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her time, so Franklin, the preacher, set to work. Inspiration struck!One momentous day in 1924, he recorded himself announcing the time, minute by minute, on the sound track of some motion picture film. Using a razor blade, he then sliced the sound track off the film and wrapped it around a chromiumdrum.He hooked up a motor-driven pickup head, connected a speaker, and had himself the very first timemachine.He made more of these machines and rented them to local businesses— the First client being Coca-Cola. They are everywhere today. A magnetic drum is used rather than film.The First phone directory ever published was on one sheet of paper— the New Haven District Telephone Company, February, 21, 1878. Listed on this one sheet were 11 residences, three doctors, two dentists, 20 stores and factories, four meat and fish markets, two hack and boarding stables, and eight listings under miscellaneous.The police office and the post office were under miscellaneous. Actually, directories were published before the phone was invented. R.R. Donnelley in Chicago published lists of city businesses. When the phone came along, Donnelley shrewdly threw in the phone num-From Page 4Abers. The Donnelley printing com-„ pany is still in existence in Chicago and still prints the book for Bell.Cheyenne, Wyoming, has the distinction of being the first city to publish on yellow pages. The reason is unclear, except it was found that black print on yellow affords the best visibility.The oldest phone book availablein the Dallas Library is the 1901 directory, 67 pages.My grandfather’s bakery, the West End Bakery, is listed — 147 Main Street, phone number 4401-1.Of course, in those days you had to go through a central operator. Small towns didn’t have direct dialing for some time.Remember Fibber McGee who lived at 79 Wistful Vista, NBC Radio? Whenever he experienced trouble, he’d reach for the phone. “Operator, give me....Oh, is that you, Myrt? How’s every little thing, Myrt?” Eventually, Myrt would connect him to his number.So, why have I become so interested in the telephone?Well, through the years whenever 1 have spoken at a book club or civic organization, the members have come to me with this marvelous compliment.“You could make the phone book interesting!”- I just thought I’d try.
Newspaper Details
Duncanville Today
Duncanville, Texas, US
Thu, Apr 22, 1993
Page 20
Full Page
Clipped by
John L.
TX, USA 26 Dec 2019
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