449713A2
From: ahk@chinet.com

XPost: nyc.transit

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>On Nov 18, 5:49 pm, "Adam H. Kerman"  wrote:

>While 1+ was the usual toll code, SxS had a variety of front end
>codes.  I've seen phone book instructions where oddball numbers were
>used depending on the destination of the call, and in a few cases,
>there was a second dial tone.

Really! So the caller had to route his calls to different tandem offices!

>>>Party lines were more common in rural areas where the cost-per-line of
>>>a local loop was high. But it was popular and common in cities, too,
>>>as a way to save on plant and for subscribers to save money (two party
>>>about 25-35%cheaper).

>>I meant in Chicago. I knew there were party lines in New York.

>I don't know the Chicago city rate structure of the 1950s and 1960s,
>but I'd be very surprised if there weren't quite a few party lines
>within the city in that era.  I'd expect party lines to be discounted
>as they were elsewhere.

You have to realize that Chicago had annexed massive amounts of suburban
territory toward the end of the previous century, not uncommon in other
cities. Much of it wasn't settled till the 1950's and 1960's. Quite a
few central offices were built during the 1950's, so it appears that
Ma Bell was keeping up with new construction. The already settled parts
of the city weren't gaining density. Some were losing density.

Now, just looking at the outside of central offices doesn't tell me if
they kept up with switch deployment to avoid relying on party lines,
but I suspect in new central offices, there weren't any.

>I'm also surprised Chicago was 2L-4D.  Phila was 3L-4D, like NYC, and
>Phila isn't as big as Chicago.  (Phila switched from 3L-4D to 2L-5D
>(WAVerly- to WAvery 7-) in the 1940s to have more exchange codes.)

I really don't know when the seventh digit was added. Sorry. There's
a well-known Jimmy Stewart movie filmed in Chicago I'm sure you've
seen, Call NOrthside 777. We probably did have 5 digit numbers very
early in telephone history, but not during the era in which that movie
was set.

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