Stock in Franklin Farmers Co-Operative Telephone Co. was sold to phone service customers and investors at $10.00 per share. In this case sold to J. W. Durrell on May 3, 1912.

Service was provided through a central switchboard operator in each town. To place a call one would "ring-up" the operator and tell her who you wanted to call. The operator would connect to and "ring" the receiver's line. When the line was answered, the operator would make the connection between the two lines and disconnect herself from the call.

Well, that's what she was supposed to do. All too often the operator would listen-in on, and sometimes even participate in, the conversation.