DID DILLINGER GAND TRY TO SCUTTLE PHONES?
Thursday March 3, 1983

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Pix #1 - The first of the Bell reunions was held in
1940 at Riverside Park in Findlay. The reunions have continued since
then, when dial system replaced operators. Those who attended included
(front row, left to right): Wayne and Cecelia Youngston, Florence
Boyer, Jestine Welker, Wilma Jarvis, Esther Scholsser, Ed Massie and
son in front of him. Second row, left to right: Malcolm and Beryl
Miller, Marie Yaryan, Mary Renner, Virginia (Hicks) Krupp, Harry and
Vera (Earl) Stoneberger, Mabel (Bennett) Smith and son in front of
her. Third row: Fred Yaryan, Bonnie Welker, Melvin "Huck" Jarvis,
next man unknown, and "Peg" Massie
Pix #2 - Early model telephone, now in the home of Mrs.
Harold Dauterman, 516 W. Tiffin Street.
Author's Note: This is the third and last in the series
about the history of the telephone along with the people who omplemented
it in Fostoria.
Surprised is not quite the word to express my reactions
when Jim Brandt on a tour of Ohio Bell's central office in Fostoria,
pointed out a device about four feet high and perhaps two feet square
and said, "That's the time- temperature machine".
All the years I had called 435-0811 to see how hot or
cold it was outside or the correct time, I never knew that the information
was coming from a gadget at Bell's central office in Fostoria.
Every minute of the day or night, that invisible man
is on duty providing the time and temperature. And twice a year the
machine must be reset for the change in time - spring ahead in the
spring and fall back in the fall. If some type of malfunction should
occur in the machine, a technician must fly from Atlanta.
Many hair raising stoires have been told and written
which pertain to the telephone, but I was told one I had never heard
before. It happened the day the Dillinger gang robbed the First National
Bank here.
The ground floor door to the second floor of the Ohio
Bell offices at 117 E. North St. where the operators worked at the
switchboard, was controlled from upstairs. Authorized personnel signaled
for entry by pressing a buzzer according to code: one long and one
short ring. Upstairs the door was unlocked by anelectric switch, but
only after looking out the window to make sure the person was permitted
access.
Sometime before the Dillinger gand descended on the
bank, the operators upstairs heard someone pounding on the entrance
door. Bonnie Welker said she went to the window and asked what was
wanted. There were two men downstairs. One replied they were inspectors
and needed to check the equipment, but Bonnie knew better than that.
She told them everything was OK. The men persisted in their need to
enter.
The operators updtairs, by that time, were busy placing
calls, seeking assistance from police and sheriff's departments in
other towns, and consequently didn't have time to laert anyone locally
about the two men trying to gain access.
When the men saw that they were bilked in their attempt
to gain entrance, they left.
To this day, Bonnie and other operators who were on
duty belive the men were accomplices of the Dillinger gand, wanting
to gain entrance to disrupt the outgoing calls for help. However,
since none of the men were captured, the story is only suspicion.
DEPRESSION DAYS FOR PHONE PEOPLE
Mrs. Eddie (Peg) Massie, former Fostorian now living
in Florida, remembers the 1931 Depression days and how it affected
the telephone business. She tells the story:
"Companies were cutting hours and laying off workers.
It was really rough. Telephones were being taken out. People were
cutting expenses everywhere they could."
"Our telephone company put three traffic departments
employees, along with plant employees on the job of canvassing the
city to bolster business. We reviewed with each one visited their
service and suggested additional service and discouraged disconnecting
their service. We also watched for new customers."
"toledo, being our headquarters, a broadcasting network
was set up between Toledo, Sandusky, Findlay, Tiffin and Fremont.
Each morning we went to the lounge to hear our pep talk from Toledo
before going out. If we had a good day in sales, our town got to put
on the program."
"Jim Dawson in Fostoria office was always tops. He and
Mellon sold the Hays Hotel room service, and in depresssed days that
was a big deal."
