Telephone Operators, Telegraphers, & Etc.

TELEGRAPH:
Colonel Barber, of Bunch's Bend, in the Pre-Civil War times, rode "posthaste" into L. P. to get the daily market report of the cotton market. The telegraph was a means of contact with the "outside" world, especially with Wall Street.
George Foster was president of the L. P. Telegraph Company established on April 6, 1881.
The Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Co. was established in 900, superintendent living in Vicksburg, MS. [The Cumberland was also mentioned in the newspaper again in 1913]
By 1921 the telegraph system was acquired by the Western Union Company.
TELEPHONE:
The Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Co. was established in 1900, superintendent living in Vicksburg, MS. In 1906 B. A. Van Buren was manager. In 1906 the Mayor was authorized to exchange 6 electric lights for 3 phones:
(1) Mayor's office, (2) the light plant, and (3) at the residence of E. J. Berry [manager of the light plant]
The Telephone Company 1st operators, 1st location: Misses Carrie, Nettie, & Theresa Fousse. These ladies had to report the sad news of deaths during the yellow fever epidemic.
Other operators during this era were; Miss Mamie Sullivan & Annie Doran.
Operators 2nd location: Mrs. Hazel Razor Jones and Miss Melinda Turnipseed; chief operator.
Operators 3rd location: [1923 Southern Bell System] Mrs. Margie DuBose, was an employee.
South Central Bell operators:
Mrs. Hazel White; Chief opeator, employee for 32 years.
Mrs. Mildred Lick was an employee for 25 years.