Edmund Bringer Memoir - Brookens Library

Ecbmd A. Bringer 24
Q:
A: Yes.
So that's cane a long way since the crank boxes on the m11.
Q: What did you call the--fanwrls . . .
A: k used to call thm famr--farm lines. They'd tell you they got a
case aut here on farmer line number so and so and it may be ten miles out
there on an open line see and you'd have to drive the dam thing frm one
end to the other to see that nothing ws in it and everything. And there
M a s . . .
Q: Now explain drive it from one end . . .
A: &ll you'd get in your car and inspect it as you ent down the road
see.
Q: Oh.
A: And then you'd have to climb poles and everything and test it and
everything, cut it open maybe and s e way with the toll lines see. All
the toll lines betwen cities used to be open, what e call "open wire".
That was on cross irons and wire and if we got bad stom lightening and
wind and trees muld just tear the lines all dm and we'd have to go
replace than see. And then the sarrre in the winter, it was blizzards and
snowstorms and sleet that did it and if w wer got a sleet storm everything
m t dom. And those used to be a m to fight. k'd k out freezing
ourselves to death almost hecause--el1 in those days w didn't have the
clothing that they war naw, thermal clothing and everything. I've been
out there I've been close to freezing couple a tks ht anymre they've
got all this eqpiwt and we11 there's no wire anyplace that you have to
see or wrk with see . . . (tape turned off)
Q: You *re explaining about: the cables . . .
A: We11 see they've changed so mch with the cable and things like that.
Now they 've got insulation that 's waterproof. It used to be that the
lead sheathed cables--they still got SUE of them in place yet--kt the
water mld get into them and there ms paper insulation on the wires--or
on the cables, on the copper inside the cable, the pairs of wires--and
that d d put the telephones out of service. And the electricity going
through the wires muld cause trouble see. And then they got to a place
where they c e
out with these plastics that they're using now and they
started to putting. . . . the wires -re covered with plastic and the
sheath--they use the plastic sheath now that is waitherproof and it very
very seldom goes bad and now you don't wen--&ere e used to go out
every tk it rained now they can have a rainstorm and they don't wen
have any trouble.
Q: And you =re a
you do that?
A: kll I'd--etd
repair it 01: clear
cable splicer right and so &at did you do, how did
have to locate the trouble and then w'd have to
it and t h
repair it.
Edmund Bringer Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS