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The Huron Expositor, 1955-07-29, Page 4Ij it 4xlllsiry EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, ONT., JULY 29, 1955 eaforth Agency. l'•'Meal :Other t -72:11n 11114ar414;, • dprn t: V„1 b ., IA. to b y.,u. 'tr'ek Oar, _ to 4 14.1.1. S',tdayS. an'4 4o ltu is u,-aJzw,pn,. l.J QJidar - . O. W. PAP&T, Agent. *&ttlea teAattug to Qrb..awed, etc., wit be found u4t Waldo .4 Uwe,. we' etae's a start tact. -..;Armitage, A., train Merchant, Main St Coleman, T. T., Salt \ianufat Curer, blain St Coleman; T. T. Residence, I 'won Roa-.1 Dancey. L. E', 1.;trri,ter, Alain St Grand Trunk Railway, Ft -eight Ottii e, Gray, Young & Sparling, Salt:Manners, Main St Great North-Western'Telegraph Ca, Main Si Huron Expositor Printing Office, Main St Papst, C. \N., ftoukseller and Stationer, Main St ” Sun Printing Office,. Main St Wilson, D. D., Egg Dealer, Main St Wilson, D. D., Residence, l.&tnes St HERE IS A REPRODUCTION of Seaforth's first telephone directory. This page in the Bell Telephone directory, issued in January, 1885, contains listings for 12 telephone users here. 'INTRODUCED IN 1894, SAME NUMBERS SERVE SEAFORYH SUBSCRIBERS TODAY Telephone numbers were not al- ways used in Seaforth. In the early days of the telephone it was sufficient for .a telephone user to tell the operator the name of the person he was calling 'to have the connection made. The first telephone numbers in Seaforth were assigned in 1894, and of the 78 te!epbone numbers then in use, six are still used by the same Bell customers or their direct successors. Listings in the 1894 and 1955 telephone directories for these surviving numbers fol- low: 1894 1—Canadian Bank of Commerce, Main St. . 36—Dominion Bank, Main. St. 41—Expositor Printing Office, Main St. • 4—G.T.R. Freight Office. 4-A—G.T.R. Ticket Office. 45—Queen's Hotel (Thos. Steph- ens & Son. Props.). . 20—Waterworks, Crombie St. SteadyGrowth Features 'Phone Service in Seaforth When the telephone era dawned in "Seaforth, this community had been established for more than a quarter century, and has been in- corporated as a town for 10 years, but it was still an age that knew eo horseless carriages, and scarce- ly dreamed of radio and -•televi- sion. It was late in 1884, when the first telephone exchange was op- ened here, in C. W. Papst's book l and stationery store. There were only 15 telephones in that pioneer telephlne system, and the switch 'beard,. batteries and other equip- ment were of a!:rudimentary type.. That early hub of Seaforth's communications was located in the Cardno Block on Main Street, not far from the location of the pre- sent exchange. From here Mr. Papst, the '2tationer, Seaforth's first telephone agent, directed the business of The Bell `Telephone , Company' of Canada in Seaferrth for more than 16 years. Seaforth got on the telephone, map the same year as the ex- change went into service, when a long distance line joined the town with Stratford, Goderich, Clinton and Mitchell. Today, the network that was beginning to take shade then has been .extended until a Seaforth telephone user can call across the continent as easily as across the street. One of the first users of long distance telephone service in Sea - forth was the late M. Y. McLean, editor of The Huron Expositor, who called to Mr.. Holmes, of The New Era, in Clinton, and W. Jack- son, telephone agent in Clinton. Later he marvelled' at the effici- ency of the instrument on which Alexander Graham Bel had ob- tained patents only eight years previously. "Sitting in our: office, we could hear the gentlemen in Clinton talk - almost as plainly as. if' they were standing by our side." A long distance telephone call was a memorable experience then. By January, 1885, when the first telephone directory containing Sea - forth listings was issued, the num- 'ber of subscribers had fallen to 12. -It is not surprising that three 1955 1—Canadian Bank of Commerce, Main St. 36—Toronto - Dominion Bank. Main St. 41—The Huron Expositor, Main St: 4—Canadian. National Railway, Tickets, Main St. . 45—Queen's Hotel, Main St. 20—Public Utilities Commission, Waterworks, Sub -Station and night calls, Victoria St. 'IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HOME' Seaforth citizens have had a great pleasure in making arrangements for their Old Boys. . We hope you have a good time HILDEBRAND PAINT and PAPER Phone: 597-W or 67-M Seaforth "WELCOME HOME, OLD BOYS" We are very pleased -that so many of our old friends will be able to celebrate our. Centennial with us. WATS-ON & REID General Insurance r Seaforth Phone 214 Manufacturers, Main St. Great North-Western- Telegraph Co., Main St. - Huron Expositor Printing Of- fice, Main St. Papst, C. W., Bookseller and Sta- tioner, Main St. Sun Printing Office, Main St. Wilson, D. D., Egg Dealer, Main St. Wilson, D. D., Residence; James St. However, by April 30, 1885, The Huron Expositor- reported' that four more telephone customers had beep added in Seaforth, 'and listed them as "Commercial Hotel, Mr. Broadfoot's Office, Mr. John Beat- tie, residence, Mr. William M. 