Star editor recalls early telephone experiences
The following amusing anecdotes were written by C. B. (Bert) Smith who was owner and editor of the Creemore Star for many years (1924-1954). For several years after he sold the paper to Reg Westbrooke he wrote a regular column, his topics mainly of a local history nature. Here are his stories:
When telephone service became general in rural homes, everyone listened in, no matter whose number was called. There were 12 or more homes serviced on the same circuit. Accordingly there had to be quite a few phone calls. Our circuit number was 36 and our particular ring was two long and three short. We, of course, memorized every other number on our circuit. The two long and three short were definitely established in my head so that I would spring to attention if these rings came on our equipment and I was within hearing distance.
The following experienced happened to me about 1912. I was in Toronto probably attending the Winter Fair. It was urgent that I return home on the morning train which left Union Station at 7 a.m. I took a room at the Walker House near the station and asked the clerk at the desk to call me at 6 a.m. I was quite green and expected I would be roused by someone knocking at my door. The hotel had become modern and the rooms all had telephones. This is what happened. The switchboard girl down
beside the office rang my number at 6 a.m. I heard the ring but I was tired and refused to be disturbed. Anyway, I said to myself, our call was two long and three short so it wasn’t meant for me. At last the clerk came up and pounded at the door. He said to me, “Why didn’t you answer your phone call?” How stupid he must have thought me when I told him it wasn’t the right signal. I managed to catch the train but had no time for breakfast.
Continuing in a humorous vein I pulled a joke on my father about 1919. I was sowing grain with a skittish team of horses hitched to the seed drill. I was about finished sowing the field when I discovered I was going to need a full pail more of seed grain. At the same time I noticed the late R.J. Bryce up a pole at the roadway where I was working and I heard him talking to the office. Saluting Mr. Bryce I asked him if he could call our house. In a moment I had my father on the line. Without any preliminaries I told him to bring me a pail full of seed grain. Mr. Bryce was in a hurry and jumped into the car and was gone. Father arrived with the seed grain and as there was no telephone within half a mile he wanted to know how I had called him at the house. He evidently was baffled so I decided to keep the information to myself for a while. Instead of answering his question directly I said, “Haven’t you been reading about wireless?” It was a conversation piece for the rest of that evening.
