Ambulance Driver History - Studebaker Ambulet

[Steve Lichtman]

Yup, according to Max, there was a phone exchange building down the street where the operator worked. You picked up your phone and rang it, and the operator would pick up, and you would ask for "Phone 8", and she would connect you. That is, as long as nobody else was already on your party line!

Oh, the phone number 8 was also the number for the wrecker service (which "Bingo" Blair also owned) and for the Blair's residence. As he was also the town police officer, I guess you called 8 for police service, too.

More than once while I was there, the town was compared to Andy Griffith's "Mayberry"........ Indeed, in many ways, it's still similar (though everyone has a cell phone now).

 

[John ED Renstrom]

you asked and I would bet that was the number of people on that line the man was #8. not how many were on one line was a guess. but he was the 8th added to it. there may have been a 8a or a8. Mayberry or not you could never have meet that many peopel that on both sides call each other friends working the tent in DC.