The telephone has become so ubiquitous in our lives that we often forget it’s a relatively new technology. In 1952, Calumet and Hecla provided some help using the telephone in their telephone directory. In case you need some help yourselves:
“Before attempting to dial a call, lift the receiver and listen for the ‘dial tone’, a steady humming sound … Secure from this directory the number of the person or department wanted. Dial each digit carefully, making sure the dial is pulled until the ‘stop’ is reached. Allow the dial to return to its normal position after each pull; any attempt to force the dial may result in a wrong number. If, during the process of dialing, you discover you have made an error, hang up for a few seconds and then dial over. If the telephone you have dialed is busy, you will hear a short rapid ‘buzz-buzz’ sound. If you hear this sound, hang up and wait a moment before attempting to dial again. A ‘burr-burr-burring’ sound indicates that the telephone you have called is ringing.”
Okay, a little different from today – who remembers rotary phones?