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Once upon
a time, talk was neither cheap or easy
Long before cell phones made instant
communications a daily reality, it was sometimes easier
– and quicker – to drive to Houston and back to place a call.
Staff Photo by Brad
Meyer
Morris Bateman Sr. poses next to an
antique hand-crank wall phone used in the early days of
telephone service.
During the
nearly four decades Morris Bateman Sr. headed up the development and
expansion of phone service in Conroe, communications technology made
some amazing leaps forward.
"Conroe was a dinky little country town back in
1948 when I arrived," said Bateman. " I had been in the wire chief in
Lufkin and was brought in to manage the Conroe-Lufkin Telephone
Exchange." At
the time, Bateman, 96 said there were a total of 620 phones in Conroe. A
six-operator switchboard operated on the second floor of what is now the
newly open Red Brick Tavern in downtown Conroe.
"We had one to Houston so people had to wait
their turn for a chance to call," said Bateman. "A 20 minute delay
wasn't unusual and on a busy day with a lot of demand it could take
considerably longer."
Indeed, Bateman recalled one man who angrily
told the operator he no longer need the call because he had driven to
Houston and back rather than wait for a connection.
After 8 p.m., only one operator was on duty in
Conroe. Bateman said he was roused from sleep late one night by a
cabdriver who said no one could reach the operator.
"Turns out she was sound asleep on the floor,"
laughed Bateman. " I had to wake her up and tell her to get back to
work." The
population in Conroe began to grow when a four-lane highway replaced the
two-lane road connecting them. Because telephone wire was in
short-supply, many phone customers had party lines installed.
"All the phones were on the same line and the
operator could use a special frequency to ring just one household to
alert them of a call," said Bateman. "The problem was people could
listen in on each other's calls."
And they did. Bateman heard a lot of comments
about eavesdropping and long-winded gossip –
complaints he learned to ignore.
"There was nothing to be done
about it at the time," he said. "Neighbors need to figure out a way to
get along."
By the end of the 1950s, dial
service began to take over, eliminating the need for operators.
Party line still existed,
especially in rural areas, but they were decreasing as cable became
available. River Plantation was the first subdivision in Montgomery
County to have a buried cable service rather than be connected by poles.
In the late 70s and early 80s,
mobile phones were in high demand – though they bore little resemblance
to modern cell phones. They were nearly full-sized phones carried in a
case nearly the size of a loaf of bread – and required special wiring
and antennas on cars to be effective for mobile transmission.
"They were big, heavy and
expensive – but they were popular with doctors and the real estate
community," said Bateman. "We could handle 50 customers per tower – and
we sold out as quick as we could make them available in the beginning."
Bateman eventually retired in
1985 – but continued to be an active member of the Conroe and Montgomery
community.
He is a regular at the Lions Club
optical center repairing glasses for the needy. He has donated his time
to a wide range of youth and civic groups over the years. December 13,
2006, was declared Morris Bateman Day by Conroe City Council in
appreciation for his contributions to civic causes.
"I've always wanted to be active
and part of the community," said Bateman. "That's something everyone
should do."
A vintage pay phone converted
to a lamp is one of Bateman's keepsakes.
While much
of his collection of vintage phones and telecommunications equipment has
been donated to the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, Bateman has a
few antique phones, operator stations and other keepsakes in his home.
The wall of Morris Bateman's
home hold numerous plaques and awards from area civic
organizations for his efforts to support the Conroe and
Montgomery County community.
He also has
a cell phone which he says is a real convenience over past
communications technology.
"It's remarkable to see how much
things have changed," said Bateman. "People take it for granted now –
but we've come a long, long way.
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