'Gray, residence." Gradually the telephone gained in - popularity as progressive businessmen and resi- dents found it a valuable aid in their business and' social affairs. By the end of that year there were 27 telephones in service in Sea - forth and vicinity. No telephone numbers were us- ed in those days. The' operators were expected to remember bow to make connections for each call on being given the customer's name. Sometimes they would draw on their own knowledge of the telephone users to redirect a call. Mr. "X" might ask to be connect- ed to Mr. "Y's" telephone, but the operator, knowing that Mr. "Y" was at Mr. "Z's" office, would pass this information on to Mr. X" and connect Mr. "X" to Mr. "Z's" line. In the 80's this highly personal service was possible because •.there were fewer than 100 tele- phones in Seaforth during the first 20 years of the town's telephone history, and in all Canada there were only a few thousand` tele- phones. The people of .Seaforth and vi- cinity began to rely more and more on telephone service. In 1902 the total number of telephones here had risen to 70. That was the year that I. V. Fear, a drug- gist, succeeded Mr. Papst as local Bell Telephone manager, and the exchange was moved .from Mr: Papst's store to Mr. Fear's. In 1906 a "long distance" telephone, in 1945 at the time when Mrs_ E. M. Hoggarth was local representa- tive. In 1947 J. M. Goodwin, with headquarters in Goderich, became manager for Seaforth, `while Mrs. Hoggarth continued as local repre- sentative. In 1949 C. B._Symonds, of Goderich, became manager here. While he held this position, the local representatives were Miss Jean ' -Armstrong and Miss Willa Hunter. In 1954, the pres- ent manager, W. W. Haysom, was' appointed, 'and around the same time Miss M. Hudson became lo- cal representative. On September 20, 1939, an im- portant m- - portant,event took place in Sea - forth when the new common bat' tery telephone system replaced the magneto syste,pn. This meant the end of the old crank style tele- phones. Mayor J. J. Cluff and the Council of that day were pre- sent at the cutover, and Mayor` Cluff placed the first call over the new equipment. During the Second World War, material and manpower shortages restricted telephone growth. How- ever, after the war a period of un- precedented elpansiori began. In less than 10 years the •number of telephones in use in the Seafortb exchange area has increased from 373 to 737. To make this telephone growth possible, the, Bell Tele- phone Company has repeatedly en- larged its facilities here. Switch- board positions were added in the summer of 1951 and again in 1953. The volume of both local and long distance calls placed Dere has climbed rapidly as the town has grown, and residents have come to use their telephones more. and more. In 1945 the daily av- erage number of • local calls was 2,489, and the average number of Fong ,distance • calls was 77 per day. Today, in the summer of Seaforth's Centennial Year, the averages are running to 4,425 lo - c lacalls • and 170 long distance calls daily. "We, in the telephone company, take pride in the fact that the tele- phone has made an important con- tribution to the commercial and social progress - of Seaforth and SEAFORTH' WAS ONLY 58 YEA111S OLD and telephones had been used here for only about 29 years when this photograph was taken in the Bell Telephone Exchange in 1913. Shown above, left to right. are Miss Hazel- Stewart, later Mrs. William Plant of Toronto; Miss M. J. Habkirk, Miss Belle McKay, chief operator, and O. E. 'Elliott, messenger, who later became night operator. of the original telephone users de- cided ,to dispense with the "talk- ing box", becaose many people everywhere at that time were suspicious of the practice of talk- ing across the distance over wires to someone they could not see,. having the box "talk back." A few even branded it as witchcraft. Even more enlightened regard -1 ed the telephone .as a mere sci- entific toy when it first appeared. The 12 Bell Telephone custom- ers whose listings appeared in the first directory for Seaforth -were: Armitage, A., Grain,Merchant, Main St. Coleman, T. T., Salt Manufac- turer, Main St. Coleman, T. T., Residence, Hur- on Road. Dancey, L. E., Barrister, Main St. - - Grand Trunk Railway, Freight Office. Gray, Young & Sparling, Salt u "WELCOME