"By putting three operators out to call on subscribers,
that gave more hours to others and plant men were helping their co-workers
too. Helen Turner, Jestine Welker and I were the operator team".
EARLY MODEL TELEPHONE
If all of the old local Ohio Bell employees were together
they probably could spin many interesting yarns about the old days.
Perhaps talk about the early phone models used during
the early days after the invention of it, as illustrated in the accompanying
photo taken recently in the home od Mrs. Harold Dauterman, 516 W.
Tiffin Street.
the phone was actually in service in Fostoria during
that early period. When they were replaced by more modern equipment,
many were salvaged as relics as was this one by Mr. and Mrs. John
Bowman, daughter and son-in-law of Mrs. Dauterman.
Not shown in the photo is a small handcrank on the right
side, which when turned sent an electric impulse through the line
to the operator who answered and connected the caller with the desired
person.
Back then, several subscribers were often on one line
and supposedly answered only when their telephone rang their particular
ring, but that didn't keep neighbors from listening in on each other's
phone calls.
The telephone bells are at the top of the box. The mouthpiece
which projected from the front was adjustable to accommodate the various
heights.
CORPORATE CHANGE IN PHONE BUSINESS
Since this article was started, Ohio Bell had undergone
changes in its corporate structure coming from orders by the Federal
Communications Commission.
One of the effects of these orders relates to the rental
and sales of telephones by Ohio Bell, which in turn relates to installation.
It isn't quite as simple as in the past. When a new customer signed
up and the phone was installed by Bell, if something went wrong with
the phone itself, a Bell repairman came and fixed it. It is not as
simple as that anymore.
Some of the other changes which have come about as a
result of the new regulations and affect Ohio Bell's customer relations
have been published by various media, but the simplest answer for
customers is to dial 1-800-555-5000 - that's the "Let's Talk" number
setup by Ohio Bell as a customer information line.
The telephone itself and the expanded uses ofr it today
would probably surprise alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison too.
It has become indispensible in the home, business, schools, industry
and government, and more innovations are just around the corner.
PEOPLE AND HOUSES ON CROCKER STREET
Author's Note: Today ends Esther Shaffer's reminiscing
about Crocker Street, except for a few corrections which will be presented
later. The series had produced enthusiatic response from readers.
NO. 244 - This property belonged to R.A. Boyer, then
later a family named Heffelfinger lived there. Carl and Cleo (Reiss)
Herbert bought it in about 1915. Their children were Dale who was
an outstanding athlete at Bowling Green and later a coach there, and
Mary Elizabeth who played the piano for Fostoria groups. The Herberts
lived there until Mr. Herbert's death and Mrs. Herbert was no longer
able to live alone. It was then sold to Miss Lynn Jones.
NO. 248 - Hal Stout's parents owned this property. Hal
was a star football player on Coach L.C. Boles team during the early
years at F.H.S. Later, Hal was city editor at the Fostoria Review.
The property rental property for many years and then sold to the Andrews
family. Mr. Andrews died shortly after they moved there, but Mrs.
Andrews continued to live there for many years. Her son Earl, also
known as "Happy" was one of the big band era musicians. His bands
played the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Pittsburg hotels and throughout
the South. He helped local young musicians especially Guy Workman,
Richard Conley and Lola Lutzy. Both a piano player and vocalist. Andrew's
band was very popular. The band often practiced at his home and the
neighborhood enjoyed the music. He was stand-by pianist for Zez Confrey's
band too. Confrey, composer of "Dizzy Fingers" and "kitten on the
Keys", played the specialities, leaving the routine for "Happy" while
he led the band. It was a great compliment for Andrews to work with
Confrey. The Andrews sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Brant
who sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Echelberry.
NO. 258 - Mrs. Edna Wise, her daughter Florence, and
son Harold, lived there for many years. The property was owned by
the Cadwallader family. Florence grew up in Fostoria, graduated from
FHS and later held a responsible job with the State of Ohio. She married
Ralph Brant and they live on Roosevelt Drive.