The episode revolves around Uncle Joe setting up a "barbed wire phone" to connect the Shady Rest, various farms and Sam Drucker's.
These phone systems actually were used in rural, remote areas around 1900. Although instead of comically depending on every user to link calls, they were a big party line. Most of them seemed to be cases of a few neighbors linking their farms and ranches by way of already existing fences and a wire running up to the house. As technical knowledge improved, farmers learned to insulate the top wire to keep it from grounding out in the rain. If a participating farmer also a phone connected to Ma Bell, messages could be relayed to town. I've read that even after WW II, some instances of barb wire running from the house to the phone company line were still being used.
I believe this episode is the earliest appearance of Fred Ziffel's Arnold on Petticoat Junction. Of course, Arnold went on to co-star in the spin off "Green Acres" where the running joke was the phone line that terminated at the top of the pole.
These phone systems actually were used in rural, remote areas around 1900. Although instead of comically depending on every user to link calls, they were a big party line. Most of them seemed to be cases of a few neighbors linking their farms and ranches by way of already existing fences and a wire running up to the house. As technical knowledge improved, farmers learned to insulate the top wire to keep it from grounding out in the rain. If a participating farmer also a phone connected to Ma Bell, messages could be relayed to town. I've read that even after WW II, some instances of barb wire running from the house to the phone company line were still being used.
I believe this episode is the earliest appearance of Fred Ziffel's Arnold on Petticoat Junction. Of course, Arnold went on to co-star in the spin off "Green Acres" where the running joke was the phone line that terminated at the top of the pole.
