landline telephone question

When we moved into our Grampa's house which Dad bought when I was six (1954), we still had a "hand crank" wall mount phone. You unhook the receiver, and crank the thing to get the operator, and all out the number you want. Our phone number I still remember, "1-9-F-4" Which meant we were the 19th party on the "farm" line and we got 4 short rings

Even after we got a dial phone, for many years, there was nearly 15-20 people on the "party line". You heard 4 rings for quite a few years............ours was one long, you ignored the two long, the two short, and the 4 short. Then, one year, they finally got us down to just one other ring, and finally, down to a "two party" line. This was about 65 or so.

My Mom's Dad had a heart attack which was not fatal. My Gramma, who was on our line, came down the road to Mom's one summer day yelling that "the damn teenagers would not get off the line." They laughed at Mom. Fortunately, our neighbors a few hundred feet down the road were on "the other" phone line. Mom had me ride my bike down and have them call the ambulance.

Let me tell YOU there were about 4 families of teenage kids on the school bus the next day who looked might sorrowful.................

I don't mind telling ya I helped rub it in a bit.