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Page 183
TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH
CHAPTER XXXVII
Prior to January, 1885, the only telegraph office in
the town doing a commercial business was in the Pennsylvania
Railroad station. On the 19th of January, 1885, the Western Union
Telegraph Company obtained a right of way to build a pole line from
the Allegheny Valley Railroad along the "plank road," Courtney
Street and Booth Street to Franklin Street. Franklin Street was the
location of the B. R. & P. Railroad Station. In a short time after
this a telegraph office was located on Long Street. Prior to that
date any one sending a telegram had to either walk a half mile or
more to the Pennsylvania Station, or send his telegram by messenger.
In like manner the Telegraph Company had to keep a messenger to
carry its telegrams to the central part of town. One could not pick
up a telephone and call the telegraph office, for the reason that
there were no telephones in the town.
The first telephone communication with the Borough was
established in August i885. The Central Pennsylvania Telephone
Company, on the 3rd. of August of that year, obtained an ordinance
granting the right of way to build a pole line on Conrad Street and
Long Street to the corner of Courtney Street and Long Street. This
was a toll line built from Curwensville to DuBois by the Telephone
Company. One telephone served the whole town and the pay station was
located in a corner of Dr. S. H. Pettigrew's drug store on Long and
Courtney Street. When one wanted to telephone he went in and rang up
whatever station he wanted and if it were Curwensville he had to
wait until they sent a messenger to call the person with whom he
wished to converse. Clearfield had a small exchange with probably
not to exceed 10 to 15 telephones, which had been installed some
time in 1882. At that time there were two law offices in Clearfield
that had telephones. One prominent lawyer in Clearfield said he "did
not want to be annoyed with a telephone. Persons from all over the
county would be calling him up and securing free advice."
In Clearfield, if one wanted some person who did not
have a telephone, he had to wait until a messenger was sent out to
secure the person with whom he desired to talk. In like manner any
one calling for any person in DuBois had to wait until a messenger
was sent out from the telephone exchange to secure the person called
for. The telephone was a luxury and used only in the most urgent
cases. There was no long distance service.
It is related that one lawyer in Clearfield, who was
quite an ardent Methodist, was called on the telephone during a
period of a protracted meeting and when he went to the telephone
exchange to answer the call and when the conversation was ended, in
place of saying "Goodbye," he said "Amen."
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