Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Dialing up telephone memories

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, July 15, 1999 | 9:55 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Her column appears Thursdays. Reach her at deskin@vegas.com.

Problems of growth are nothing new to the Las Vegas Valley. Some of us remember when the phone company couldn't keep up with the demand for new telephone installations.

The Lloyd family waited years for a telephone and when it was installed they sent out an announcement that brought laughter to the public officials who received it.

A birth was announced on a card on which was printed a stork speaking into a phone and telling the world: "We have a new arrival at our house." The creative card went on: "Date: May 24, 1956. Time: 10:02 a.m. Weight: Average. Name: Dudley 2-9878. Parents: Jack and Aggie Lloyd."

This overdue arrival was greeted with glee by all members of the family. "Mother has recovered and is doing well." A footnote said: "Yes, we now have a telephone. Thanks."

Sen. Howard Cannon, who was city attorney at the time, received one of the announcements. He wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd: "I received your very clever announcement and certainly am glad to know that you finally have a telephone. I have told this story on many occasions in the past few days and it has certainly been amusing to the listeners."

Sun Publisher Barbara Greenspun recalled the shortage and the extraordinary efforts that we went through to get phones in the homes of new reporters.

As I recall, it was accomplished with a $50 guarantee and some clout with telephone company officials. Naturally, none of our reporters had an extra $50 floating around, so the paper absorbed the cost.

Retired publicist Art Force will remember the days when he was handling advertising and public relations for the phone company and had to deal with hordes of impatient customers wanting phones installed.

Growth was a problem -- even back in the 1950s. Tess Stuart, daughter of the Lloyds, who supplied this information, wrote: "To think about how we take the phone for granted today. My family came to Las Vegas in 1953 and it wasn't until 1956 that a phone was installed in the house. It's been a joy to reflect on a small bit of Las Vegas history and we thought you would smile a little about it too."

People stuff:

* Howard Stutz, who earned his spurs way back when as a reporter for the Sun, was recently named vice president of public relations for Advertising and Marketing Solutions. They picked a winner.

* Having watched Tim O'Callaghan through his teen years to his present executive position with Henderson Home News, I would be remiss if I didn't take time to congratulate him and his lovely Donna on their 15th wedding anniversary.

* Dick Vee of Auburn, N.H., has an idea to solve the problems of Social Security.

"We need to get the members of the Senate and House out of their sizable pensions and into the Social Security system. There will be no ifs, ands or buts. Social Security will become the safest government program ever, with more and better benefit increases."

Dream on, Mr. Vee. It ain't gonna happen. *

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