A NUTT ON THE PHONE!

  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST., 2019
       A NUTT ON THE PHONE!

  Welcome to September everybody!
  Welcome to September the first!
  And welcome to "Emma Mills Nutt Day!"
  What do you mean you never heard of her?!
  Emma is, or rather was, famous!
  She was the world's first female telephone operator!
  And here, as the late Paul Harvey used to say, is the
rest of the story.
  In January of 1878 the Boston Telephone Company
began hiring boys as telephone operators.
  You see kids, back in those days, telephones were
attached to your wall by wires. If you wanted to talk
with someone else you had to reach an operator, then
give that operator the telephone number of the person
you were trying to reach.
   But a problem quickly developed. Seems the telephone
boys didn't have a lot of patience (a problem that has
somehow been transferred to the caller these days). The
guy's attitude and behavior, including cursing, wasn't
going over very well with the phone company.
   So, on September 1st., 1878, the company hired
Emma Mills Nutt! A few hours later her sister, Stella,
was hired too making her the second female telephone
operator in the world.
   They were hired by the way by a fellow named
Alexander Graham Bell! Ring a "bell?"
   Emma may have made history....but not a fortune!
She was paid $10 a month for a 54 hour work week!
   But the popularity of her voice began a trend and, ever
since, the female voice has been the preference
of companies everywhere.
   Even today it's usually a woman's voice that tells
you to "Press 1 for checking, Press 2 to check your
balance" and on and on.
   Now they've got me wondering if Emma or her
sister may have been the first to say "The number
you are calling is no longer in service."
   Isn't it nice when you're able to speak with
someone like Emma...or any other live body on
the other end of your call?
   I suspect, if Emma and her sister were still alive,
they'd think today's telephone system is...well
frankly....Nuts! How appropriate!
   Hope you'll take a moment to honor Emma
today....and that all your NEWS is good!

Emma Nutt









Emma &  Stella Nutt
working next to male
telephone operators.







    PBX Switchboard 

ROADSIDE READING!

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 31ST., 2019
              ROADSIDE READING!

   If you'd like to teach the kids or grand
kids about Pennsylvania history you might
consider taking them for a ride! You may
just learn a thing or to yourself!
   Those roadside historical markers, too
often passed and ignored, offer stories
about people and events that made
history here in the Keystone State.
    Yesterday, for instance, the newest
of those markers was unveiled in the
Delaware County community of
Cliffton Heights.
     I don't think I've ever been to or
through that small town. But that's
the place where the Slinkey was
invented by Richard James and
marketed by the real mover of the
toy, Betty James, his wife.
     Who hasn't spent some time playing
with a Slinkey? You could juggle it
from hand to hand, watch it walk down
the steps. or try to "fix it" once you
intertwined many of the coils!
       I like the fact people got together
to salute a Pennsylvania toy that
continues to fascinate kids (and some
adults) or 75 years!
       Next time you spot one of those
historical markers find a place to pull
over. Read the story and take a picture!
        You may be surprised at the
stories they tell!
        Hope you enjoy them and that all
your NEWS is good!

THE BIG SPLIT!

  FRIDAY, AUGUST 30TH., 2019
            THE BIG SPLIT!

   Well as I reported in my Thursday
blog our two oldest granddaughters
left their homes of 18 years and
moved into to their respective
dormitories at Susquehanna
University.
    Their Moms, Dads, and
brothers turned out to help them
move in. Their Grannie and I
were there too!
     It was quite a split! Oh....not
them moving away from home.
I'm referring to the large split in
my trousers my wife discovered
as we made a rest stop while
driving to the school!
      We both agreed it might not
be the best first impression to
offer to the 660 incoming
Freshmen class and their families
attending Orientation Day!
      Fortunately there's a Walmart
not far from the university! You've
heard of "Wash and wear slacks."
In this case it was "Buy and wear."
       A helpful clerk snipped off
the tags on my new trousers as
I exited the Fitting Room, then
escorted us to check out where
we simply had to scan the bar code
and pay our bill!
        Hope I get long wear out
of these new slacks and that
all your NEWS is good!

MOVING IN AND ON!

  THURSDAY, AUGUST 29TH., 2019
           MOVING IN AND ON!

   This is the story of two little girls. One
constantly searching for adventure. The
other always anxious to face a challenge!
    Both are our granddaughters. They are
cousins.
    Jenna, a few months the senior of the
two, loved to listen as I made up stories.
She took on singing, acting, piano,
gymnastics, and became a member of
the District Champion Holy Redeemer
Volleyball team!
     Kara loved stories too! An ardent
reader she could seldom be found without
a book close by!
      I remember her quest for adventure.
It may have begun that dark, rainy day
when she implored me to take her into
an old cave we found near Rockport
along the Lehigh River. I think she was
about 2 or 3 at the time.
       I'd like to be able to claim some
credit for Jenna's ability as an
entertainer! I can still see her dancing
in front of our TV set! I suppose the truth
is she is just filled with talent!
       More than that one always feels
happy when she's around. She does
that to people!
        As you read this both of these
girls, now young women, will be
moving in to their college dormitories
as they begin the process of moving
on with their lives.
        Coincidentally, and I do mean
coincidentally, both will be going to
the same college to pursue their goals
in life.  We're thankful for that as it
will make visiting a lot easier on us!
         I have no idea where the future
will take them. But I hope, where ever
that will be, they know they always
have a place in our heart!
        Love you Jenna and Kara! May
all your NEWS be good!

