[zeugma]

Telecom Digest was one of the oldest mailing lists on the internet. I was a subscriber for many years. Occasionally someone would write something up describing some weird bit of telecom history. Some of the stories were fascinating. I still recall a description I read in the digest that described, in detail exactly what it was like to place a call from NY to CA in the 40s. You would initiate the call by ringing the operator. This was done by flicking your receiver off and on several times, which would cause a light to flicker on the operator's switchboard as your device when on and off hook. You'd tell the operator the number you wanted to connect to, then hung up. The operator would then start the process of building a physical wire all the way across the country by patching from one operator to another along the line. Once the circuit was complete, and the called party was on the line, the operator would ring you back, and then you'd start talking. The entire process could take half and hour or more just to build the line.

I need to look through the Digest archives to see if I can find the original. I think some Freepers might be interested.

[headsonpikes]

Long distance calls were just as you described back in 1950s British Columbia, but it usually took just a couple of minutes to get connected.

[dakine]

Heck, I remember when a long distance call was: “Hurry up and say ‘hi’ to your Uncle, this call is costing a fortune!”

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I worked in a remote Red Chinese village called “Shui-fu” in the fall, winter and spring of 1976-1977. We were building and starting a new fertilizer plant.

There was one phone that us foreign visitors could use that was run off some large old-fashioned dry cells. For an international call, you had to reserve a full day in advance and they would come get you when the call was ready and your party was on the line.

I made only one call to my Mom to wish her Happy Birthday in January 1977. The call was mostly “Happy Birthday, Mom!” followed by “What? I can’t hear you” and “Huh, what did you say?” and “Can you hear me now?” (it was great practice for future cellular technology!)

The ten minute call cost me $100 which is about $425 in today’s dollars!

[hanamizu]

The radio play, The Hitchhiker, starring Orson Wells in available on YouTube has a scene where Wells is making a call across country to NY that pretty much illustrates what you said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_vGz_Jbn54&t=31s&frags=pl%2Cwn

I remember my dad call his parents in Idaho from California sometimes telling the Operator what connections she had to make to complete the call. (I don’t know if they appreciated his help or not.)