Losses

 What happened? Did the salt water rust out all these boxes or did time move beyond their use? 

There's a Telephone Museum in Ellsworth, Maine where visitors may stare at old phones.  I never knew anyone who had a party line, but I did know a time when real operators answered the phone. 

Now we are so used to hearing the words " If you want information..."Press 1." Often you can't skip all the questions and hop to pressing 0 for a live person. Then when you do get a person to answer a question it's an international tete a tete. 

Not too long ago I had a problem with my cable service and it was a local problem requiring someone to be familiar with the area. The polite well meaning fellow from Mexico and I couldn't communicate because my problem required a local response. After ten frustrating minutes I gave up-- redialed and asked the next person, " Are you from this country, Northeast?"

What wires were these? What was their function? Who were the people who worked here? 

Ever wonder about all the people who once used those old black phones --the ones with dials. Pushbutton phones came later. What happened to all the conversations? Where are all the words?

 

 Heavy. Clunky looking by today's standards. 

 

 

 

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