HOME, OLD - -TIMERS" It has been 31 years since Seaforth has had an Old Boys' Reunion. We have had a special delight in making this a festive ;,occasion for you. Come in and see us while you are at home. CROWN HARDWARE hone 797 Seaforth • which provided clearer transmis- sion, was installed in Fear's store By the end of 1907 there were 125 telephones served by the Seaforth exchange; by 1920- the total had climbed to 203 to pass the 200 - mark for the first time, and by the end of 1927, the total passed the 300 -mark. At first the hours of telephone service were restricted. On week- days the exchange was in opera- tion only between 8 a.m. "and 8 p.m.; on Sundays, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and on holidays, from 10' a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Seaforth's first century was more than half spte nwhett, on April 1, 1910, 24-hour service was inaugurated. Since then the exchange hes been in service con- tinuously on a found -the -clock basis. The Bell Telephone managers and local representatives in Sea - forth are remembered by many present-day Seaforth residents. Late in 1909, Mr. Fear retired and Miss Bell McKay, chief operator, took charge of the business office here. A feuv months, later E. Denroche was named manager for Seaforth, with headquarters in Stratford. '" a Mr. Denroehe was mana: •the Bell office was moved to location in the Card - no Block -on Main Street, near the site of the first telephone ex- change in the town. J. F. Gibson succeeded Mr. Denroche int -1912; and was succeeded in turn by .J. J. Griffin. During the' Great War, Miss M. J. Habkirk was appointed local representative 'in Seaforth to as- sist the manager. She was- suc- ceeded by Miss Loretta M. Mc- Cortda'ck in 1919. Three years later Miss McCormack was given the title "branch manager". In 1923, Miss M. Habkirk succeeded Miss McCormack, while J. M. Mc- Intosh, manager in Stratford, had genelral supervision over Dell's Seaforth office. In 1939 ,Miss E. M. Cluff became local representa- tive, 'and it 1940, P. D. Wilson succeeded Mr. McIntosh, as man- ager. H. II. P. Johnston succeed- ed Mr. Wilson as manager early vicinity during the greater portion of the town's first 100 years," said W. W. Haysom, Bell Telephone manager for this territory., "We will make every effort in the fu- ture to expand the telephone sys- tem here as Seaforth grows, and to provide telephone service when and where required." - .... STYLES HAVE CAGED since these Bell Telephone- operators were photographed at the telephone e change in Seaforth in 1930, Seaforth has grown, too, and with the town's develop- ment the local telephone system las expanded. There were only about 340 telephones in the Seaforth exchange area when this picture was taken, but today there are nearly 740. ,Shawn above, left to right, Til are s G. 'Pam, Miss A. Seip, Miss E. M. Cluff and Miss R. Elder_ - Miss Agnes Harvey, of 2273 Gar- net St, Regina, is another twho finds it impossible to return for the Reunion.. In a letter this week, she says: "Please accept my sincere,.•thanks for your kind. invitation to your Sea -__h Old Boys' Reunion- I regret, however, I will be unable to ate. "My mother, Mrs. C. Harvey (nee Christina Hood), who had her 98th birthday on June 29, wishes me 'to convey her sincere good wishes for a very happy reunion. "She left that district in 1889, and while she never returned' to her native land, it has always been held most dear -to her." Mrs. J. .4. Edwards, of 762 St. Andrew's Terrace, , Sault Ste. Marie, regrets that she won't be able to retarn to Seaforth to the Reunion. She extends congratula-( tions on the wonderful prdgrant, and best wishes for a happy re - I union. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AG.0 . . . when Seaforth was just a few buildings, this was the fami's best_. - wwoo otottrat Today you have the greatest PONTIAC ever built — Frnest car in its field! - - ANSO,N . GILBERT MOTORS PONTIAC — BUICK — G.M.C. TRUCKS Phone 461 - : Seaforth "WELCOME HOME, OLD 'BOYS AND GIRLS" For three generations SMITH'S GROCERY has been a leading shopping centre in Seaforth In 1905, Walter Richard Smith and his two sons, W. D. Smith and Hen- derson Smith, took over the business of the late Andrew Young. Upon the death of W. R. Smith in 1936, the business was taken- over by the^two sons. W. D. Smith carried on alone after the death of Henderson .Smith in 1939. In 1942, William Richard Smith entered the business with his father. • During our Fifty Years in Seaforth we have made a large number of friends. e. When you, are .in town for the Reunion, come in and say Mellor - S--MI-TH'.S GROCERY Phone 12 Seaforth r } VP s t ,'. • • 1 ✓ a • ' 't • 1.1 • A v • i . 4 , • • ' d