Old Missoula

69 Phones Start Local Exchange

Missoula proudly announced in mid-July of 1891 that its telephone exchange was in operation with 69 telephones “cut in” and many orders coming in for more.

A story of the new exchange said: “The exchange is something of which Missoula may well be proud. All the instruments are new and of the latest design, and the keyboards and other apparatus are of the same, while the handsome poles speak for themselves.

“Secretary Murray of the Rocky Mountain Telephone Co. says that the Missoula exchange is the handsomest and finest in the United States.

Conditions Good

“In addition to the quality of the plant the conditions for an effective service are unusually good, owing to the levelness of the ground covered and the distance between the telephone wires and all others.

“All the users of the instruments have expressed their satisfaction with them and wherever they have not worked the trouble has been found to be due to the fact that the method of using them has not been fully understood.

Use of Telephone

The story then went into detail on how to use the telephone properly – how to ring up the central, how to ring the party sought after the central has connected the circuit, and how to ring off after the conversation is completed.

It was pointed out that “it is important that if you are rung up you do not ring off, but let the party at the other end who rung you up do it.”

The day operator was Miss Nora Houser, “a recent arrival from Butte.” The night operator was a Miss Godfrey, and the relief operator Miss Laura Thompson.