       

LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS!

      WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28TH., 2018
      LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS!

    I've always appreciated the fact that kids
hear a lot more than we think they do. And
that's good enough reason to keep our
conversations respectful when children
happen to be within earshot.
    I've also used that principal to speak
to kids, especially my grand kids, as though
they were adults even before they were
actually able to speak. I believe my policy
was a small part in the development of the
great vocabulary each of my grandchildren
exhibits.
     My youngest  knows that bears
'hibernate' through the winter and will be
quick to tell you so.
     What I hadn't counted on was other
influences to which those grand kids
have been exposed!
      To many of you the term "British
Invasion" conjures up thoughts of the
days when The Beatles and many other
English Rock & Roll groups began
saturating the american airways.
      But a far more recent British
Invasion now shows up daily on our
television sets in the form of "Thomas
the Tank Engine" and another program
from Great Britain called "Peppa Pig."
       I've watched a few of the episodes
with my now 4-year-old grandson but
never gave too much thought to the
dialog except, perhaps, when the
characters spoke of  Santa Claus
as "Father Christmas."
       I'll be paying more attention
now! Last week my grandson
announced that he was trying to
grow Tomahtos in his back yard!
       Asked if he, perhaps, meant
tomatoes he replied "I don't like
tomatoes. I just like tomahtos! 
        Next thing you know the
kid will refuse to ride the
elevator in favor of a "Lift"
or try to call a "Bobbie"
instead of a policeman!
        Well at least his vocabulary
is a bit "international" to which I
say "Good show lad. Jolly good show."
       No matter how you say it or
slice it I hope all your NEWS is
good!

CRUISING DOWN THE RIVER!

      TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH., 2019
       CRUISING DOWN THE RIVER!

     My wife and I took our 4-year-old
grandson to Williamsport two weeks ago.
      We stopped to catch part of a game
at the Little League World Series. But
that wasn't our actual destination.
       Our grandson seemed very impressed
with a video his aunt and cousin sent from
their recent trip to New Orleans where
they enjoyed a Steamboat cruise on the
Mississippi!
        We decided to give him a similar
treat with a cruise aboard the Hiawatha,
a Paddle Wheel type vessel that sails
the Susquehanna out of Williamsport.
         The voyage includes a recorded
audio/video narration outlining the
history of the river in that area which
once provided a floating "highway" for
logs harvested throughout Lycoming
County.
          A similar riverboat cruise is
offered in Harrisburg on "The Pride Of
The Susquehanna." I remember
enjoying a ride on it in the company
of the late Governor Bob Casey!
         During a recent interview with
Pittston's mayor, Michael Lombardo,
the mayor spoke of a dream of having
his city and Wilkes-Barre combine
resources to develop a river boat
cruise between the two communities.
        Were it to happen it would not
be the first time passenger boats
sailed the Susquehanna in Wyoming
Valley.
          There was a time when a
sidewheeler steamboat called the
"Wilkes-Barre' carried as many as
400 passengers between the "Diamond
City" and Pittston. In fact in the 1880's
a dozen steamboats sailed the river as
far south and Berwick and as far north
as Tunkhannock!
           My wife and I have enjoyed
the cruise in Williamsport many
times and, truth be told, we'd be
excited to do the same here.
            Hope it happens someday,
and that all your NEWS is good!

ON A ROLL!

     MONDAY, AUGUST 26TH., 2019
                     ON A ROLL!

     If you're a regular blog reader. that's
 great! Especially today! August 26th is
"National Toilet Paper Day!"
     This everyday commodity is usually
taken for granted.  It's difficult to imagine
it hasn't been around forever!
     A guy named Joseph Gayetty gets
the credit for producing the first
commercially available toilet paper in
this country. That was in 1857. That's
38 years before the Sears Catalog came
along. (You older readers will have to
explain the connection between the two
for younger ones!)
      In the name of full disclosure I
should point out my son-in-law works
for the Cascade Company which
manufactures paper products, including
toilet paper, at a plant right here in
Luzerne County!
      As I noted, wed tend to take toilet
paper for granted. We expect it to be
there when we visit a public rest room
and it's more than just disappointing
when we find an empty roll!
       If your home is anything like
ours there's a sort of waiting war to
see who will replace a roll that's
running out. How long can we
extend the life of that rapidly
decreasing supply?
       We do have an agreement on
proper installation! Our roll feeds
from the top front in our dispenser.
       I suspect, at one time or another,
all of you will be absorbing.....I mean
observing this holiday sometime
during the day!
       Hope you've got a full roll and
that all your NEWS is good!