Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-13
| VAIL MEDALS
THIRTEEN AWARDED
/
Employees of N. e. Tel. & Tel.
Co. Who Are Conspicuous
Employees of Noteworthy
Public Service Because of
Deeds Performed in 1921

Thirteen employees of the New
England Telephone and Telegraph
company have been awarded the
Theodore N. Vail medals for con-
spicuous examples of noteworthy
public service in 1921. They are:
Silas P. Campbell. central Office re-
pairman. Salem, Mass.
Mrs. Catherine M. Doherty, night
relief operator. Revere, Mass.
Charles A. Atwood, night operator,
Sycamore, Mass.
Gordon G.. GilIard, right Of way
man, Hyde Park, Mass.
William f. Hitchcock, combina-
ton man and Edwin ]. Farnham,
lineman. Rutland, Vt.
William c. Renfree, wire chief,
West Exchange. Providence. r. I.
Joseph II. Serror. wire chief I'm
ion Exchange. Providence, r. /.
Margaret Conley. assistant chief
| operator, Union Exchange, Provi-
| dence, r. /.
Harold r. Blake. cable splicer,
Milford. N. II.
Mary A. Shea. supervisor, Mystic
| Exchange, Medford, Mass.
Eleanor Fogg, senior operator,
Maine Telephone & Telegraph COM
pany. Readfield, Me.
Willard f. Estey, head lineman,
Athol, Mass.
More than Is cases were sub
mitted to a committee and the award
is unanimous. This is the second
year that these awards have been
made for acts of services which con-
/ spicuously illustrate the ideals of Mr..
/ Vail. for many years president Of the
! American Telephone & Telegraph
company.
Under the terms of the Vail memo
rial fund. established by Mrs. Vail.
bronze. silver and gold medals are
awarded to members of the Bell tele-
phone organization throughout the
United States. The gold and silver
medals will be awarded each year by
a national committee.
Each silver medal award is accom-
panied by cash payment of $3.50,
and each gold medal by $500. or. in
case of very exceptional act Of ser
vice, by cash award of $1,000
The service performed by the win
ners was of distinguished merit in all
instances. That of Miss Eleanor
| Fogg. senior operator of the Maine
Telephone 6, Telegraph Co, Read
| field. Me, is of exceptional interest
to the Journals readers.
On the night of June II, during a
| lna o11 +,,;o -tr isrI,t ,,i,, ~
! started fire in the Masonic building
adjoining the Readfield, Me, central
! Office. The fire spread. until the en-
! tire business section of Readfield was
in flames. Miss Eleanor Fogg, SEN
Tor operator. was on duty at the time.
In ReaIfield there is no fire appara
tus and Miss Fogg telephoned to Au-
gusta and Winthrop for assistance.
| With buildings burning all around
her and the operating room partially
filed with smoke. Miss Fogg stuck to
her post and handled the calls TO
Augusta and Winthrop. making sure
that assistance would be sent from
these places. She also notified the
plant department men at Livermore
Falls that the central office was on
fire. Because of the condition of
the lines. due to this heavy shower.
transmission was poor and it took
longer to complete these calls than it
would have under normal conditions.
Several times Miss Fogg was warned
of her peril and urged to leave, and
it was only when the smoke became
so dense that it was impossible to
stay longer that she left the board.
Before she left she gathered up all
the toll tickets on the switchboard
took the money and bill stubs that
were in the office and carried them
with Ter to safety.