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BIENFAIT TELEPHONE HISTORY
(History from the 1955 History of Bienfait book)
with my additions, corrections
The first telephone line was completed in 1914.
There was only one
long distance line which ran to Estevan (on open wire),
The remainder were
party lines*.
The cost of phone calls was fifteen cents for two minutes.
This cost rose in 1954.
(Today it is almost as cheap)
The first Operator was Bertha B. Kinler (Kilender in history book).
I believe this is her, but only a guess
Bertha Kinler
b- Apr 20, 1898 in Ontario
d- Apr 8, 1979 in Stayton, Oregon, age 80
She married Walter Lebricht Frey on Feb 20, 1919 in San Francisco, CA
son of Hugo Gustav Oscar Frey and Anna Badraun.
they had a son and a daughter
in 1916 census Bertha B Kinler,
age 18, born in ON
shown as Assistant Telephone Operator, Irish ancestry, Presbyterian
boarding with Marie Clausen, age
18, born in USA, shown as Telephone
Manager
who immigrated in 1916, German ancestry, Lutheran religion
Shown as speaking German as well as English
Both shown at the Telephone Office
Mrs Mildred Felgate
was Telephone Operator in the years 1915 and 1916.
Mildred McCathern (Mcather?) Felgate, nee
Ryson
b- May 7, 1896 in Winnipeg MB
d- Mar 14, 1969
buried in Bienfait Cemetery
shown in 1916 as a servant for her Uncle Christopher Mandt in Bienfait
father- Joseph Ryson
b- Dec 1871 in USA
Joseph "Joe" Ryson was one of the first Bienfait Councillors, Division 5,
at first meeting in Bienfait, Jan 6, 1913
mother- May Mandt
b- June 1882 in USA
d- Jan 14, 1913 in SK
sister- Francis Ryson
b- July 1899 in MB
Father and Mother Immigrated to Canada in 1907
Mildred's
Husband- Howard Duke Felgate
father- Percy Howard Felgate- b- ca 1865, Hackney, Middlesex, England
mother- Edith Annie Duke
*Party lines were operated on the principal of distinctive rings
-one farmer would be 1 short & 1 long (or 1 short ring and 1 long ring)
another might be 2 longs and 1 short, etc etc.
The ringing
generator was a crank on the side of the old telephone.
All long
distance calls were handled by an operator, from a cord board.
A Mrs. Malarty, was an Operator, ca 1924
Ken Johns married her daughter Kathleen Malarty
in 1924.
On the May 1st, 1915 map the telephone Exchange,
was located in Block 4, at lot 224, on Railway Ave.
between Main St. and Walsh St.
It was in this location in the 30's as well, and probably later.
This is the style of phone we had on our farm in the 50's
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