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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1972-03-16, Page 4Page 4—The Wingham Advance -Times, Thursday, March 16, 1972 features from The World of Women , (fine an 111 1,1 WITH THE CURTAIN ready to open, Randy Anderson, Jan Fryfogle and Stephen Morrison of Grade 3 discuss the stage setting before a short play is presented at the public school Thursday night. —Staff Photo. • 11 4 READY FOR their parts in a play at the public school con- cert Thursday night are Laurie Trotter who played the part Of a queen and Susan Bain as the fairy godmother. - a For A Time to Remember Let Us Plan and Organize Your Wedding Receptions and ,Banquets Make Your Easter Reservations Now lite Blue Ba4.0% *Hwy. 23 North LISTOWEL Phone 291-1580 A dollar a day used to be operator's pay BYAOLLIE GRAHAM In The Stratford Times For 18 years, Arabell Bushell turned day into night. Now she has to revise her way of living. Friday, Feb. 4, she retired after 30 years with the Bell Telephone Company, 18 of those years as a night operator. And her last night was a "dilly". It was the night the worst . blizzard of the season hit this area, and it appeared everyone decided it was a good time to tele- phone—long distance, locally, or just to ask questions of the opera- tor. When cable television went off for a time, and one section of Stratford was without hydro for over an hour, many people turned to the telephone to help pass the time. Mrt was quite a night," Mrs. Bushell said. But after 30 years of dealing with all types of emergencies, 'Mrs. Bushell learned to take most things in, her stride. She made many "friends" over the years in Lucknow, Wingham, Glencoe, Mount Forest and Stratford, the centres where she worked as a Bell operator. Many of these "friends" she never met. To her they were identifiable only by their yokes, and not their faces. But there are • many people who have cause to thank Mrs. Bushell. There was, for instance, the woman, living alone, who be- came frightened when she saw someone looking in her window late one night. The woman called the operator, Mrs. Bushell, who kept the woman talking on the phone while she called the police and until the police reached the house. She even helped settle a family dispute. One man threatened to leave his wife if she didn't learn how to- make a lemon pie. Mrs. Bushell calledher mother who supplied a recipe for a "never -fail" lemon pie, and peace and goodwill was returned - to one household. There have been many changes since Mrs. Bushell first became an operator in Lucknow in 1929. 'And not only in equipment! In 1929 she worked eight hours a day for the princely sum of $1 a • day. There were only two opera- tors at that time. They must have put the telephone to bed at night! Mrs. Bushell'S tour of duty in • Stratford began in, 1937, after a couple of years in Wingham. After two years in Stratford she was transferred to Glencoe as chief operator. "Besdies being chief operator I had to collect money for the tele- phone bills in Glencoe," Mrs. Bushell said. She was married shortly after going to Glencoe, and' Mrs' Bushel! then left the employ of the Bell. She and her husband tOok' a course in physio -massage in Toronto, and were the first couple in Ontario , to graduate in that field. The Bushells returned to Lucknow where they had their . own business until Mr. Bushell's death. • Mrs. Bushell returned to the Bell Telephone Company in 1954 and was sent to Mount Forest as night operator. She was'there for two years and then came to Strat- fOrd where she has been night operator for the last 16 years, until her retirement early this month. For many of her years . as a night operator, Mrs. Bushell said, the night operator was often called upon to locate a doctor when someone was suddenly,. taken ill. On the other side of the scales, she said she has often had a new father call her just to say his wife.4 had a baby. "They were so happy they just had to talk to someone and tell the news," she added. In the early days an operator was a jack-of-all-trades. , Mrs. Bushell recalls that in Lucknow , the operators had to keep the lire going in the stove which heated the office. At times, when the clerk was out, they also bad to look after the drug store where the Bell office was located. And the life of an operator had its hazardous moments. The kindling for the office stove in Lucknow was kept in a barrel. One morning the second operator reached into the barrel to get some kindling. She slipped and ended up headfirst in the barrel— wedged in. Fortunately for ,the operator two Bell linesmen from Stratford came along a few minutes later and rescued the operator from her predicament. In those days the Bell office was also the centre for all fire calls. When the operator received word of a fire it was she who sounded the alarm alerting the volunteer 'firemen their services were required. And the operator also had to direct the firemen to the scene of the fire. But the sounding of the fire alarm also alerted every resident within earshot, all of whom picked up their telephones wait- ing to know where thelire was. A fire meant the operator was Spring is just around our corner Be ready for Spring with • SLACKS & T-SHIRTS CO-ORDINATES • DRESSES • JACKETS • COATS For all the children from infants to size 14 rtr OPEN FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL 9.30 P.M. FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE ° Xefre hoe /76 ,JadeAwfitie. 