Article: Lancaster New Era, Pa., The Scribbler Column.

By Jack Brubaker, Lancaster New Era, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Aug. 16--Forty summers ago, telephone companies across the country began installing new machinery to tell dialers that the number they had reached was not in service. The messages on these machines said something like this: "This is a recording. I'm sorry, but the number you have reached is not in service. If you need assistance, please stay on the line and an operator will answer."

This service was free. The telephone company charged only if someone at the number dialed actually picked up the phone, which is the way the system still works.

Before these ...

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