number on a party line of two, three, four, or five
telephones. On a party line each telephone is wired
for a certain "cycle ring”. Should a subscriber hold
the number one telephone on a five-party line, his
telephone will ring on a 20-cycle ring. The num
bers two, three, four, and five telephones have,
respectively, a 30-40-50-and 60-cycle ring.
For illustration, suppose the number TUrner
2-3363 (the 3rd telephone on a five party line)
is dialed. The last digit of the number dialed
"tells” the equipment in the telephone exchange
to ring that party line with a 40-cycle ring. TUr
ner 2-3363, being "sensitive” only to a 40-cycle
ring (i. e.—a particular "charge” of electric cur
rent), is the only telephone on that line that will
"sound off”. Other subscribers on the same line
will not be bothered with a ringing of their tele
phone when their neighbor is the one being dialed.
The first telephone exchange in Brevard was
established in 1921 and had a total of 25 subscrib
ers. By 1945 the system had 570 telephones in use.
The subscriber total increased rapidly during the
next six years and by July 1951 the number
reached 1500. No new' telephones have been add
ed since July so that all the installers could be
used in setting up dial system equipment and
converting existing sets for dial usage. An addi
tion of 400 new telephones is expected by De
cember 1952, bringing the total to approximately
1900. Installation of telephones for new subscrib
ers will begin January 1st. In designing the equip
ment, the manufacturer provided for expansion of
service to an ultimate capacity of 25,000 tele
phones.
Shown above is the first commercial telephone.
You cotdd talk and listen over the combination
ear-mouthpiece. It was called the box telephone.
Photo to the right shows Mildred Shiflet, one
of our telephone operators, in action. Over 400
calls go through Ecusta’s switchboard every day.
Joyce Brown,
Mill Office, lifts
the receiver, dials
a number,
hears:
''Cellophane Plan
ning Section. Bet
ty Fisher speak
ing . . "Why
hello. Joyce/’'