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Interesting New England Telephone Bill Lot

Started by Sargeguy, September 04, 2013, 11:05:42 PM

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Sargeguy

This was in the paper section on eBay with a BIN of $19.99.  There is some pretty old stuff: and written phone bills from 1884 and 1892,  The only automated function was when the finally had to get Charles Watson a rubber stamp!  Just imagine the phones these calls were made on!
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

Sargeguy

Here is another one I purchased recently, I guess "Farmer's Phone" wasn't a nickname after all:
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

G-Man

Quote from: Sargeguy on September 06, 2013, 11:49:48 PM
Here is another one I purchased recently, I guess "Farmer's Phone" wasn't a nickname after all:

It was never a nickname anymore than Business or Residence Service is.

Farmers Line/Service is still fully recognized as a legal descriptor by the FCC and is tariffed by the State Utility Commissions.

As mentioned previously, Pacific Telephone (Bell System) conceived of it as an inexpensive way to connect rural subscribers who otherwise could not afford to pay the telephone company for the cost of constructing lines to their locations.

It was a win-win for both the company and the subscribers.

Pacific Telephone president John Sabin also introduced party-lines in the San Francisco Metro area as a cheap alternative to the then prevalent, expensive private-lines, in order to entice housewives and others to subscribe to telephone service. Of course many eventually up-graded to private-lines.

The legendary Sabin was loaned-out to other Bell Companies to troubleshoot whatever problems they were experiencing most notably the Chicago Telephone Company which had a low subscriber count and efficiency problems. As in San Francisco he introduced coin collectors (payphones, a.k.a. "Nickel-Snatchers") party-lines, new types of switchboards and operating procedures. He even served a stint in the Philippines to improve their telephone service.