On 7/23/2014 10:24 AM, Miles Fidelman wrote:

Funny story. There are a huge number of independent telcos in Iowa. The reason: early on, farmers discovered that you could turn pairs of barbed wired strands into party lines. Things developed from there.

In California in the 1960s Pacific had tariffs for un-francised territories for "toll stations" and "farmer lines"--the later often terminating at a small cord board. I recall taking a clearance from a repairman as "somebody left the gate open". -- Requiescas in pace o email Two identifying characteristics of System Administrators: Ex turpi causa non oritur actio Infallibility, and the ability to learn from their mistakes. (Adapted from Stephen Pinker)