the "return" key which de-, fleets the coin trap and guides, the coin clOWn the "return" ,chute,. If money is to be . collected, the. "collect" key is operated in the same way and the money drops. into the coin box. Can't. Fool Them When you call Long Distance from a public telephone the op- erator knows immediately you 'are , calling from a public telephone,. These lines are confined to certain , groups, and are terminated as groups at special positions on' the• switchiboards. All calls placed at public telephones light up on that. particular panel and the operator can spot them at a glance. The operator. can also identify the various coins you may deposit because the runways, are so ar- range that each coin of a differ-• ent denomination gives: her a dif— ferent signal. o WHITE SWAN SEEN ON MAITLAND RIVER ALREADY A beautiful large white swan was sighted on the- river on the. Morris Township farm of Ian Mc- Donald this- week. There were reports of one on the Maitland above the dam last summer. Al- though never reported seen, it is hoped that there is a pair nesting in this area.—Brussels Post. This unique relationship started back in 1889 when the late John Benjamin Rumball bought out the watchmaking and jewelry business of Robert W. Coats, Mr. Coats was Bell Telephone's local manag- er and when the business' changed hands, the agency also wasqrans- ferred, Young Mr. Rumball paid full and prompt attention to his work. The telephone exchange in the store on Albert Street was open for busi- ness from 8 am, to 8 p.m., on weekdays; 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., on Sundays; and 10 am. to noon, and 2 p.m, to 4 p.m. on holidays. Bell customers then munbered about 19, Mr. Rumball 'had just mastered the problem of running two busi- nesses and was, progressing smooth- ly when a fire of unknown origin gutted his store. All possible stock and equipment was salvaged and temporary quarters were set• up across the street. These premises served until 1892 when the jewelry business and telephone exchange were moved to the building on' Albert Street which was destined to house Bell Telephone personnel up to the present day. As the years ,passed and tele- phone services were improved and extended, Mr. Rumball, who had experienced a set-back in health, found himself faced with the alter- native of either giving up the jewelry business, or resigning / as local manager for Bell Telephone. In 1905, he decided to remain with the Bell company and arrange- ments were made for the sale of his stock. In July, 1905, the late Raymond John Ross Rumball, who then was in his early 'teens', entered into service with The Bell Company as night operator in Clinton. Mrs. Ruanball gradually was assuming the duties of acting local manager. Mrs. Clara Georgina Rumball of- ficially took over from her hus- band as Bell's local manager here on February 1, 1907. Mr. Rumball had served the company for 17 years. At the outset of Mrs. Rumball's appointment, the telephone ex- change still occupied space at the rear of their jewelry store, But in 1909, the entire premises were taken over by the Bell Telephone, Company of Canada, Mrs. Rum- ball had been working as local manager for less than a year when her husband died. After the initial shock had pas- sed; Mrs. Rumball continued to manage the Bell Company's busi- ness in Clinton for several years'. Methods changed, services were expanded and modernized and Mrs, Rumball's responsibilities increas- ed, but at all times' she maintain- ed her high standard of efficiency, However, ill'health intervened in 1919 and a temporary replacement for Mrs. Rumball had to be found'. The most logical choice was Ray- mond Rumball. He had' had his first telephone experience right here in Clinton and now was doing well in The Bell Company which had employed both his parents. It was arranged that he should stand in for his mother until her health improved. :Mrs. Rumball was able to re- sume her duties' shortly thereafter and she continued in the capacity of local manager until her retire- ment on January 1, 1933. Mrs. Rumball had contributed outstand- ing service to her community and her company for a period of 25 years. Raymond Ruh-ilia, meanwhile, had been furthering noticeably his career with The Bell Telephone Company of Canada. After hiS initial start as night operator while still a lad, he had served as an inspector, as a traffic chief in London, Ont., and later as dist- rict traffic superintendent, both in Windsor and London, and Mont- real division plant supervisor. At the time of his mother's retirement he was located in Ottawa. He re- turned to' Montreal as division' plant superintendent in 1935. His' appointment as general plant placement supervisor came in Sep- tember, 1946, and he held this post until his retirement in April, 1951. Having, joined -the Bell at the age of 14, Mr,. Rumball was prob- ably one of the youngest members of the Telephone Pioneers of Am- erica—an organization of persons who have' served 2,1 years or more in the telephone industry. He had been in the company's service 45 years. Upon retirement Mr. Rumball came to Clinton to live. A few months later he' was moved to London and died in 'hospital there before the end of the year. He was in his 61st year. Of this family's 87 years of ser- vice to company and community, 25 years are on "live" file in the person of Mrs. Clara Rumbail, whose interest in The Bell Tele- phone Company of Canada has in HAYFIELD MAN FINED FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING Pleading guilty' to impaired driv- ing, Walter Michael Green, Bay- field, was fined $50 and costs, or seven days' in jail, when he ap- peared in Goderich court last wek. The charge arose out of an ac- cident involving cars driven by Green and Donald C. Campbell, Bayfield., on the BayfieldiVarna road about 2 a.m., March 24. Dam- age to' the vehicles was estimated at more than $1,000 an'd Green was taken to Clinton hospital with scalp lacerations. Investigation by Provincial Con- stable M. J. Vranic, Goderich, showed that the accused had been drinking and his car was proceed- ing very slowly or was' stopped with lights off when the crash oc- curred. DIAL. HU .•7055 Boy Scouts Open Camping Season The Clinton Lions Boy Scouts opened' the 1956 season last week- end, when six Scouters spent time at the Camp cleaning it up and getting it ready for thefirst week- end camp, and the camporee plan- ned for June. Scoutmaster Percy Brown, and assistant Arthur Tyn- dall, visited the camp with patrol leaders Alvin Parker, Stephen Brown and Kenneth Magee. You may get a month's supply of gasoline & oil FREE If You Buy At Wells Auto Electric