Wayne County, NC - Tribute to Miss Sallie Cox Ramsey ¤¤¤¤¤¤ This was written upon Sallie Cox Ramsey's retirement from the telephone company after 36 years of service. ******************************************************************************* REVIEW OF THE YEARS A telephone biography which reflects years of untiring and faithful service, a review of the years of interesting incidents which will bring back memories happy and sad, tonight we'll turn back the clock to the year of 1903 when Sallie Cox (now Ramsey) was a young woman of 25. The subscribers of the Interstate Telephone Co. of Selma, N.C. numbered exactly two, and so of course no mater how interested the operator might be in her work it was bound to become monotonous, hearing the same number hour in and hour out. Her only outlet was a long distance line to Goldsboro. One day, listening in she heard the clipped and decisive tone of the Bell System operator saying, "Number Please". Undaunted by her limited number of subscribers and her obvious request for one number only, as accurately as she could Mrs. Sallie Ramsey (then Cox), intoned "Number Please", as if there were any question what was wanted. But the telephone career of Mrs. Ramsey was furthered when circumstances necessitated the Cox family moving to Goldsboro. So still employed by an independent company, she worked at night from 5:30pm to 8:00 am until that same year the Bell System bought over the Interstate Telephone Company...naturally keeping Mrs. Ramsey. So in 1094 she was officially part of our Telephone family. In 1906, just two years later she was promoted to Chief operator. At that time there were a handful of operators which required working long hours and varied tasks, among which was keeping the fire going, she with the Wire Chief, took turns in stove tending. Mr. Lane her partner claims she missed her calling, he credited her with putting out more fires than the local fire department. However after 14 years of unselfish and untiring work she left a fine new brick building (with janitor service) and was in charge of 30 girls. During these 14 years on many occasions she was commended for her effective handling of emergencies, always with one thought in mind. As she remarked afterwards was her motto, "To give the best possible telephone service", which oddly enough is now the keynote of Telephone Progress. In 1920 Mrs. Ramsey moved to Norfolk and consequently was transferred. Working Long Distance and in position 109 ever since she came. I think the only cloud on her telephone horizon was when Costal Harbor was installed and Mrs. Ramsey had to move to position 107. The sands of time have sifted swiftly for 36 years and tonight she was awarded a token of esteem, the diamond emblem, which reflects the brilliance of her life with us. So congratulations Mrs. Ramsey from the Telephone Company and from all of us. Best Wishes, Miss Salley. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Delores Regan ___________________________________________________________________