Posted by John Wilson on September 19, 2002 at 10:24:34 from 202.154.130.118 user hugo.
In Reply to: Re: Commander Walker's Telegrams posted by Mike Dennis on September 19, 2002 at 07:18:21:
In the thirties long distance toll (trunk) phone calls were avaliable but inconvenient. Hence telegrams were frequently used by Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster, though he would not be concerned about the cost.
Long distance was mostly “delay” working ie you rang tolls and were rung back when a long distance circuit was avaliable.
And those private homes which had phones may have only one telephone in an out-of-the way place. In Taqui Altounyan’s description of Lanehead (chapter 14 of "In Aleppo Once") she says the telephone was in the Lamp Room on the ground floor where oil lamps and candlesticks were brought down from the bedrooms for cleaning.