In article <telecom26.173.6@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
says:
> On Jun 19, 9:25 am, Sam Spade <s...@coldmail.com> wrote:
>> Washington, DC had quite a few ESS offices when Watergate happened,
>> which is a different environment than "Wrong Number" or "Dial M for
>> Murder." ;-)
> "Quite a few"? In 1973-74 ESS was still relatively new as a
> production item. I dare say that within a city most would be served
> by panel or #1 XBAR, maybe a few exchanges with ESS. Anyway, in
> 1973-74 I think most subscribers still had plain vanilla dial
> telephone service. In affluent neighborhoods, many people might have
> Touch Tone.
I believe Providence, RI got the 1ESS in 1973. I distinctly remember
the raspy dialtone and noises of what I recall was a panel system
changing over to the pure tones of the ESS. But it wasn't phased in
for the whole city, only certain exchanges were moved onto the
platform.
For example, my grandparents had a number in 401-521 and we had one in
401-751. The latter was the ESS.
Pawtucket, RI was on a #5 xbar for the longest time, not getting their
DMS-100 until close to 1990.
In article <telecom26.173.6@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
says:
> Society will suffer as a result. Certainly news via the 'net has
> benefits. But a printed newpspaer is something of _record_ which is
> important, not fleeting eletrons on a screen. Newspaper articles
> have far more depth.
I disagree. The important things get mirrored like crazy on the net.
Just look at Michael Moore's "Sicko". As soon as one provider takes it
down, another pops up.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I seem to recall that the first ESS in
Chicago was in the Wabash CO in the downtown area, and the second one
was in the Superior CO on the near north side. Those were both in
1973, then a few more were installed in 1974-75 in various CO's
through out Chicago. The Chicago-Beverly CO was cut over in 1975 also.
The reason I remember that one is that my downtown office phone number
was 312-WEbster-9-4600, i.e. '939-4600'. The downtown Sears, Roebuck
store, a few blocks away had 312-WABash-2-4600, i.e. '922-4600'.
Whoever prepared the translations for Beverly CO as part of its
cutover inadvertently got 922 and 939 confused. So my number, 939-4600
(a single phone line) was ringing off the hook all morning long with
people trying to reach 922-4600 (a five-position switchboard which
rocked around the clock at the Sears, Roebuck store and credit office).
Sears, of course wouldn't miss the fifty or so calls which got
misdirected to my office; on the other hand I was going insane from
all the 'wrong numbers'. People would not listen to what I said when I
answered, instead asking for things like 'extension 249' or 'credit
department' or 'customer service'. I'd keep telling them 'wrong
number' then they would argue with me instead.
T (nospam.kd1s@cox.nospam.net)