gmw1@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) (08/09/89)
I was always led to believe that the last magneto exchange was in Bryant Pond, Maine. It shut down in 1984 despite fierce opposition by residents. I once called Elden Hathaway, the man who ran it for years, and he explained that they always had trunks running out of Bryant Pond, but you had to connect through an operator if you were dialing in from another area. I'm quite curious to know if there are any manual _exchanges_ left in the U.S. (not meaning toll stations), and if so, where? Back to toll stations for a minute. I assume that they simply run to the nearest telephone office, n'est-ce pas? But if they're running to the nearest telco, then why aren't they just hooked into the automatic switch like any other number? Toll stations need to be reached by an operator, right? If so, then I assume that all OUTGOING calls from one must also be completed manually? -G [Moderator's Note: This is correct. They go off hook and wait for an operator to answer, and extend them to the desired place/number. In this respect, they are like the manual service of the old days. PT]