6r 14///1/GHAAA Our going to have a hectic few min- utes, getting the firemen off to the fire and, answering dozens of calls as to its whereabouts. The day operators worked a straight shift, of eight hours with the 'night" operator responsible for the remaining 16 hours. :•• "We were allowed to sleep at night," Mrs. Bushell said. "Some nights we would get several hours sleep, but there .were many nights when you'd no sooner lie down (there was a couch right beside' the switchboard) than there would be a call." ,But the Bell office was the cen- tre.of activity not only when there was a fire. Another time was election night. All the results in federal, pro- vincial or municipal elections were telephoned into the Bell office. "I used to prepare a board before election day," Mrs. Bush- ell said, "and put it upon the wall election - night. Everyone gathered there to see how the election was going locally 'and, if it was a federal or provincial election, how 'things were going elsewhere." It'was the job of the operator to record the returns on the board, as they were received. "At the end of the evening they would pass the hat and take up a collection for the operator, Mrs. Bushell said. "We might get $1 or $2." Arabell Bushell,— still using the telephOne,,,• B&P Women to assist in local cancer canvass Marc Forrest of F. E. , Madill Secondary School staff, chair- man of the ,Wingham and district canvass. on behalf of 'the Cana- dian Cancer Society, outlined the needs of the society and the can- vass quota 'to 16 members of the Business and Professional Women''s Club at their meeting Tuesday night of last week at the Manor Hotel. President Mrs. Marion Scott conducted the meeting with Mrs. R. Ahara• acting as secretary. Mrs. F. Fergie 'read communica- tions from the B & P W clubs of Walkerton and Owen Sound giv- ing.. unequivical support to the local club's brief to the Board of Transport and Communications in regard to the•lack of rail and 0 Life has many frustrating and some aggravating moments for an operator, particularly at night. "I managed to keep my head and not fall apart in an emer- gency," Mrs. Bushell said, "and there is a real satisfaction in knowing that you have been able • to help someone." And even today in the telephone company, with all its automatic equipment, the human element sometimes creeps in.. And this happened not so long ago in Strat- ford. "A woman called me late one night and said she had a handfull of pills she was going to take," Mrs. Bushell said. "I talked to her for over an hour," Mrs. Bushell said. "I told her she would never be able to hear the birds singing again in the morning and -never see the sun shine again. "After an hour the woman said, 'Yen have talked me out of it,' " MrS. Bushell added. Among -her memorable mo- ments with the Bell, Mrs. Bushell includes the opening of the new service " centre here, on Albert Street. "I walked over to the site of the new building one morning after work," Mrs. Bushell said, "and -Watched as they turned the first ground for the new building." She was also the last operator to leave the old building on Albert Street (where the Jan! Exhibition is now located)' Since the introduction of the dial -direct system the number of calls handled by the night opera- tor has dropped, but her nights, from midnight to 7:30 a.m., are. 'hot spent in idleness. The night *operator does the - directory work—keeping the dir- ectory up to, date. This means changing names, addresses and telephone numbers where neces- sary, and adding, new listings. She is also responsible for 'sorting toll charge slips for both daytime and night calls. Mrs. Bushell plans to start her return to a "normal" day -and - night life with a holiday in Flor- ida. -After that—what? At this tw,0 She may stay Stra o -614 -may return to Lucknow, and she may evenUo back into the field of physio -massage which ,is being used -more and more in the treat- ment of a number of conditions. , Mrs. Bushell's tenure with Bell included the days in which the . cOmpany promoted* the slogan, "the voice with a smile," !referr- ing to those operators Who used to answer: "Number, please." • Today's younger' operators have gained their experience since the dial system came into effect. They are courteous and efficient but there are many who will miss "the vOice with a smile" when placing a long, distance call or requesting operator assistance in the early hours of the morning. • .1, 1• •1 -St. Paul's C (ANGLICAN) INGHAM REV. T. K. HAWTHORN, moor MRS. HARRY BRYDOES, Organist and Choir Leader 111111111■1111•11•111141.111111111111111111111111,11 Sunday, March 19 Passion Sunday 8.30 a.m.—Holy Communion 1.1 00 a.m.—Morning Prayer and Sermon Meetings Mon,,Mar. 20—Sunday School Staff will meet at home of Mr. and Mrs. D. Farnell at 7.30 p.m. bus service in the area. ' It was also noted that as the local group was gradually 'assuming some of the community duties of a service club, the at- tendance of Mr. Forrest and his comments'were most welcome. Many volunteers signified their willingness to assist in the Wing - ham canvass April 10. -The topic for discussion was "Resolutions and By-laws" with Ahara as chairman, assisted by Mrs. M. Scott. The duties of the various officers were discussed and by-laws re- vised. Mrs. Fraser Forgie was ap- pointed official delegate. to the provincial conference to be held at Kenera-, May 19 to 21. GRADE 2 STUDENTS presented a play depicting the important times of the day for chil- dren at the concert Thursday night. Several children recited verses relative to the time, they represented' in "Health By The Clock". —Staff Photo. CINI, card party Mrs. -Frank Caskanette and Mrs. Carles O'Malley were the conveners for a card party at Sacred Heart parish hall last W• 4,11k, sponsored by the Catholic Wol en's League.' Mts. Carl Freiburger was the high ladyand Mrs. Frances Shaw was the low scorer. For the men" Alex Sproule took top honors and Gene Parker was low. L. G. prize., was the winner of the door A • Lovely • Wedding —a radiant r Bride aa, C—• la • so clear to a iride's The Bouquet Invitation Line Good taste needn't be expensive. Our beautiful Bouquet Invitation Line proves this with the most exquisite papers, type faces and workmanship you could wish for! It features ,Thermo-Engraving—.rich raised lettering—elegant as the finest craftsmanship — yet costing so little! Come see our unusual selection. • deber/One to two weeha v y. 'WE'RE HERETO HELP YOU AT The Advance -Times • PHONE • 357-2320 l• s . 1' I • PLEASE SUPPORT THE r EASTER SEAL CAMPAIGN See what your dollars can do. Return your donation in the pink envelope provided through the Wingham Lions Club. No 'Door -to -Door canvassing, telephone soli- citing or payroll deductions. Help the Winglicsarn Lions Club help crippled Children COURTESY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT LISTOWEL TRANSPORT LINES LTD. -1